Floor to Stand: Strengthen Legs and Have a Ball! 👧🏼🟣 | Exercise Ball Activities #30

👧🏼🟣 Kneel to Stand with a Ball at the Wall | Leia (Age 10) | Pediatric Physical Therapy In this video, my co-instructor Leia (age 10) and I work on a kneeling to standing activity using a therapy ball against the wall as part of our Ball Gymnastics series 🟣💪 Leia starts on her knees with the ball in front of her and rolls it up the wall as she moves from kneeling → half kneeling → standing… and then back down again. This activity combines strengthening with coordination and timing, making a familiar movement more engaging and a little more challenging. We are working on: • Transitions from kneeling → half kneeling → standing • Eccentric control lowering back to the floor • Hip and leg strengthening • Core activation for upright posture • Bilateral coordination using both hands on the ball • Motor planning, timing, and sequencing The ball adds an extra layer of demand. Leia has to coordinate her hands and body at the same time, which encourages better attention to movement and control throughout the transition. You’ll also see an important clinical point: Leia naturally prefers one leg to lead when coming up to stand. This is very common. Children often develop a stronger or more preferred side. We intentionally switch sides to make sure both legs are working and to avoid reinforcing asymmetry over time. 👧🏿 This activity may be helpful for children who: 🧒🏾 Are learning to transition from the floor to standing 👧🏻 Prefer one leg when coming to stand 👦🏽 Need more control lowering down 🧑🏿‍🦱 Need practice with coordination and timing 👩🏾‍🦰 Benefit from combining strengthening with a task 🧠 A clinical takeaway I often share: When we add a simple task—like rolling a ball—we often get better engagement and better movement quality. The child has to think about more than just “stand up,” which can improve coordination, timing, and control. 👉🏾 This activity is part of my Ball Gymnastics Playlist, where therapy balls are used to build strength, coordination, balance, and motor planning. Watch the full playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjPlhWjeNnIY3PWbHwrSUtgN 📚 My Books for Kids & Therapists Children’s Books "P is for Poop and Pee Accidents" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 "A is for Anxiety" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V "A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR "C is for Cerebral Palsy" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP "D is for Down Syndrome" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 "A is for Autism" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Professional Books "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 📧 Contact amysturkey@gmail.com 🌍 Captions Help Everyone 🌍 I carefully review captions so more people can follow along, even if English isn’t your first language 🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 To turn on captions: Click CC To change the language: Settings (⚙️) → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate 🌐 ⏱️ Video Chapters 0:00 Intro & meet Leia 0:15 Ball at wall setup in kneeling 0:28 Rolling ball up the wall to stand 0:57 Returning down to kneeling 1:15 Practicing repeated transitions 1:38 Switching lead leg 2:05 Why side preference matters 2:24 Closing message ⚠️ Important note: Sensory and motor responses vary widely between children. What is effective for one child may not be appropriate for another 👶🏿↔️👧🏻 (Please note: I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 👩🏽‍⚕️📌