This is part of the Brejcha Personal and Disability Resource Site, and after reading this page there are links at the bottom for my menu and back to the intro page. But for now, Welcome to:

Keeping Physically Fit: Part III

Working the Upper Body

April 5, 2011 - many sites died so I am working on update. Scroll to bottom for machines.

Scroll down for great equipment sites

As I said in the intro, I am probably the last person you would expect to be writing a piece on physical fitness. I am over-weight and under-muscled, and because of my M.S., I fatigue quickly. And I'll be honest: I have never been in good physical shape in my whole life, and I probably never will be. I know myself. But I intend to start trying harder.

Why the sudden change in attitude?

Because I am scared!

I am paralyzed from the waist down and I have sundry other problems - along with the fatigue problem I mentioned. But I live independently alone and commute 66 miles a day by myself for a full-time night-shift job. I'm also active with volunteer work, and I am on the move a lot.

But now it's getting harder and harder to keep my life in gear. In part, it's due to the fact that I was in the hospital in December 1997 for a severe bladder infection that temporarily turned me from para to quad. Ever since my discharge I have been weaker; no doubt due to another exacerbation caused by the infection. But I have to accept the fact that things would never have gotten as difficult as they have -- if I had worked on keeping myself in shape!! The worst part is that it's partly my own fault because I have the perfect tool for fitness right in my office -- where it was sitting all-too-infrequently-used for over half a year. Actually, in my defense, I was good about using it when I first bought it a couple of years ago, but then after my hospitalization, I was so washed out that I couldn't get motivated about getting back to using it -- until recently.

When I bought my system, I looked over available exercise systems very carefully, and selected the best system for me. For me. I stress that, because depending on your physical limitations, finances, and physical needs (strength, endurance, aerobics, etc.), there are a lot of options, and I list a range of these systems and manufacturers at the end of this page. I would recommend contacting the companies and getting brochures, and then seeing what you can afford, what you feel most comfortable with -- and then sit down with your doctor or a physical therapist to discuss your best options.

With the above in mind, I selected the Versatrainer by Bowflex for myself. My doctor's prescription and letter of medical necessity were naturally ignored by my medical insurance company which stated that "exercise equipment is not medically necessary...". Get used to that phrase. I got the same response when I went for my standing frame with the same documentation of need.

As for my exercise regimen -- and you'll have to forgive me if this sounds like an ad for the Versatrainer, but for me it was the best option -- I have finally set up a five-day-a-week routine for myself which is easy to maintain.

And this is critical! First of all, you have to set up a time, a place, and a routine, which you can keep consistent, and that you can keep yourself motivated to maintain.

For most people, a more intensive three-day-a-week routine is probably fine, but for me, it's too much of a drain (I know: five days is less than three? For me, yes). The key is my routine. I come home from work at around 8:30 to 9 am, and before I transfer to the manual wheelchair I use at home, I roll into my home office where I also have the Versatrainer set up and I boot my computer and pull up the CD player (there are also practical reasons for having a multimedia PC), and pop in a Gap Band CD. Note: always exercise to music, and choose it carefully! Dance music and 70's disco are great because of the strong regular rhythms. Just pick a pace that fits in with the speed at which you are comfortable exercising. Not too fast or you'll wear out, and not to slow or you won't get the aerobic exercise cardiovascular benefits.

But with the CD in, I roll onto the Versatrainer to start -- and let me begin with a description of the machine to orient you.

Picture a large flat base plate you roll onto with your wheelchair (about 4' x 6' in size) with a tube on either side where you hook straps to hold your wheelchair in place. Of course, that's why I do this in the power chair. I don't bother with the straps because the weight of the power wheelchair and, er... me, makes sure that the chair won't shift. This saves time (and adds motivation because it's easier). At one end of this platform is a movable pulley assembly with two sets of upright tension rods behind it, rated from 5 to 50 pounds resistance. Depending on how many of the rods are connected to the pulleys you can have anywhere from 5 pounds to 100 pounds tension for each arm (and because the pulleys are independent you can have less on one side if that is necessary). And depending on the position of the pulley frame, you can pull up or push down, as well as pushing or pulling out and side to side. Every upper body muscle can get a workout by simply positioning the pulleys appropriately and connecting the right number of tension rods.

