Cerebral palsy involves impaired nerve and muscle movement control. Causes can be head injury, blood incompatibility, birth defects and/or rubella, according to Disabled World. Symptoms include difficulty with fine motor skills such as walking and writing, poor balance and involuntary movements. Home exercise programs need to concentrate on increasing muscle strength, balance, flexibility and cardiovascular functioning. No home exercise program works for everyone. Check with your doctor to find which exercise will work for you.
Balancing Improvement Exercise
Balancing properly plays a major role in cerebral palsy. Balance issues involving cerebral palsy are due to brain-related and circulatory conditions, according to Disabled World. Loss of balance is a common symptom of cerebral palsy. Include in your home exercise program an exercise designed to diminish vertigo, or loss of balance. Sit on a bed with your feet on the ground. Quickly lean your upper body to the right until it lands on the bed. Hold this position for five seconds. Slowly return your body to the upright position. Quickly let your body drop to your left. When your left side is flat on the bed, hold this position for five seconds. Hold longer if vertigo still exists. Return to upright position. Repeat this exercise five times.
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding can be included as part of a cerebral palsy home exercise program. Horseback riding, otherwise known as hippotherapy, can contribute to increased psychological, physical and emotional well-being. Psychologically and emotionally, a bond is formed between the cerebral palsy patient and the horse. This provides lasting positive impressions, boosts confidence levels, improves motivation and results in fond memories, according to Cerebral Palsy Source. Hippotherapy can improve coordination, mobility, comprehension, attention span, muscle tone, posture and body alignment, balance, communication skills and gross motor skills. Start riding a horse for five minutes at a gentle pace. Have a companion, if needed. Gradually increase your time and speed as you become stronger. If you do not have your own horse, many local horse farms offer rentals and/or classes.
Swimming
Swimming, or other water-based activities, can help cerebral palsy patients, according to Cerebral Palsy Source. Swimming in warm water relaxes the muscles and allows movements that may be too difficult or painful on land. Water provides a natural buoyancy to support body weight. Buoyancy takes pressure off the joints. Water offers a safe exercise medium since there is no possibility of falling. Falling can be a common occurrence with cerebral palsy. Being immersed in water prevents falling. Make certain to wear a life jacket or other protective water gear to prevent potential injury. Swimming can help develop muscle strength, improve coordination, improve circulation, improve cardiovascular functioning and be used as a weight management tool. It is important to have a healthy individual accompany those afflicted with cerebral palsy. Get into chest or shoulder-deep warm water. Swim across the pool's length. Relax for 30 seconds. Swim back across the pool. Do this exercise once. Increase time as strength increases. Start swimming the pool's length when you feel strong enough. If you do not have an at-home pool, check into your local schools, community centers or gyms for one.
