Core Too Weak for Sit-Ups? Start with Bench Sit-Ups 👧🏼 | Low Tone PT #214

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. 💛 Start with video #1 here for Myla's playlist:    • Pediatric Physical Therapy with a Low Tone...   Today I’m back with my wonderful co-instructors Myla 👧🏼 and her younger brother Carter 👦🏼. 🧠 Myla’s Medical & Therapy Background Myla is 9 years old and has Down syndrome with low muscle tone (hypotonia). Many children can perform bench sit-ups before they're ready for floor sit-ups. In this session, Carter demonstrates first, then Myla practices bench sit-ups to strengthen her abdominal muscles and improve core control. Holding a small toy and placing it on the other child's head keeps the exercise fun and motivating. I often started children with bench sit-ups because they are easier than floor sit-ups. The bench lets me stabilize the legs and provide just enough assistance behind the upper back while children learn the movement. Myla completes her first repetition independently. As she continues, her abdominal muscles fatigue and she needs progressively more assistance. This is common during strengthening activities. In this activity, we work on: 💪 Abdominal strength 🧠 Core stability and postural control ⬆️ Trunk flexion strength 🤲 Graded assistance during movement 🎯 Functional strengthening through play 👧🏼👦🏼 Learning through sibling participation Some things I notice with Myla: ✔️ She performs her first repetition independently. ✔️ She gradually fatigues after only a few repetitions. ✔️ A small amount of assistance helps her complete the movement. ✔️ Bench sit-ups provide an easier starting point than floor sit-ups. These activities may be helpful for children who have: 💪 Weak abdominal muscles 🪑 Difficulty performing floor sit-ups 🧠 Poor core stability ⬆️ Delayed trunk strength Starting with an easier version of an exercise often helps children build strength and confidence before progressing to more difficult activities. --- ⏱️ Timestamps 0:03 Introduction 0:34 Carter demonstrates bench sit-ups 0:53 Switching to Myla 1:03 Bench sit-ups versus floor sit-ups 1:20 First independent repetition 1:46 Adding assistance 2:09 Why I assist behind the upper back 2:30 Fatigue during strengthening 3:00 Closing 3:08 Subscribe and notifications --- 💡 Helpful for parents & professionals searching for: Down syndrome core exercises Bench sit-ups for children Pediatric abdominal strengthening Core exercises for hypotonia Low muscle tone strengthening Pediatric physical therapy core exercises Trunk strengthening for children Core stability activities for Down syndrome --- 👩🏽‍🦱👨🏾‍🦱 Whether you're a parent, therapist, or educator, matching an exercise to a child's abilities can build strength, confidence, and better movement. --- ⚠️ This video is for educational purposes only. It is not ethical to provide specific treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated. Please consult your child's healthcare provider before trying new activities. --- 🌍 Website: [www.pediatricPTexercises.com](http://www.pediatricPTexercises.com) 📘 Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises 📧 Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) --- 📚 My books on Amazon 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 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises — Hips → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises — Knees → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises — Ankles → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD