Gyms can be inaccessible, outdoors can be cold, and if you’re like me and exercising from a wheelchair, working out in my home is preferable. Fortunately, commercials abound with the latest to shape up those buns and slim those thighs indoors. But how does someone with a disability find the equipment he or she needs to work out? Luckily, you don't have to look very far.
Wheelchair Exercises
Remember those infomercials? One of the most recent sings the praises of The Resistance Chair, by VQ ActionCare.The company bills its product as “the world’s most convenient home gym,” and perhaps it is. Simply put, the device is a collapsible chair with four resistance pulleys attached (two on the back and two on the legs).
For those of us who can’t stand, or have difficulty doing so, the idea of being able to do a complete workout from a seated position is a boon. The interchangeable resistance cables allow you to modify the amount of strength needed to tone arms, back, and chest. Each of the six available cables adds the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of resistance. With one of the many available attachments, you can even work the muscles of your legs.
Uppertone: Independent Exercises
Then there’s the Uppertone machine, by GPK. Billed as the only machine on the market that allows quadriplegics to exercise independently, its three separate 'stations' allow users to do up to 16 different exercises with a minimal of effort and no heavy lifting of weights. Users can adjust the resistance from 3-130 lbs in any desired increment, rather than the 5- and 10-pound increments required by other exercise equipment. That's a breakthrough that is very helpful to someone with a disability.
Wheelchair Exercise Videos
For those who want a good workout but don’t want to spend the hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for an indoor home gym, there is another alternative. No longer are exercise videos the sole domain of the able-bodied. Folks like Maria Serrao and Mirabai Holland have got your back—and your chest, and your arms.
Fitness guru and spokesmodel Maria Serrao has created a series of tapes titled "Everyone Can Exercise". Each tape is a wealth of information and step-by-step exercises. You get everything from toning and strengthening to body sculpting and fat burning (Brentwood Home Video: 818-716-5228).
Health advocate Mirabai Holland has been called “the best exercise class teacher in New York City.” She’s worked with men and women, a wide range of ages, and the gamut of disabling conditions. Her six exercise videos, collectively called the Moving Free, Ease-In System, build you up from a slow 5-minute workout to a heart-pounding 30-minutes-a-day push toward health.
Specific Disabilities Targeted
If you want something that is a bit more geared toward your specific disability, though, you can have that too.
Jody Kaufman Smith, a registered and licensed occupational therapist, has put together TheraCise, a series of three tapes designed for disabilities of the upper extremities. To order the video, call 617-332-6160.
Let's Get Strong, by Healthy Over All Ltd. is a video designed for people with developmental disabilities. Fitness consultant Laura Guiliano guides users through warm-up, stretching, and weight training exercises.
Staying in shape isn’t easy, especially if you’ve got a disability. Of course you should check with your doctor before starting a new fitness program. But, by using these devices and videos, the job can be fun and relatively pain-free.
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