Hi,
I have a back injury that severly limits what exercise I can do due to pain and limitations. I have been on bedrest for two years plus now and I am looking for any Ideas to try that others in a simular situation are trying or doing. I have been searching for a way to lose weight while forced into a seditary life style. Over the last two years for exercise, I have not been able to do much but I do tend to spend alot of time "sucking in my gut" and contracting my pelvic floor muscles, doing 3 leg extensions with each leg sliding the leg up and down on the bed I am still not able to lift the leg up with out support of some sort. I do flextion and extension with my feet to try to get some movement but I can not do many of them at once either. I am only alowed to do some light streching so yoga and pilaties is out as I am not alowed to bend.. I am in search of any ideas or adaptations that others have tried or are trying. I am new to this site and hope that this is the thing that will make it possible for me to lose weight to possibly help my back issue and to be helpful for just healthy living in general.
Thank you for any ideas you may share with me in advance, I would also love ideas on hobbies or crafts or jobs that one can do while on bedrest.
Have a great day,
firefly_medic

Afternoon all. I broke my back in several places some years ago and still suffer the after effects. I have found the things that have helped me the most are:

Swimming. When I first started swimming I could only manage a few laps. But gosh even sat in the pool taking the weight off my back felt so good so I used to also do stretching exercises in the water too. Eventually (and not over night!!) I increased it to a mile and a half a day - swimming with one good arm and an almost good leg (I was far from the fastest in the pool). Unfortunately I then moved house and am now no where near a pool that opens before work. One day I'll get back to it! There are also yoga and pilates type courses as well as aqua zumba that run in the pool. I went to a few and the instructors were all lovely letting me do as much or as little as I felt comfortable with... even if sometimes all I seemed to do was float around.

Walking. Not always possible but even walking to the end of the street no matter how long it takes you gets you moving, gets you focusing on your posture, and hell even your breathing (poor neighbours must have thought I was in labour some days the way I'd pant and breath through the stabbing pains going down my back! - P.S. hypnotherapy type You Tube videos teaching you for labour are also awesome at helping you cope with back pain). Remember every little helps and if a 100 yard strut is all you're capable of its better than nothing at all.

Pilates & yoga. After getting over the brain fart of "oh no but I can't bend" the instructor gave me some fantastic sessions focusing on my arms and legs and stomach muscles without ever moving my back off the matt. Yes it wasn't as intense or hard work as normal pilates but if you can find someone who is willing to work with you than its another session in your workout. There are also DVDs on pilates for bad backs but I've never tried one of those so can't comment.

Cycling. Not on a bike but on a padded cushioned recumbent machine at the gym. I also have a proper recumbent but you're so low to the ground I would scare myself in traffic by looking underneath 4x4s! I found I could peddle away happily for miles at various paces and it made no difference to my back - if I got uncomfortable I would just re-adjust my posture or stop and stretch.

Good luck and drink lots of water!