6-minute PHitness: Full Body Physical Exercise for PAH

[Video title—6 Minute PHitness – Full Body Physical Exercise for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension]

[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 two, and six minutes. Let's get PHit!

[On-screen text- step 1: upper body]

Sit at the edge of the chair, back up straight, feet hip-width, and flat. Arms long and tight. Shoulder blades together, chest high. Press forward, small sharp movements contracting from the chest. Press back, same range of motion. Shoulder blades contracting together. Press up, contracting from the top of the shoulders. Press down, contracting down the back. Change to a bigger range of motion with the same energy through the fingertips, shoulders down, chest high. Resist as if you're moving through water and try to enjoy the phenomenal burn.

[On-screen text- step 2: core]

Sit at the front edge of your chair, feet hip-width, lay back and rest shoulders on the chair, palms resting on the front edge. Lift your heels. Pull the abs back to the spine. Slowly pump the arms and inhale for four pumps, then exhale for four. To make it harder, double time pump the arms, keeping the inhale-exhale the same. Stay flat and hollowed through the core. Sit up at the edge of the chair. Hold underneath for support. Back is straight. As you lift your knee up to your chest, exhale and pull the abs away from the thigh and back to the spine. The quads will be engaged at the top of the movement. Point the toe with every lift to start warming up the calves. The harder you exhale, the tighter the abs.

[On-screen text- step 3: calves]

Lift your heels off the floor. As you lift, press the ball of your foot into the floor and resist your movement both up and down. As you lift the toes to a full flex, focus on the stretch of the calf before resisting the movement back to the floor. Lift both heels high and squeeze the muscle to lift away from the ankle. Hold ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

[On-screen text- step 4: planks]

To set up for your plank, center yourself in the middle of the chair. As you step back, focus on a straight line from your head to your heels. Shoulders are relaxed, abs are pulled to your spine, staying out of your lower back. This can be done at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Beginners, stay on your toes for the full 30 seconds. To make it a little harder, add a lift of the toes to engage the opposite quad. Now for the greatest challenge. Add a pool of the knee toward your elbow to add the obliques.

[On-screen text- step 4: glutes] aka bum, tuchus, rump, derrière, and seat.

Set yourself off on top of the chair. Hands on the back for balance with a slight hinge from the knee. Extend the leg back, flex the foot, and draw the heel toward the glutes to feel tension down the hamstring. Keep the heel close as you slide the leg forward and press back, moving with resistance. As you slide forward, release the tension. As you press back, feel the lift of the glute of the hamstring. Complete a set of ten and repeat on the other side.

[On-screen text- step 6: Cool down]

Have a seat at the edge of the chair, feet hip-width. Inhale, exhale, arms up overhead. Deep inhale, grab one wrist, grow tall, and bend from the waist, feeling the stretch in your left side. Come back to center, switch wrists, and grow tall before bending to the left, feeling the stretch in the right side. Come back to center, inhale and exhale as you lower the arms to your sides. Inhale, exhale, lift the arms. Inhale and fold forward, chin to chest. Inhale, lift the chin, exhale, lower. Inhale, arms reach out and up, exhale, hands lower. And again.

Let the breath carry the movement. Last inhale to the top and exhale to finish.