trying to work out with a physical disability

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ser0630
ser0630 Posts: 223
in Motivation and Support
I was wondering if there is anybody else here who has some kind of physical disability (or even an issue that might make working out difficult).

I'm asking because I have a permanent disability as the result of a severe injury. My left wrist acts like it's fused, but it's not. I had to have part of my left arm going up from the wrist reconstructed 6 years ago.

I feel kind of frustrated at times because I feel like no one understands, especially when talking to a personal trainer or anybody else, about how to modify certain exercises or just not being able to do certain exercises (i.e. push ups) because of my injury.

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  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
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    Many people have disabilitys or limitations of various kinds. In my opinion, a good trainer should be able to teach you to modify almost any exercise routine to accomodate the limitation WITHOUT making you feel bad. . You might google some exercises and see what you can find on your own.
  • cmsimps27
    cmsimps27 Posts: 21
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    Maybe talk to a physical therapist instead of a personal trainer? I was hit by a car when I was in 7th grade, about 10 years ago and my knee is still messed up. I had to go to a physical therapist and they taught me exercises to keep my knee pain free. Just a thought...Hope you find the answers you need :-)
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    I have a temp. problem in my chest. The cartilage gets inflamed when it moves too much ( deep breathing). This is the reason I have gained weight!
    atleast u can do lots of cardio...and legs and butt
  • jtsmou
    jtsmou Posts: 503 Member
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    I have some permanent damage as well (spine and 3 joints + sciatica), and I should have modified my exercise routines years ago, but am only now getting around to it after a decade of packing on the pounds.

    I trained my share of people with disabilities back when I was hardcore before all the injuries, and I didn't "get it" either till I was in the situation myself.

    Physical therapy would definitely be a plus.

    Keep in mind that it is up to you to find your own range of motion vs limitation. I had some well meaning trainer try to force me into positions and motions that I wasn't ready or able to sustain once, and I ended up flat on my back for a month after that.
  • misspenny762
    misspenny762 Posts: 279 Member
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    I can't do crunches or situps because of my hip dysplasia. :/ It sucks, but I've added yoga which focuses on my core to my workout routine to compensate.

    I'm not supposed to run either, but I do... oops.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,022 Member
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    I know how hard it can be, I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue which make it very hard to exercise, but I do what I can.I gained a ton of weight by not doing anything because of the pain and landing myself in bed at times. Then I decided a little is better then nothing and I started doing just a little bit and I keep trying to do just a little more each week.Just do what you can it is better then nothing
  • ser0630
    ser0630 Posts: 223
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    The biggest issue I've had with personal trainers is trying to get them to understand that I don't have much at all as far as range of motion and grip strength. I know what I am able to do as far as those limitations go in regards to the exercises I can do. I also know that pushups on the floor are basically out of the question. Another thing that would frustrate me was to get them to understand how serious this injury was. I had a couple of personal trainers tell me at the gym I went to that if I wasn't willing to increase the weight I was using working out with free weights and increasing the weight on the weight machines for upper body exercises, that I was basically wasting their time. I use mostly 5 lb dumbbells because I know I won't aggravate the tendonitis I have in that wrist, on a good day, I can go up to 8 lbs...but that doesn't happen very often. For weight machines, it depends on the machine I'm using for upper body. I have a couple of friends who are now personal trainers, but they don't live in the same state I do. I sent an e-mail to someone who I went to high school with who I know works out regularly and is going to school right now for sports medicine to see if he might have some suggestions.

    After the injury (I shattered 2 inches of the radius bone and basically tore up most of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in my left hand and wrist) and the reconstruction surgery, I spent 18 months in occupational and hand therapy. Six months after the injury and first surgery, I asked the therapist who I was working with about what would I be able to do as far as any kind of strength exercises and she told me that I should just focus on doing cardio because there was no way of knowing how much use of my left hand and wrist I was going to get back. I have had 3 more surgeries since my first surgery for ruptured tendons. I have had some serious muscle atrophy in my left arm as a result (I've been able to build some of that muscle back, but there is still somewhat of a difference in my forearms).

    After reading everyone's responses, I don't feel so frustrated as I did before. I am still apprehensive about going to find a personal trainer, considering the experiences I've had. That's also part of the reason why I really don't like working out at gyms.
    Thanks! I am relieved to hear that I'm not the only one. :smile:

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