Any Wheelchair Users Here

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Wheelie_UK
Wheelie_UK Posts: 29
in Introduce Yourself
Hi,
I joined this site at the suggestion of my dietician. I am male, 47, with Spina Bifida, livinng and working in London, UK. My working hours are very varied as I work primarily from home. I access customers systems and do admin, web sites and repairs, either via a remote link or via the itnernet.

I am in a wheelchair and paralysed from waist down. I have a 44inch chest, which is pretty muscular, but my lower limbs do not get the work out they need. As a result, there is a lot of potential to tone and develop those areas and, hopefully, loose a bit of weight in the process. I was wondering if there are others here who might have similar issues and if so, how you manage those issues. I cannot use a Gym, as I have a life threatening latex allergy (Therabands will kill me), so most of my excercise is physical, pushing wheelchair, weights etc. Any other suggestions would be gratefully welcome.

Been on diet for a week now. Kept within calories but also monitoring sugar intake and that has passed suggested levels three times. I think some of it was indulgence on my part (Cheesecake), some of it was lack of info. (2 pears have a lot more sugar than I realised. Added the pears after I ate them, but watching them since). I expect the weeks that follow to be better controlled in that respect, and hopefully use the summer months to engage in a lot more excercise.

I've read some posts here already and very impressed by the site and the motivation of some of the people using it. Definitely think this will help me in my endeavours. No, in fact, it ALREADY has!. :)

Replies

  • kitcatnik
    kitcatnik Posts: 25 Member
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    Not in a wheelchair but thought I'd say welcome to the site. Sounds like you face some unique challenges but I'm sure everyone here will be helpful. The fact that you have a dietician we may all be bugging you. lol Have a great day.
  • Wheelie_UK
    Wheelie_UK Posts: 29
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    Hi
    Thanks for the welcome. If I can support others in anyway I am willing to try. I think this site does well on it's own though. The amount of support here is phenominal. :)
  • RollinDawg
    RollinDawg Posts: 235 Member
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    I'm in a chair too, 32 and have Spina Bifida also. Have you got access to an accessible pool anywhere? I'm lucky enough to have one in my backyard, it's great exercise. The only way I can get a good workout for my legs is in the water. Some days, the pool just isn't possible though, so I've got a stationary handbike similar to this one except it has a digital timer on it to track time. It can be used with your legs or hands. It's great. http://www.amazon.com/MagneTrainer-ER-Mini-Exercise-Bike/dp/B000V2IT78
  • hillbillygeek
    hillbillygeek Posts: 16
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    Hello everyone, I'm T12 paraplegic for 22 years and an amputee. I cannot stand or walk at all, and have extremely restrictive finances, so gym membership(s) and driving are both out of the picture for me. However, I do use a hand cycle, just like this one (http://www.amazon.com/Aerobic-Pedal-Exerciser-Arms-Legs/dp/B0002DMK80/ref=dp_cp_ob_hpc_title_4). Since they don't have hand-cycle exercises in the database, I simply choose the "Walking, 2.5 mph leisurely pace" setting.

    I used to be on SparkPeople but their site is crazy and hard to use. And besides, I have real life friends here! That's going to increase my motivation big time!! Today is my first day on the site, but I've been exercising with the hand cycle for months. Now it's time to continue exercising and start taking a close look at what I eat every day.
  • blazergrad
    blazergrad Posts: 603 Member
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    I'm a wheelchair user as well ... T10-11 para for 20 years now. I've exercised off and on for several years ... usually stuck with it for no more than 2-3 months at a time ... but earlier this year I decided to get serious about it and thus far I've consistently stuck with the weight training and cardio exercising since March. Granted, it's only been 4 months but I've been more consistent with my workout schedule and I've started watching what I eat more closely as well .... and I can honestly say that I can see a bit of a difference already. :)

    My workouts consist of doing chest presses with a Burn Machine (http://theburnmachine.com/products/The-Ultimate-Package.html), dumb bell fly's, flat bench overhead fly's, pull-ups, push-ups and cardio with a MagneTrainer ER. I haven't really been able to find a whole lot that I can physically do that focuses in on the mid-section/abs, but hopefully eating better and just my overall workout routine will help somewhat.

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