ACTIVITIES
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Classically there are two types of exercises. Aerobic exercises are those activities which
increase heart rate and improve cardiovascular endurance. These will increase your stamina
and make it easier to be mobile with or without a prosthetic. Strength training is any
exercise in which repetition fatigues a muscle. This can be done using elastic bands,
lifting weights, doing push-ups or pull ups, or working out on an exercise machine.
Building muscle mass will make your joints stronger, help with weight maintenance, and
prevent osteoporosis.
The majority of the population looks for excuses not to exercise. Being a high level amputee and having one leg is no excuse. If anything, it's more important for us to keep fit. It helps if you substitute the word activity for exercise. Any activity is better than none. Experiment! Try any number of activities - anything that burns calories and gets you moving, and increases stamina is beneficial. Of course it’s more fun if it’s an activity you enjoy, but even mundane tasks like cleaning house (ugh!) or gardening count, if done with gusto. My personal favorite activity is shopping. Several hours walking through a mall, trying on clothes and carrying bags counts as a workout in my book! Certainly, there are many other choices.
SWIMMING is perhaps the easiest way for us to maintain cardiovascular fitness. For the new amps - we all swim without wearing a prosthetic. Access to a pool may be made by joining a health club, but many schools, community colleges, rehab centers and the YMCA will offer discounts or free access to a pool for the "disabled". Check out the latest issue of In Motion (March/April 99) which has a fabulous article about Bee, a hip-disartic who does AQUATIC YOGA. She’s 79!
Many amputees use a variety of HOME EXERCISE MACHINES such as the "Cardioglide" and "Health Rider", rowing machines, stationary bicycles , and arm powered bikes. Used equipment can be purchased at some stores, swap meets and garage sales. Some HEATH CLUBS, such as Bally’s and Gold’s Gym have programs specifically geared to special needs. You’ll have to check locally for this. If you can afford it, a properly certified PERSONAL TRAINER may be an option to develop an exercise program that suits your needs.
Many community colleges and county or local senior or rehab centers will offer a variety of activities and classes which may also be applicable. Activities such as stretching and toning, beginning free weights, seated exercise routines and yoga. Check with your local support group for information about the possibilities in your area.
If you prefer exercising at home, there are other choices such as SEATED AEROBICS. A variety of videotapes are now available. One of the easiest to start with is the "Chair-dancing" series which is easily adaptable for our needs. They include both some aerobics and strength training. They cost about $31 and are available by calling 1-800-433-6769. You may feel silly, but it is fun, and a good start for beginners.
Intermediate level; check out "Nancy’s Special Workout: for the ‘Physically Challenged" (haven’t tried it) and/or "Seat-A-Robics" (I tried this out personally, but I found it difficult to follow). Both of these are available from the TherEd Resource mentioned previously. Contact:
(800) 610-4278
www.advancedrehabtherapy.com
thered@icanect.net
A new video, "Keep Fit While You Sit" is available from the ACA for about $25. Call (888) AMP-KNOW. (Not tried personally).
My personal favorite seated aerobic tape, and definitely NOT for beginners (it is a real workout) is "Lisa Erickson’s Seated Aerobic Workout". Cost $29.95. Available from Accent on Living. Call (800) 787-8444.
Check out your local video rental store for some beginning weight lifting tapes. I’ve rented Jane Fonda’s and Susan Powter's. Obviously, you may have to modify some of the exercises but with few exceptions, most moves can be done either seated or lying.
Good old fashioned calisthenics, such as push-ups and sit-ups require no equipment, can be done at home and will increase muscle tone.
Are you pooped out yet??
A variety of sports and activities are do-able after a hip-disarticulation or hemipelvectomy. They are performed either with a prosthesis or one leg only, and sometimes in a wheelchair. I’ve been amazed at some of the things you’ve all told me you can do, just about anything you can think of. The following is a partial list to inspire you:
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Archery |
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Aquatic yoga |
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Basketball (wheelchair) |
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Biking: 2 wheeled regular bicycles. A few can bike with a prosthetic. Others use just one leg. Another option is a 3-wheeled hand-powered, seated bike. Stationary exercise bikes. |
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Boating: either rowboat, power boat, or sailing |
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Bowling: either with prosthetic or wheelchair. Lawn bowling |
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Croquet |
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Dancing |
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Fencing (wheelchair) |
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Fishing |
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Golfing |
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Hiking: Most hike without a prosthetic using crutches |
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Horseback Riding |
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Hunting |
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Jet ski |
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Kayaking: without prosthetic |
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Motorcycling |
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Skiing: Downhill, without prosthetic, using specially adapted crutches. Seated skiing. |
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Snowmobiling |
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Snorkeling and Scuba Diving |
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Swimming: Probably the best activity overall. We all swim without a leg on. In the water most of us can move around much more freely than on dry land. |
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Walking |
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Weight lifting |
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Wheelchair Racing |
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Marianne (Left HP) bicycling |
"The left leg is
the prosthesis. It bends less than the right leg because of a shortened crank.
