August
5, 2007
This is part of the Brejcha Personal and Disability Resource Site, and after reading this page you can Click here for a Menu . But for now, Welcome to my:
August
5, 2007
There are three linked pages on physical fitness here. "Standing Up For Yourself From the Wheelchair", "Working Your Legs", and "Working the Upper Body," and they are companion pages to my Keeping Mentally Fit page (formerly "What If?") because there is an inextricable link between mental and physical fitness. The latter aids the former.
I will be the first to admit that when you look at me you'll probably (if you're polite) fight to restrain a chuckle over the fact that I am writing about keeping physically fit. I am overweight (though losing weight) and under-muscled. Sure, I could blame it on M.S.-related fatigue problems and the difficulty of losing weight and keeping it off because I'm stuck in a wheelchair, and also that several hospitalizations kicked up further exacerbations, and I have been terribly busy with... did I mention that I am also very good at rationalizing?.
But the truth is I have been lazy. I've been up and down in the motivation department because of the way hospitalizations weakened me further. I've lost the independence I had, but I have to work harder to work out so I can retain what independence I've retained. And as with my advice on my mental fitness page, I wish I could go back in time and kick myself in the butt to take my own advice.
But hindsight is as usual 20/20, and foresight terribly myopic. So all I can do is hopefully motivate some of you visiting here to take heed and do something about getting more fit. I can state unequivocally that each time I motivate myself to work out, I am feel better, I am better able to get going each day (well, night in my case since I work the graveyard shift), and I have less difficulty with all my daily...nightly tasks (and daily when I'm off).
This is something that we as people with disabilities all need: any excuse to feel better about ourselves and our abilities!
But before you rush into anything I describe and/advocate here -- talk to your doctor! (I have to keep lawyers happy with these little disclaimers)
So, let's "get physical"...
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Keeping Physically Fit -- Part I: Standing Up For Yourself From the Wheelchair: "Standing?", you ask. Precisely. There are very real benefits to standing frames and standing wheelchairs.
Keeping Physically Fit -- Part II: Working Your Legs: "Legs?" Yup. If Christopher Reeve can do it, so can I - though I'll admit his financial status is a bit better and he can afford stuff I can't. But there are a number of useful machines here, too.
Keeping Physically Fit -- Part III: Working the Upper Body This page concerns working the upper body and cardiovascular system, and will detail various useful exercise machines and books on exercise for people with disabilities. (New info on 11-5-04)
Additional information on equipment and disability fitness programs:
Disabilityhelper,com, has a unique device on their site called Bottoms Up which not only can help with a needed strength training exercise, but once trained, eases an independent transfer between floor and wheelchair.
Accessible Fitness is a Santa Clara, California based "...organization established to help the physically challenged to attain both the physical and the mental benefits of exercise"
Fighting Back, at 610-695-9818, is a Paoli, Pennsylvania-based physical fitness program for physically challenged individuals.
Pilates Exercises Guide "..provides
tips on pilates for beginners and advice on choosing your Pilates instructor ."
NOTE: It's unlikely everyone can afford one of each type of machine described here or that your medical insurance will cover them (or that you'll have space for them), but explore all your options and assess your needs. I am fortunate to have one of each, but I had to resort to some painful expenditures - and some creative blackmail to get them. But the state Occupational and Vocational Rehab office which paid for two will be happy to know that without them, I doubt I would have been able to live and WORK independently without them.
Thank you!!
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© 1997
Information provided at this web site is of a general nature and is not intended to take the place of a physician's advice. It is vital that persons diagnosed with, or suspected of having, any disability or medical condition consult with their physician or with the appropriate division at a major teaching hospital, to assure proper evaluation, treatment, and interpretation of information contained on this site.
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