How I Created My Adapted Fitness Regime
I have been in a wheelchair for the last 40 years and have always had to keep track of my weight, (like many of us really). There are so many benefits in staying fit, strong and healthy and I would like to talk about the reasons why I need to work on it and the health issues I have if I let my weight and fitness levels slip too much. And also I would like to talk about how I keep fit, strong and healthy and what hinders me to keep it going occasionally.
Why Do I Need Adapted Training?
The reasons why I need to keep on top of my weight and fitness are, for starters that its imperative to reduce as much weight as possible from my legs because they are paralysed so don’t have as much muscle to support my torso. Also, I am not now able to use a walking frame to strengthen and tone the leg muscles and core muscles that i do have because of a double hip operation that went horribly wrong, 22 years ago. I do have to point out though, it was also lack of discipline and motivation on my part to use my walking frame which didn’t help matters!
If I get too overweight, it can cause pressure sores which, if not kept a close eye on, can lead to infection. Infection from pressure sores, are the last thing I need especially after experiencing and recovering from sepsis twice in the last 22 years!
The second reason, for keeping fit and keeping my weight down is because, I have to lift myself about, using just my arms for daily tasks like getting onto my shower chair, getting into bed, getting back into my chair if I get knocked out of it during a sparring match etc.
What Fitness Do I Do?
So, if I’m in a wheelchair, how do i do this?
Well, let’s start way back to when I had my first punch bag. I was probably about the age of 10-11.
It was hung up in my parents garage and the only thing I knew about boxing, was from the matches that I watched on television.
I would just dabble on the punch bag a few times a week. I found that my balance wasn’t good so I worked on that by hitting the bag and trying to weave out the way. It took time, but that is pretty much all I worked on. But I would also practice the simple jab cross combinations with my balance. Then the lead hook punch and rear hook just to create different angles.
My wheelchair got in the way and when I tried to lean forward to let the bag go round the back of me; it wasn’t very successful but, at least what I was doing, worked on my coordination and core muscles.
I don’t use that punch bag anymore and to be honest, because I didn’t drive in those years, I achieved my aerobic exercise from pushing myself from my house, to various friends houses and family. From my house to where my best friend was living, when I was 9, was about a mile so I was doing that, every time I went there.
When I was a teenager, I started weight training, I think I used to go once a week with school. I had professional advice and tips.
I wanted to improve my strength because my cardio was good and my mum, would always make sure I ate healthy.
I think i used to perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each machine. Yes, you read that correctly! I used to get out of my chair and sit on the machines to do my weight training.
Work What You Need: Outcome Focussed
I always tried to lift enough weight that I could manage for 10 reps to build bigger muscles. It worked like it would do, however, it worked too well!
What I mean is, over time, I was getting too big for the chest support on my walking frame.
So the next option was to use lighter weights and more repetition.
I think I had dumbells and a barbell at home, around that time, and so i carried on my training when I finished secondary school.
Over those years, I was alternating from wheelchair pushing to weight training on alternative days with one rest day per week.
I think I remember actually doing this until 2003 which was when I started Shotakan karate.
Evolving Training Using What You Have
My workout from then on, evolved. The change came with ideas from my karate instructors and adapted ideas of my own.
When my instructor, and my training partner for example, performed squats, I decided to lift myself up and down off my wheelchair like performing dips! This, was an excellent workout for my triceps, shoulders and top section of my chest!
I’m not able to perform press ups so, I perform isometric exercises by clasping my hands together across my chest, at shoulder height. I then, push against each palm as hard as possible for 10 seconds and this seems to tone the middle of the chest. This also strengthens my shoulders and triceps. Then I clasp my fingers together across my chest and pull as hard as I can.
I do these exercises at different height angles for different muscle groups.
I’ve always struggled with my abdomen and can’t do sit ups or leg raises etc. I used to place my palms on to a desk or table and push down as hard as possible then tense my abdominal muscles.
For about 3 years on and off I would do wheelchair circuits round a 1.2 mile loop of the village i live in, this is for cardio work which worked well with my boxing 3 times a week!
I’ve found that my wheelchair itself, has been brilliant as an isometric machine. Using the frame to press against in different angles for different muscle groups.
Author Bio:
Carl Hodgetts is a wheelchair user and a sufferer of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus from birth and a Freestyle Martial Arts practitioner and instructor.
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