Posts by Katie Vaughan
7th day of Fitness
7th day of Fitness- Planks Goal of movement- the goal of a plank is to activate a variety of core muscles including the abdominals, gluteals, latissimus (back) muscles, and stabilizers through the shoulder joint. In our participants, because of the increased flexibility, individuals with Ds often sway through the low back. If the participant moves…
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6th day of Fitness- Anterior/Posterior tilts Goal of movement- the goal of the forward/backward tilts is to calibrate the visual-vestibular coordination. The forward and backward movements challenge the eyes to refocus on the environment as it moves closer and farther from the head as the body moves in space. this helps to coordinate the visual…
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5th day of Fitness- Quadruped series Goal of movement- the goal of the quadruped positions is to increase joint input at the hands, shoulders, and knees, achieve a neutral spine position (no arching or rounding), and increase abdominal and gluteal activation in a gentle position. Start with the first progression, if it is too easy…
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4th day of Fitness- Push-ups Goal of Movement- traditionally the goal of a push-up is to strengthen the chest and shoulders, however, for our participants the greater benefit of a push-up is the abdominal activation and strengthening, gluteal activation and strengthening, and increased sensory input to the hands and shoulder joint. Start with the first…
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3rd day of Fitness- Lateral tilts Goal of movement- the goal of lateral tilts is to increase visual-vestibular coordination. Leaning the body from side to side helps to calibrate the input that the brain is receiving from both the eyes (as the world visually seems to move) and from the body (as it moves). Additionally,…
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2nd day of Fitness- Standing Hip Abduction Goal of movement- the goal is to use the muscles along the sides of the hips, to provide increased stability at the hip joint. This movement requires increased stability in the standing leg while supporting the active movement of the moving leg. Key muscles are the gluteals, hip…
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1st day of Fitness- Squat A squat is performed when an individual stands with her feet hip width apart, and then sits down and back, bending her hips and knees to 90 degrees, and then returns to standing. Start with the first progression, if it is too easy then progress to the next progression until…
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Bowling- How is it beneficial? Build and Tone Muscles with Bowling Your child doesn’t need a heavy ball to strengthen their large muscle groups, the key is maintaining the repetitive exercise. Bowling can help your child’s leg strength with a squat paired with a two-handed bowl, or their arm strength with the more advanced one-handed…
Read MoreNational Leadership Conference 2021
Every November, GiGi’s dedicates 4.5 days of training and development for our national network of 60+ playhouse and startups at our Leadership Conference. Attendees will include playhouse volunteers, staff, and board members from all across North America who come together for networking and learning opportunities related to our mission. On the First Day of Conference,…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight- Andy Doyle
Volunteer Spotlight- Andy Doyle Board Member 2019-present Leadership & Team Committee Chair Andrew works as an attorney in the Fox Valley area running his own private practice. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with the family. Some activities the family enjoys are playing in the snow or ice skating on their homemade ice rink,…
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