What’s an ADL?
An ADL is an acronym for Activities of Daily Living. These are any, and all, of the tasks we do on a daily basis for basic self-care such as bathing, eating, dressing and getting around safely. ADL’s apply to EVERYONE! Depending on your age and situation, performance of ADL’s can be less or more obvious. It’s easy to take them for granted when life is going well. When life gets messy, ADL’s become a BIG deal. For example, if you’ve been injured, your back “went out” or you’ve had surgery, you know that it’s during that recovery & rehab period when you notice how challenging it can be to perform those basic self-care tasks. As we age, performance of ADL’s naturally declines at some point. They are the foundational tasks of functional movement and they involve everything from your nose to toes.
The medical and health community use these tasks as specific measures for independent living. The ability to perform these tasks helps your doctor, you and your family evaluate your safety to operate independently. Let’s also include caring for others. It’s likely we may have another adult, children or grandchildren we are caring for as well as ourselves.
How are they measured? It can involve an honest conversation with your health care provider, family members, or both, about how well you are managing your daily routine. You may be asked to perform some simple functions like stepping forward & back, standing on one leg, move from sitting to standing, putting on or removing your shoes, using a zipper or buttons. This will all depend on your history and your concerns. Honestly, you are your best advocate here. Only you know how easy or difficult these are and if you’ve noticed any changes. ADLs affect EVERYONE!
AquaBodies ADL Categories
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#1 Topic for my clients! In EVERY class we focus on balance. Balance is CORE. Balance is measured by how well someone safely & successfully moves through space and time. Walking is a one-legged sport. It’s essential to be able to hold on one leg for walking, change directions, and react quickly with agility when in danger. Holding a one-leg pose is a great thing. Yet, balance is measured in motion. We need both Agility and Balance.
Sign up for 1:1 session to work on your balance and agility
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Every class is focused on gaining Mobility. The focus may be emphasized in different areas of the body, yet each class begins with Mobility, without weights, in order for you to discover your safe range.
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#2 Topic! You’ve been told you need to work on it. CORE is POSTURE. POSTURE is BALANCE. BALANCE is CORE. It’s everything between nose and toes! At AquaBodies, we do Standing CORE. It’s functional, it’s up-right, it’s balancing that bowling-ball-of-a-head atop your spine! CORE is NOT sit-ups, which are fine in some forms of rehab for getting better at lifting your head up while lying down or being tighter in the hip-flexors. Sit-ups train for a bent-over flexed abdominal area which is counter-productive to posture & up-right balanced function. We can do way better! As a result, functional Standing CORE is what I’ve designed for you. You’re Welcome!
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Body weight is the main “weight” that we work with. It’s with us wherever we go! Especially the head, I lovingly describe as the “bowling ball” atop the spine. Awareness of how this “weight” is managed throughout the body, is foundational for Strength training as well as CORE, BALANCE & POSTURE. From there, we’ll add in the option of weights combined with functional skills such as single-leg strengthening, large and small global movements to improve of everyday strength.
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The center of everything we do in gravity. Whether we’re sitting or standing, lying down sleeping or swimming, we MUST include the hips! Depending on how your hips “behave” you may find that they really appreciate Mobility movements before you hop right into Strength for those hips. In each class, rest assured, I take you through Mobility BEFORE we get into Strength.
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Depending on where you are in your fitness journey, the ability to endure your task is very important. Cardio respiratory health is key to circulation and longevity. Mainly we address Stamina with Walking in place, speed variety and increasing mobility for your next activity outside of class.
Specialties & Modifications
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When you need to follow instruction from a seated position. Areas of the upper body, neck & mid-spine can be effectively mobilized from seated position. After being comfortable here, you can move on at your own pace into some standing movements while holding onto a solid object like a counter-top, chair or handle for support.
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Protecting the spine and mainly Lumbar area, which is lower back spine, is priority in my classes. Typically, the lower back will suffer the consequences of lifestyle and activities where a hip/low-back relationship is ‘dis-functional’. Like any relationship, both parties need to do the work for proper function!
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Breathing…how soon we forget! Let’s be honest, we need to think about it in order to really breathe. Gaining mobility in the area surrounding the lungs adds to the health and function of this area including the heart, diaphragm and the rich vascular tissue delivering nutrients for vital function.
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This is how the body and brain communicate. It’s at the core of how I work with you in a class or in person. This is the map we explore, we build, and we navigate the terrain of functional movement. It happens with every movement. Whether we know it or not doesn’t matter until we are trying to move differently. It includes reflexes, agility, mindfulness and progress. So we respect the process. Accept the reality of our limitations. And focus on where we are successful.
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Increasing mobility in this area brings back vision! Looking both ways while crossing the street. Backing up in the car, please try to do this more often than using the screen! Neck mobility is critical in GOLF, Swimming, wrist health and the use of our eyes!
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When it comes to movement potential, the mid-back holds the key. This is CORE. This area loses mobility over time gravity, sitting and rounded posture. When this happens, the neck and lower spine will carry the burden. The mid-back also houses our internal organs surrounded by the ribs. Proper mobility in the mid-back can aid with the function of our vital organs. While protecting the neck and low-back in my classes, our focus is on gaining mobility to the mid-back. Think GOLF swing, rolling over in bed, putting your seat-belt. Something as simple as walking is effected by mid-back mobility.
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The entire spine can suffer from lack of functional movement. Many aspects influence the shape of our spine. Gravity pulls us down and forward, so does sitting. Protective posture as a result of living with pain rounds the spine forward. Maintaining up-right posture becomes effort. In these classes, focus is on spine health and functional mobility within the relationship of the body.
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They just don’t get the care and appreciation they deserve! The fingers are the end of the circulation line in the upper extremities. They are used in our daily function and sometimes over-used. This means over time, they can start to behave differently due to the wear and tear of life. They need mobility too! We will always address fingers and hands while working the other parts of the body.
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It’s a technique and a tool designed to activate the integrated CORE & pelvic floor neuromuscular system enhancing strength, stamina, pre- & post-natal conditioning, incontinence, lower back pain, Sciatic nerve pain, hip stability