Most exercises are aimed towards people with mobility

2BeHappy2
2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Are there any real effective exercises for people who are amputees using crutches, walkers or wheelchairs?
I'm looking to lose weight but don't 100% have the ability to be on my feet nor am I stable for very long.
I can do basic household chores; laundry, dusting (no vacuuming), some cooking, cleaning most of the kitchen, parts of the bathroom (toilet, counters, sinks) but nothing that could cause me to slip or fall.
I know none of these things are enough to exert much sweat.
I would appreciate any suggestions for alternatives to food or exercise to help me lose 10 lbs
Thank You :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
    The first thing that comes to mind is swimming, or exercising in water. Also my wife has an old Gazelle that she uses. Her family has a crippling disease that makes the ones who have it drag their feet. She is 60, and starting to show some of the symptoms. The Gazelle lets her exercise without having to lift her feet. She is still mobile, just having more trouble with her legs than she used too.
  • la_te_ra_lus
    la_te_ra_lus Posts: 243 Member
    Are you able to use a facility with a pool ? I started my friends father on compressionless workouts while in a pool. He has nerve issues and doesnt have full mobility of his right leg. Had him start doing water aerobics and resistance training in the pool.
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
    Do you have full use of your arms? Hand cycles are an option - there are the kind you ride outside in as well as a stationary version for your home.
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    Oh my...I missed an extra zero in my numbers :blushing:
    Anywho....whats a Gazelle ?!?
    Thanks!
  • caramac49
    caramac49 Posts: 7 Member
    Hi, I am a wheelchair user and paralysed from my waist down. I do rowing, on the rowing machine and the water, using my arms and shoulders only - you can buy clamps to secure the seat on a rowing machine to keep it in place to allow you to row using only your upper body for about £50 from concept 2. With a bit of practice you can build up to burning 600 calories an hour using this method.

    I also use the stationary hand bike in the gym, and have a handbike but that is an expensive bit of kit.

    I play wheelchair tennis which is great fun, but again I had to buy a special wheelchair which can be expensive. 'Table tennis is easier to play from an ordinary wheelchair.

    I also swim regularly, you just need to find a pool with an adaptation such as a hoist to help you get in and out.

    Hope this helps!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Oh my...I missed an extra zero in my numbers :blushing:
    Anywho....whats a Gazelle ?!?
    Thanks!

    extra zero... as in 100?

    water aerobics or similar would probably be best for you to begin with although as you lose weight you'll probably find you can do more and move more. There are lots of people on this site who've successfully lost 100s of lbs, they probably have some ideas as well.

    also, there are many wheelchair athletes... you could find out what kind of training they do, though as has been said above that depends on how much mobility you have in your arms. but they are extremely fit and well built in their upper body so they must have plenty of ways to train to achieve this

    also there's armchair aerobics, aimed at people who can't stand for a long time... it's not as intense as other aerobics because you're sitting but it's better than doing nothing, and also a good place to start, as you're likely to find as your fitness level increases that you need something more strenuous but it'll be fine to begin with.
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    yes, I do!
    That is how I get around using crutches :wink:
    I remember when I was little my dad riding a tandem (?) bike with me but I didn't feel very secure knowing that someone else had control over my safety (he wasn't a very good pilot...!).
    I do like that idea as it is (finally) getting warmer but where can these bikes be found?
    Are they specialized...expensive?
    Also, will this be fully beneficial to my whole body as it seems I would only be working out the (top) area(s) of what I already do now (using crutches).
    I have good arm muscles but I'm heavy around my waist.
  • gaylelynnbell
    gaylelynnbell Posts: 248 Member
    Go to YouTube and look up chair dancing. I've never done it, but one of my friends started at over 450 lbs and it was a good workout for her because her knees were so unstable. Good luck!
  • caramac49
    caramac49 Posts: 7 Member
    There are a range of hand bikes on the market, you could look up Quickie bikes - I have a quickie shark. They start at about £2000 so you might want to think about a second hand bike to get you started. They do tend to work out the upper body only.

    Try rowing on the rowing machine, if you row 'trunk and arms' then you pivot from the hips and work out all of your trunk, abdominal muscles etc and it is low impact and a great calorie burner. Takes some motivation though as its hard work and can be boring - I recommend a good play list!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Have a look at the list of paralympic events and see what sport captures your imagination!

    Also, strength training such as bench press, seated shoulder press is possible.

    Yoga is another one. And if you can walk for a few steps without crutches, you could learn tai chi.
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    Yes, 100!
    I've never heard of arm chair aerobics, sounds very interesting...is that a class, video?
    My strength is mostly in my arms but sitting I can do things with my 1 leg.
    Getting down to the floor is not the easiest task for me so I would rather prefer to stay elevated to more of chair height.
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    Thanks for those suggestions!
    I use crutches because I have 1 leg (childbirth deformity) so without them I have no mobility!
    I use them at home but use a wheelchair for when Im out mainly for safety reasons (slippery floors, pushy people etc).
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Yes, 100!
    I've never heard of arm chair aerobics, sounds very interesting...is that a class, video?
    My strength is mostly in my arms but sitting I can do things with my 1 leg.
    Getting down to the floor is not the easiest task for me so I would rather prefer to stay elevated to more of chair height.

    when I heard of it, it was a class run for people with limited mobility... but it might be available as a video as well.... I just did a you tube search and found these: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=seated+aerobics+exercise+class dunno if they're any good but it's a place to start.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Seated chi kung!
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    Seated chi kung!

    :huh: what would that be?!?

Categories