What is the Universal Exercise Unit (UEU)?

The UEU is a metal structure that includes a system of pulleys, weights, and bungee cord attachments for strengthening and stretching muscles. This is achieved through the Pulley and Suspension Systems (aka the Spider).

How does the Pulley and Suspension System work?

PULLEY SYSTEM:
This is how it works:
If: the weakened muscle is unable to perform against gravitational forces,

Then: by fully suspending the limb (arm or leg) and eliminating the weight of the limb, the individual is able to initiate the movement.

• Providing low-grade resistance and assistance to complete full range of motion allows the muscle group to improve strength and function.
  

Isolating and Normalizing Muscles:
Not only is the UEU the most effective device for improving muscle strength, but it also allows for isolating the desired muscle group.

What does this mean?  It means that whenever an individual with a neurological disorder is asked to perform a certain movement, due to muscle tone and lack of coordination, strength and balance, he/she may try to perform that movement with both extremities (upper or lower) at the same time.

The Universal Exercise Unit, along with specific exercises performed in it, allows an individual to re-educate the patient's nervous system while isolating one extremity from the other so it can move it independently.This is how you can strengthen to correct muscles and performing functional activities such as walking correctly becomes a reality.

Not only will one be strengthening muscles and improving function, the system of exercises performed in the UEU provides gains in range of motion, both active and passive, and improved muscle flexibility and tone. This is the main reason why we promote it for the cerebral palsy population as well as other neurological conditions resulting in developmental delays.

SUSPENSION SYSTEM aka SPIDER:
As the name "universal" suggests that the exercise unit is used in many other ways. This is referred to as the "Spider," because when an individual is suspended by many bungee cords, they mimic the look of a spider.

Through the system of 2-8 elastic bands and a wide belt worn around the waist, the UEU provides very dynamic vertical or horizontal suspension.

The goals of the exercises performed in the "Spider" are to improve functional skills:

• Sitting
• Crawling
  
• Kneeling
  
• Standing
• Walking- Gait Training
• Balance
• Coordination
• Sensory-Motor Integration

The biggest goal in mind is promoting independent movement. As the individual is suspended, he or she feels like they doing it by themselves. As they become stronger, you can decrease the assistance on the bands to enable them to become stronger in this position and carry these functional positions and abilities over into daily life.