Thursday, March 29, 2012

I Work Out... Kinda.




You know you have a disability when it takes more time and energy to get on the gym equipment than it takes to actually work out.




Went to my doctor last week, she said to lose some fat and gain some muscle. Those were her exact words. Notice she did not tell me to lose weight, I guess I have become skinny-fat. Joy.

I have been using the Gym at work this week because we have a NuStep. But, I work out in the morning so I have no one to help wrestle my legs into the leg stabilizers. I timed myself today, and it took me 20 minutes to get strapped in, that's normally the length of my cardio workout. I did an extra minute 16 seconds just to make myself feel better. :/

I hate working out… well actually it’s far more complicated than that, I actually love working out, the problem is, I always feel so defeated afterwards. Even when I do cardio, I don’t actually get a cardio workout because it is physically impossible for me to get my body moving fast enough for long enough to get my heart rate up. The faster I try to go, the more my muscles tense and the more I have to slow down and tell myself to relax.

If I didn’t have a disability, or if I could afford a trainer that could tell me exactly what to do in order to get a proper work out with CP, I would be the fittest person. I get so frustrated seeing all these fun new ways to work out that I just can’t do.

Every time a google disability and workout. I get a bunch of 75 year old woman doing knee lifts and side bends. I don’t want to simply do stretches from my wheelchair. I have had enough of weight machines and dumbbells. I want a real, hardcore workout that requires a shower after. I want to discover muscles I never knew existed. Where’s the workout for all the young and sexy (or soon to be sexy) men and woman with limited mobility?  

Just Dance should have a seated version and the Biggest Loser should do a season comprised totally of people with disabilities. How hard could it be? Why is something that we are all told we need to do for our overall health, so hard for people that probably need it to most to access? If anyone has an answer I will be in the gym. At the rate I am I will burn of that granola bar I had for breakfast in time for lunch.

6 comments:

  1. The BBC did Dancing on Wheels a year or more ago, which was six couples learning to dance. The winning couple was Britain's entry in the European Wheelchair Dance Sport competition (ballroom, I think) - don't know if you can get hold of it on DVD or something but it was pretty good! link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pnsnq

    I wonder if you'd have better luck looking for workout tips through an organisation like that? (Wheelchair Dance Sport I mean, not the BBC) Google does tend to serve up whatever is most popular / obvious.

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  2. There's this workout DVD by an amputee. I've not tried it but heard good things

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  3. Its by Leanne Grose And I think it's called Leanne's chair workout. I just do stuff on the wii from my chair though.

    Dave Hingsburger had some entries on this topic before, I'm tempted to say last year or before

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  4. Try the Chair Dancing video series. I'm 20 and they've been great for me since they're not just for the senior population.

    chairdancing.com

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  5. The best thing I ever did was get a recommendation from my doctor and pay for some sessions with a trainer that specializes in crips. I was shocked at the results I got versus when I used to go and just fool around. Unfortunately, having CP is expensive, but the right trainer is so worth saving your money for!

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