Cerebral palsy is a condition that refers to a neurological disorder that affects body movement and coordination, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is often caused by irregularities in the brain that control muscular movement and can manifest itself at birth or during childhood. Observable symptoms of cerebral palsy include walking with a dragging foot, a lack of muscle coordination and irregular muscle tone. While exercise can't reverse the condition, it can help restore muscular tone and improve coordination.
Hip Guidelines
Because cerebral palsy can cause an imbalance in the muscles that help move your hip, special attention should be paid to exercising your hip muscles. You will want to create a weight or resistance program that emphasizes strengthening your hips. These exercises should focus on strengthening both sides of the body and include movements that strengthen the muscles that move your hips to the front and back as well as those that move your legs from side to side.
Flexibility Considerations
As mentioned above, cerebral palsy results in a lack of coordination and spastic muscle movements, so any exercise program for a cerebral palsy patient should include flexibility training, or stretching movements. The U.S. National Center on Physical Activity and Disability suggests that exercise programs for cerebral palsy patients "should include the same amount of attention to enhancing and/or maintaining good range of motion in the affected limbs."
Balance Issues
Cerebral palsy patients often struggle with balance, either due to imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility or as a result of a lack of coordination. When developing an exercise program for patients with this condition, it is important to protect them from injury. Some patients will have problems holding weights while standing, so some exercises may need to be performed with assistance or while seated. Before turning a cerebral palsy patient loose in a weight room, it is a good idea to have a clear understanding of their ability to balance.
Involuntary Movements
Some patients suffering from cerebral palsy manifest the condition through involuntary muscle movements, which can make training with free weights difficult. Patients can involuntarily hurt themselves if their limbs suddenly move under a loaded weight bar. You may want to skip the free weights and have the patient exercise using elastic bands or weight machines, since these can be much safer than the alternative.
