American Stroke Foundation

Get some motion in by doing a common daily activity – making your bed! Watch this video for the different upper body exercises that can happen while making your bed. (Remember to take breaks when you start to feel tired.)

Spend a couple minutes to take 5 deep breaths before engaging in the exercise session. Breathe in through your nose, then out through your mouth.

Standing. When working with your sheets and comforters while standing, you can get many movements in for your arms, shoulders, back, and core. Remember to take breaks when needed, have a chair nearby, and put weight on your affected side whenever possible.

Seated. Similar to standing exercises, the seated exercises include working your arms, shoulders, back, and core to fit the sheets and comforter. Be sure to use a stable chair and keep your feet flat on the ground.

Standing. Fixing the bed’s pillows can give your upper body some great movements while standing. Removing the pillow case, pulling the pillow case over the pillow, fluffing the pillow, and lifting the pillow can give your muscles important exercise. Remember to take breaks and have a chair nearby.

Seated. The seated position works more of your core from the reaching movements. See how to stabilize the pillow by setting it on your legs when pulling the pillow case over the pillow. Use a stable chair and keep your feet flat on the ground.

Standing. Get some additional movements to put on the blankets. The upper body emphasis while standing will be for lifting the corners of the blanket, pulling the blanket edges toward you, and folding the layers on top of each other. Remember to take breaks and have a chair nearby.

Seated. Similar to the movements while standing, while seated you will focus on the upper body movements such as lifting your arms, closing your hands to grasp the blanket, and pulling your arms in to bring the blanket closer.

Remember to keep a chair nearby if doing any of these exercises while standing. Take short breaks when you start to feel tired. Breathe as you move so your muscles get enough oxygen supply to work! Finally, if you are using your unaffected side to do some of the movements, give your affected side that weight input either on your chair or the bed.