The movie is rocking because the one who made it was also riding a bicycle"
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Tim (HP) waterskiing |
Tim's recommendations for waterskiing on one leg:
1. Go with someone who is patient and
more excited about your success than even you are.
2. Use a wide tipped beginner ski that floats easily.
3. Put a large 'fin brake' on the fin of the ski. (It is a horizontal fin that
attaches to the fin on the back of the ski.) You can order them from any of the
ski manufacturers. This worked extremely well because it slows the back of the
ski down and lets you set back on the ski further.
4. If possible move the entire binding forward a couple of inches.
5. Don't wear yourself out trying to put the ski on. I prefer getting in the
water and then having someone in the boat support me by holding onto my vest
while I put on the ski.
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Josh, HD |
"When
I put on my ski, I no longer have a disability"
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June, With her motorcycle |
"My husband designed a strap that fits under the seat. It has six straps that interconnect and come up the sides of me and attaches to a waist band. Everything is adjustable with Velcro. This prevents me from sliding around on the seat. When I ride with my leg, I have a Velcro strap attached to the bike that I wrap around my ankle. My dog rides in the sidecar. I have an electronic shifter and use my right thumb to shift, Very easy....way cool!"
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Bee
leading her aquatic yoga group |
"Some people don't have the ability to do the exercises on land. Because our weight is less than 20% in water, those with severe arthritis, back problems, and amputations are able to participate and benefit from yoga. I adapted as many of the exercises as I could to water, and it's been success. When the senior centers began offering yoga, few showed up....Big surprise. The savvy organizers changed the class title to 'Gentle Stretch and Flex'. They got good crowds after that."
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Arno, HP from the Netherlands, sailing the North Sea with his wife Carolijn |
"Sailing is best done safely without wearing a prosthetic."
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Lenore, HP from Oregon, riding her horse in her prosthesis |
"I ride with my prosthesis on. I just loosen the bucket when I'm in the saddle and that gives the limb some give to get around the horses middle. I get on the horse from the wrong side. I need to have someone to hold my right foot and pull it up and into the stirrup. Then that person grabs my artificial leg and pulls it over the backside of the horse and into the other stirrup."
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Harry, Bilateral HD. Down hill skiing and wheelchair racing |
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"Skiing in the annual celebrity ski benefit at Hunter Mountain, NY. This photo was used on the cover of "Ski Magazine" in March 1993. I've run several marathons in my wheelchair."
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Mario, hemipelvectomy, wheelchair fencing |
"This picture was taken during a bout between Thierry Letinois (France) and myself during the Defi Sportif in Montreal, Canada last April. We are fencing saber and you probably can tell from the picture that the chars are stationary in a frame, but of course we are free to move back and forth, leaning, ducking, lunging, as long as we keep at least one buttock on the chair and maintain contact with our non-weapon hand on the chair as well."
Author’s note: For more information about wheelchairs and sports, go to Sporting
Wheelchairs. Mario has made the Olympic team in wheelchair
fencing that will be competing in Sydney.
Please send your "show and tell" photo’s to the address below.
Certainly no one expects that you should be doing all of these. They are just suggestions. Pick and choose those activities that you enjoy, depending on your level of fitness, general health, age and personal interests. I regret not learning how to ride a bike when I was young; I just never believed it could be done. Now more mature, I'm less inclined to chance injury to my other limbs. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You’ll never know unless you try. Some activities are easily self taught while others require some extra help. The best resource to learn a new sport is Disabled Sports USA. They can teach you just about anything. If you’ve got the will, they’ve got the way. To find a chapter nearby contact:
Disabled Sports USA
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 100
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 217-0960
www.dsusa.org
Author’s note: I am not a jock and really don't
care for sports. My routine consists of stretching, home exercise program, upper and lower
abdominals and walking daily. I alternate swimming (in season), with cardioglide, seated
aerobics, and a variety of exercise videos. Some days after work I’m just too pooped
to do anything, so I’ll plop in front of the TV (but still stretch and do my leg
lifts every day). People have been trying to get me to ski for ages. Forget it, I
hate snow, ice and the cold, and you’ll see me skiing when you know what freezes
over! I’ve tried horseback riding (uncomfortable), golf (boring). I’m a
certified scuba diver, but found all that equipment a hassle so now l prefer snorkeling.
I’ve had fun bowling, playing croquet, and fishing occasionally. I’ll try
anything... once.
