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FUN WAYS TO WORK ON INNER THIGH MUSCLES WITH KIDS!

7/6/2019

 
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Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​​​
Inner thigh muscles? 

That's an unusual subject to have in the heading of this blog!

When we consider core strength and stability, most people usually jump straight to the abdomen, pelvis and back as areas to develop.  These are important but did you know that the inner thigh muscles (adductors) are seen as the "pedestal" for the spine to rest upon? The five muscles of the inner thigh work to pull the legs across the midline (the imaginary line dividing our bodies into left and right).  Read more about inner thigh muscles here and here. 


As adults, we can jump on the adductor machine at the gym and work on our inner thigh muscles.  We can stand on one leg and move our leg in and out.  We can lunge and do all sorts of things to help our inner thigh muscles.  How do we make exercises fun for kids? 

PLAY! 

We find ways to make exercise novel and fun!

Here are three fun ways we can work on strengthening inner thigh muscles and build core stability with lots of variations for each one too. 

​1. Ball between the knees.
Place a ball between your child's knees whilst they are standing.  Ask them to walk, waddle or jump squeezing the ball with their knees but not too much otherwise the ball will pop out.  Some children may have difficulty moving with the ball so one step back is simply to stand with the ball between their knees and hold it there for a few seconds. 
  • Try different size balls or other objects (eg. bean bags, foot pods, potato, small hand weights). 
  • Try doing this as a group in a relay.
  • Try aiming for a target (eg. dropping the ball into a bucket).  I recently shared this on my Instagram account and Facebook page; although my little friend didn't quite make it. 
  • Try adding an imaginary component (eg. the ball is a egg that the bird is delivering to a nest, the ball is food for a baby penguin, the ball is poop for the toilet).​
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2. Butterfly Wings
Whilst sitting on the floor, ask your child to place the soles of their feet together and hold them with their hands. Their legs and are making "butterfly wings" which can move towards the floor with a little bit or pressure from your child's hands or elbows to "flap".  Encourage your child to take a deep breath in and out.  
  • Try holding the knees as close to the floor as possible for a few seconds.
  • Try asking your child to bring their heads to their feet at the same time to stretch their backs. 
  • Try asking your child to reach their arms up above their heads and stretch their spines upwards.
  • Try placing a large ball in between their legs and bringing their knees right up to touch the ball before stretching back down to the floor. 
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3. Squat to stand elevators!
Squats are a wonderful exercise for kids of all ages (adult kids included). Make it fun for kids by making them "elevators".  Get your child to deliver items from the floor to a table by squatting down to reach the item and lifting them onto a table. 
  • Try squatting to lift objects like fruit, balls, puzzle pieces, books etc onto a table.
  • Try squatting to pick up magnets and stand to place on them on a fridge.
  • Try squatting to pick up balls and standing to throw at a target or to a friend.
  • Try squatting to dip a sponge into a bucket and standing to wash a window or car.
  • Try finger or hand painting by dipping fingers/hand into paint onto a table and squatting to paint onto paper on the floor. (You could do this the other way around too).​

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Strengthening your child's inner thigh muscles will help them to become more aware of these muscles. I'm not too concerned about isolating just the inner thigh muscles and I expect that they will usually tighten their abdominals and bottom muscles at the same time during these activities. This all works towards stronger postural and core stability. 

The inner thigh muscles (adductors) are connected to the pelvis. An extra bonus to working on these muscles is that this also helps the pelvis to be stable which is needed for toiletting. It is very difficult to help kids to work on "pelvic floor muscles" like adults do; however working on surrounding muscles can often help children to be more aware of their "bottoms". Don't forget to check out the new book "The Toilet Training Book" which is available NOW with special launch prices for both hard copy and e-copy editions.  Read more about "The Toilet Training Book" HERE.
​
What are your favourite ways to work on core stability with kids? Have you considered inner thigh muscles too? 
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​Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions.

THE TOILET TRAINING BOOK IS HERE!

1/6/2019

 
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Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​​
 Today is the day!  The Toilet Training Book is now available!

Throughout our years of practice as paediatric therapists, we’ve talked with tons of parents who have been trying for weeks, months, and even years to help their kids get toilet trained.  It can be an uphill battle for many families, one that can often result in frustration and even heartbreak.

That’s why we felt so strongly about creating this resource.  We wanted to share all of our best tips, strategies, and information about toileting and toilet training in one place so parents, teachers, therapists, and others would have it at their fingertips when they need it.
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CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR E-COPY OF THE TOILET TRAINING BOOK
We believe that The Toilet Training Book contains the single most important secret to toileting and toilet training for kids - knowledge and information that helps you meet kids right where they are developmentally to create a positive toilet training experience.

​The Toilet Training Book includes the following sections and chapters:
Toilet Training Support and Tips
  • Readiness
  • Getting Started
  • Routines and Support
  • Toilet Training Obstacles

Special Toileting Guides for:
  • Sensory Processing
  • Interoception
  • Fine Motor Considerations
  • Gross Motor Considerations
  • Behavior Concerns
  • Attention Concerns
  • Cognitive Impairments
  • Trauma Informed Approaches
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Physical Disabilities

Equipment List


The Printable Pack
  • Toileting Skills Matrix
  • Toilet Training Baseline Chart
  • OT Toileting Screener:Functional SKills Checklist
  • Equipment for Typical Toilet Training
  • Toileting Visual Schedule
  • Handwashing Visual Schedules (2 versions)
  • Toiletting Charts (5 versions)
  • Using the Toilet Social Story
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Who is The Toileting Book for?
The Toileting Book is the perfect resource for:
  • Therapists who are looking for ideas, strategies, and information to use with their clients as well as materials to print and share for families to use at home.
  • Teachers and other professionals who need information to meet kids where they are to support toilet training success, regardless of their ability level.
  • Parents who aren’t quite sure where to start when it comes to toilet training and need guidance.

Can I print pages of the book and share with the families I work with?
There is a section at the end of the book that we encourage professionals to print and share with parents and caregivers.  In fact, these pages are now available in one easy-to-print document along with the book when you purchase your ebook now!

When you purchase the book, you may share these pages with the families and caregivers you work with. However, we require each professional to purchase their own copy of The Toileting Book. You may not share the entirety of the book with colleagues.


Limited-Time Offer!
For one week only, we’ll be offering The Toilet Training Book at a discounted price PLUS a downloadable, easy-to-print pack of toileting and toilet training resources from the book! Those who purchase the hard copy, email your receipt to functionalskillsforkids@gmail.com


HARD COPY AVAILABLE ---> Click here to purchase on Amazon.

EBOOK VERSION ---> Click here to purchase the E-book version.

EU/UK RESIDENTS ---> Click here to purchase your E-book version.


Thank you so much for your excitement and enthusiasm about this resource that finally allows parents, therapists, and other professionals to meet kids exactly where they are developmentally to support toilet training success!

If you’re not sure where to start with potty training, if you’re overwhelmed by the process, if it’s your first time toilet training a child, or if you work on toileting with kids with special needs - this will be an invaluable resource for you!


Don’t miss the limited-time discount on The Toilet Training Book!  Grab your copy today!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOU TUBE! (EMAIL subscribers will not be able to see this email within their email).
​
I WANT THE TOILET TRAINING BOOK!
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Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions.

    Author

    Hi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here.

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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational  and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions.  This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner.  Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored.  Affiliate links may  be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).  Further information about this policy can be found here.

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Hi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here.

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