Moving from Gold’s Gym over to the FM Gym has brought cool possibilities. The FM Gym provides much more space for moving about. Meaning, the throwing and catching of any kind of ball has more room. Something my trainer has been taking advantage of since the move happened. Inside the FM facility there are many options of exercise balls to choose from. Some have a firmer covering than others, at FM. The exercise balls also have a big variety in weights. Different from working out at Gold’s gym, were only three choices in the weight of these balls, existed. They had the mostly seen incremental steps of 10-pounts. Ranging from exercise balls of 10-30 pounds. The system didn’t seem to provide much middle ground for improvement. When moving to the new gym, we found all kinds of weighted exercise balls. Instead of using the round numbers before, mostly utilizing 10. We now have the ability to use weights with middle numbers. My challenge with coordination meant rarely having the ability of moving up to the 20-pound exercise ball. Having the opportunity to vary the weight means better work on coordination. Throwing from the right side and the left side, helps work on exercising my ability to rotate the body. The work improves my skill in performing many of my athletic hobbies. Which, often carry with them, some kind of rotational movement.
Moving our training sessions has also provided the ability to video many of the exercises. Giving me the ability to show some of the movements. In Gold’s, the opportunity to record our work was challenging. The space was confining and the traffic inside the gym provided challenges. One of the first recordings was of our work with the exercise ball. The one in the video is of a 16-pound ball, a middle weight, we couldn’t find inside the previous facility. The added weight of a heavier exercise ball than the one I had become accustomed to using, added good challenge. It presses the exercise past the ability of using my hands. Sometimes, the hand catch works with the 16-pound weight. However, during the course of the tossing and catching the ball, that weight can get heavy. My trainer spotted my challenge in the early process of working with the ball and suggested a change in technique. Instead of using my hands to make the catch and toss, he had me try using my forearms. They could make a secure catch and release a toss back. The other positivity in using my forearms would be their ability to manage more weight from my hands and wrists. As the exercise feels designed to help me learn the rotation of my body on the throw. Along with learning how to accept the weighted ball moving toward my body. Staying balanced and stable, as the ball is received into one side.
In watching the video, the exercise has challenges involved. My body tends to move off balance when attempting to make the return throw. Sports tend to place my body into unfamiliar setting. From an awkward stance when trying to hit a golf shot, to the positions of imbalance I find on the ski slopes. To succeed in my favorite activities, I am forced to manage challenging body positions. Inside the controlled environment of the gym, the instability can be improved with different exercises. Tossing the heavy exercise ball has become one of many tools used. I enjoy working on the balance of my body in different situations. It feels like working in direct contrast to my cerebral palsy, as the disability makes balancing difficult, at times. The exercise ball messes with my balance quite easily. While, seeming to challenge all coordination in my body movements. The throwing of the ball requires pushing off the ground, using the force generated from the floor, to accelerate the ball forward. Something new for me, has been learning to utilize the momentum generated from the ground, to the completion of any athletic movements. Tossing the ball has been the place of beginning to learn the use of ground force. Something we were limited in the performance of, before moving to a larger facility.
A Journey With Cerebral Palsy 