6-minute PHitness: Lower Body Exercises for PAH

[Video title—6 Minute PHitness - Legs and Lower Body Exercises for PAH]

[Disclaimer: NOT FOR MEDICAL USE

Please consult with your physician or healthcare provider before performing any of the videos to make sure it is appropriate for your needs. Do not perform any of the videos if your physician or healthcare provider advises against it. These videos are offered for educational purposes only and do not substitute for, nor replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you engage in these videos, you agree that you are doing so at your own risk. IN THE EVENT OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY.]

Welcome to 6-Minute PHitness, a low-impact workout, where the only thing you’ll ever need is your own body resistance, a chair or 2, for 6 minutes. [On-screen text: yoga mat recommended] Let's get PHit!

[On-screen text: Alli C., PHitness Instructor] Quads. Sit at the back of the chair, hands grab underneath, feet hip-width apart, heels lifted. Flex the foot, extend the leg to straight and bend back 90 degrees, feeling the quad lift off the knee cap at the straightest point. Hold the leg straight, foot flexed. Add a tiny bend in the knee to straighten, tightening the range of motion. Hold the leg straight, energy through the heel, quad lifted. Breathe through the burn and the quiver in the muscle. Add a point and flex toward the calf, energy shifting from the toes to the heels. Replace the leg and switch sides.

Work on sitting tall, chest lifted. As the leg lengthens, add a tiny squeeze of the muscle at the top of the movement. [On-screen text: hold 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2] Both legs work together. The straightness of the leg is more important than the height. Keep focused on the energy as you alternate feet. As your muscles start to fatigue, remember to breathe.

Seated reverse squats. Sit at the edge of the chair, feet hip-width, flat. Hinge from the waist, keeping head in line with the spine. Place your hands on the front corners of the chair, fingers forward, press into the heels and engage from the tops of the thighs as you lift your seat off the chair. Option to hold for the duration of four reps or quickly release before engaging again.

[On-screen text: beginner] Stand tall, squat a few inches as arms release as a low diagonal, hold and repeat. [On-screen text: intermediate] To make it harder, sit low with the arms lifted slightly higher. [On-screen text: advanced] For the greatest challenge, find the chair in your squat without sitting down, arms parallel to the floor. Feel the quads, stop the movement as they engage.

[On-screen text: seat & hamstring] Walk to the back of the chair, hands rested on the top. Move back until arms are extended to straight, feet hip-width apart, soft knees. Extend the leg back to straight, foot flexed. Draw the knee into the chest and extend back, toes forward. Keep the hip bones lifted to the rib cage. Keep the leg back, point the toe and draw the heel towards the seat. Keep the knees still as the leg bends and extends. Keep the heel towards the seat.

Open the knee to the side, feeling a squeeze up past the waistline. Hold the knee at your highest point. Point and flex the foot as you hold the squeeze in the outer seat. Feel the lift of the leg from under the thigh. Replace the foot, switch sides. Keep energy through the heel as you press back. Keep the knee pressed behind the hip. The soft supporting knee relaxes the exhausted quad muscle. Tension in your supporting side means the muscles are working as you stand.

Calves. Replace the foot hip-width, hands on the back of the chair for balance. Lift the heels to your highest point, feeling the calves lift away from the ankles. For a greater challenge, add a tiny squeeze at the top before you lower the heels to repeat. [On-screen text: stretch] One hand to the back of the chair for balance, grab your ankle with your other hand, lift the hip bones to the rib cage to feel the stretch in the thigh.

Switch sides. Extend the leg, foot flexed, hinge from the waist to feel the stretch in the hamstring. Switch sides. [On-screen text: done.]