Personally, I leave the pulley frame nearly upright, and I start by facing it. The first cut on the CD is around seven minutes long, and I start with this, gripping a handle with each hand. First I do a pulling motion down and towards me, alternating sides with each beat. Then I switch to one of three maneuvers with a single pulley side at a time (two bicep and one tricep). First right hand, right handle for a curling pull towards my left shoulder, then left hand right pulley, pulling straight towards my left side. Then back to right hand, right handle for a sideways sweep back to work the tricep. Then I reverse all this for the left handle. First left handle, left hand towards right shoulder, and then right hand, left handle for the other bicep pull, and then back to left hand, left handle for the tricep sweep.

Now I am beat! But I am doing it with twenty pounds per hand instead of the ten pounds per hand I was using at first. And doing this to music like this with a strong regular rhythm gives me a combination of strength training and an aerobic work-out. In addition, because this can pull me off balance (an M.S.-related problem I have which is aggravated by weakened trunk muscles), I have to resist with those same weakened muscles -- which is helping my balance as they get stronger.

Now I hit the computer to check my e-mail, update my web site, and to print any snail-mail letters or stories I've finished writing overnight.

Then, back to the CD, and I either put on the same first piece again or a double dose of the second one and get back on the machine -- this time facing away from the pulley frame.

This time I work different muscles by sweeping my arms forward with a handle in each hand to clap them together in front, and then I go to pushing motions and downward presses -- one side at a time and together -- all simulating the motions of (and training the muscles I need) pushing the manual wheelchair and pressing up for a transfer.

Once that's done, off goes the computer and I transfer to my manual chair to have dinner and watch some television while I cool down.

The key to the above is that it is an easy routine that doesn't require a major effort of will or life-change. Whatever exercise system you select for yourself, that is what you need to do: establish a set routine and then integrate it into a regular activity to reduce the likelihood of blowing it off. It is also important to develop a routine that lets you exercise more than just one set of muscles. Like the others systems, I'm sure, the Versatrainer comes with an excellent manual with a whole range of exercises, and once I get in shape a little more, I'll experiment with different ones. But even with my limited routine, I'm working a range of different muscles. This was one of the primary reasons I chose the Versatrainer. Table-top bikes are great for many of the arm muscles and they're great for an aerobic work-out, but there are just too many muscles I personally need to train which would not get any benefit at all. For me it was worth the space sacrifice and higher cost to get a machine with versatility.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not 100% diligent about following my routine. Sometimes I am simply to tired. But I am having much better luck keeping to an exercise regimen now that I have this routine in place. And I can already feel an improvement in my endurance and strength -- both of which took a major nose-dive after my hospitalization in December. Because of the nature of M.S., I don't know if I can ever recoup to my pre-admission level, but I sure intend to try! Which is what we all need to do. Whatever system you chose, integrate its use in such a way that it is easy to keep it up.

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Exercise Equipment

Bow Flex, Inc., 2200 N.E. 65 Ave., Vancouver, WA 98661, 800-631-6011, web site: http://www.bowflex.com Makers of the Versatrainer machine which I use and love. Click on Home Gyms and enter Versatrainer in the seach box

GPK, Inc. 7942 Calle Posada, Carlsbad, CA 92009, 800-468-8679, 619-436-1974, web site: http://www.gpk.com. Makers of the Uppertone exercise machine designed specifically for C-4, C-5 and below quads, and which allows a wide range of upper body exercises to be independently performed.

Home Gym Canada, Inc., 2401 Bloor Street W., Toronto, M6S 1P7 ON Canada, 416-762-7920

LOTECH Solutions Inc. 392 Rt. 312 Brewster, NY 10509, Tel: 888-808-8322 Fax: 845-279-3716 E-mail: sales@lotechusa.com

Saratoga Access and Fitness, Now Rand Scot Inc., 401 Linden Center Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524, 800-467-7967, 970-484-7967, e-mail: info@randscot.com, web site: http://www.randscot.com. Makers of excellent table-top cycles for strength and aerobic training as well as standers and lifts.

The Resistance Gym 563-663-8146, We have three products and two in particular that people in wheelchairs will use when working out or in therapy.

RMT Fitness,14008 SW 140th Street Miami, FL 33186 800-577-4424, 305-255-1400, 305-969-2155 (Fax). Web site: RMT Fitness. Makers of Vitaglide, an adjustable stationary exercise system for wheelchair users

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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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