Barre and Stroke Survivors

Happy Monday to you all!
Hopefully, the title of my blog today has piqued your curiosity...
I have a client I've been seeing for a little over a year now who had a stroke nearly 2 years ago. He is a general badass. Fit, stubborn, perfectionist. artist...this is not going to break him. It was a hard one, however, because he went unattended for several hours when it happened. It was also a rare one: his right side does not work quite like it should, though over this past year he has made remarkable improvements, due to the fact that he is, as I said, a badass. That and he has the most amazing family and support system...his wife is also a badass partner in crime for him.
The other day as we were waking up that right side and doing a very unique and untraditional form of movement and stretching, as I always do, he proclaimed, "Ginger, you should do barre for stroke survivors." I laughed, but I loved it. You see, this guy also has a dance background. Something that I believe helped get him back movement- wise to where he is now. Dancers are a special breed because they are usually much more in tune with their bodies than the average bear. I love that I can give movement cues to him that are based largely in dance, mostly in basic ballet barre and he can understand and utilize these cues to his advantage. 
Here is a modified version of what I did for him that is for anyone who needs to sit for support and balance while they execute a side-bending stretch...
Sit in a sturdy chair that allows your feet to easily be flat and stable on the floor. Squeeze a medium sized, soft yet firm ball between your knees to keep your adductor (inner thigh) muscles engaged. I do this with my client to get his right adductor (the weaker side) working and to help keep his hips aligned. With both hips firmly planted on the chair, reach one arm up and arc it over your head, bending towards the opposite side. Allow your head to stay in line with your spine and try not to tense your shoulders, being careful to keep both glutes on the seat. The other arm should be reaching opposite, across your thighs. Then reverse to the other side. Now to get the legs involved, extend one leg out in front of you, flexing the foot and resting the heel on the floor and slowly bend forward in the chair over that leg. Again, both hips are firmly planted and now reach the opposite arm of leg towards the extended leg. Do the other side. 
Remember, no matter your limitations, you CAN move your body and create a positive flow from body to mind to spirit. All you need is determination, courage, motivation and general baddassedness!
Here too is your nutrition tip for the week:
ANYTHING BROWN IS BETTER THAN WHITE. Translation: Brown rice, brown pasta, brown bread are better alternatives than white. If you are a carb lover and especially love these types of carbohydrates, try it in brown. My personal favorite is pumpernickel. I just got some amazing pumpernickel at my local farmers market! By the way, another important step towards eating more nutritiously is to buy food from your farmers markets. The bread is typically NOT processed as you might find it in your local supermarkets, but always read labels. AND you are supporting local farmers....another form of badassedness, yep, I'm coining this phrase.
Happy weekend,
​Ginger

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