Some of us here have health issues or disabilities that preclude us from exercising in almost any way including walking. How can we get more movement and burn more calories every day without more pain? Just thought I'd throw this out there and see if others are struggling with this issue like me.

Our local hospital has a pilates class that you do sitting down on a chair.  They do outreach to seniors and disabled.  Lots of rehab folks go to that class.

I personally like Chi Gung.  Which is stretching and breathing.  Makes the blood flow without having to raise a sweat.   (related to Tai Chi.)

Hi Emily! How much movement do you get with Chi Gung? I've tried Tai Chi and can't even move enough to do that without causing so much pain that I can't move for weeks after. Do you use a video or class?

I took a tai chi class years ago.  We started the class with chi gung (aka Qi Gong).  I actually liked it better than the tai chi.  It is the streching and breathing.  Can feel the blood flow and my sinuses open up long before I get sore. 

There now is a drop in class in town.  Haven't been there yet.  I am very perfume sensitive so classes can be a problem for me. 

I understand Emily. Maybe I'll look into a Qi Gong video that I can do at home.

Hi Ivy,

I am also disabled and have found exercise hard. I have MS.

I have a Tai Chi DVD from Gaim which I love. I have the one with the weighted ball.  It is called the Beginners kit.

I also find an exercise ball a great way to stretch.

Susan

Not sure if this is an appropriate suggestion for you all, but have you considered water aerobics?

My uncle is paralazed from the waist down, and he used to be very active. I haven't discussed this with him recently, but my dad mentioned that he (my uncle) was able to swim & go scuba diving, despite the his injury.

Exercise in water takes the pressure off joints, and you actually get an amazing workout.

If you have access to an adult community center or YMCA with a pool, memberships or aqua classes might be a good idea to look into.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion Melissa. I personally can't. I have nerve damage in my abdomen and back  and can't do the leg or back or core exercises at all unfortunately. Maybe others here can.

Here's one more place you can try. This site that has activity suggestions/recommendations based on your health conditions. It might be another dead end, but it might lead somewhere helpful.

If I find anything else, I'll post it here for anyone who might want it.

Great link Melissa! I'll definitely check it out when I have more time, thank you SO much for suggesting it!!

Today my friend is coming in from California. He's older and has back problems and I have mine so we'll be having wheelchair races at the airport today, lol.

i do little walking where i live when i go shoppping it like half mile each way  . i only do weekend. hopefully weather is getting better here and will do mmore.

You're lucky you can Carol! I wish I could, I can't walk like that anymore. The most walking I can do on a good day is around my house which is very small. I'm in a wheelchair the rest of the time now. I so miss walking. I'd love to walk again, it feels so good. I hope your weather gets better there and you get to walk more.

it take alot just mile for me but i realize i need to do some excerise to help to lose weight.

Have you looked into exercises for very large people?  Resources for the super-sized might have some good options.  Chair aerobics or chair dancing might be good activities for you.  Here are links to some websites with more info:

http://www.chairdancing.com/

http://www.kellybliss.com/main/index.php

If you can get up and down from the floor you might try yoga.  The Yoga for Inflexible People dvd is a great resource to find modifications for poses.  It doesn't flow from one pose to the next very well, but it does a good job demonstrating a wide range of poses, sort of like a yoga video encyclopedia.  Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Inflexible-People-Judi-Rice/dp/B00006JXWB

Thnks for some of these ideas.  I have a hard time moving much and some of these might work well for me.

Have you looked into restoratve yoga?  I have a couple of friends who teach it, and they have clients with many different limitations. 

Jenny S. (jonesingforbooks) Thanks, I checked out the link ( http://www.chairdancing.com/ ) and they have a three minute flatten abdominals, I clicked on it and did the three minutes, yes you can feel it in abs.  I also did the shoulder and kneck, I'm not sure how long it will be on there site.  But i'm going to check out the video. I used to have a list of 12 sitting exercises but can't find it now.

I started out not being able to do anything at all.I have had over 6 surgeries and I have perm. damage from a collision car accident that nearly killed me over 8 years ago. I did not think I would every walk ago much less live.With the love of my family and a lot of hard work on my part I have been able to battle my weigh to walk on cane,which is where I will always be.I am fine with that.I still go to therapy.I have nerve damage which cannot be repaired.My whole left side has been rebuilt and my lung has a hole in it from the accident,but I am alive and I can walk.I was over 300 pounds and hardly able to move from too much weight and all these medical problems,down to 245 now,better now.My exercise is water class,exercise bike,no I cannot go down on the floor,I could not get back up so I exercise on a couch or a table at therapy.I can't do Yoga or anything that requires me to go down on the floor because I can't get back up.I can do water,light walking,not too far or too long,some exercises,some upper body and the stationery bike.You will find a way to work thru the pain and get to the other side and yes it still hurts.The pain never goes away.I wish I could say pain goes away but no it never does,sometimes we do things that make us feel better about ourselves : ) Take care.

Elizabeth

My 75 yo mom has very bad osteoarthritis in both knees and walks with cane; she loves the 'Sit and Be Fit' programs since she cannot particpate in most gym type classes.  She watches the shows on a local tv channel and also tapes them for later use. 

"SIT AND BE FIT is a non-profit organization that produces North America's award-winning television exercise series, SIT AND BE FIT. Each chair exercise program is carefully researched and designed by Mary Ann Wilson, RN, and a team of physical therapists, doctors, and exercise specialists. The series has earned a loyal following due to its effectiveness in profoundly improving the health and wellness of older adults, physically limited individuals and those managing chronic conditions and chronic pain SIT AND BE FIT has been broadcast since 1987 on PBS stations to over 61 million U.S. households annually."

http://www.sitandbefit.org/  Find out if they broadcast in your area.  You can see if the exercises are appropriate for you and also buy dvds, etc.

They are geared toward seniors, but I think anyone who has ambulatory problems would benefit.  I wish you all the best.  I know that one's activity level is a vicious circle; if you don't exercise eventually you won't be able to exercise.  Muscles and joints have a tendency to stiffen and lose more and more flexibility and if you're injured or you add the weight on it just makes it even more difficult for those stiff muscles and joints. 

For those reading this that have full mobility or are starting to feel those aches and pains, remember once you stop doing an activity or motion, it will become much more difficult to re-start doing it than to keep doing it, no matter how hard it is.  I learned this the hard way with my shoulder.  I had hurt the tendon a few months ago.  I only thought it was a strain and thought I could just rest it.  Well, over time I pretty much just avoided the actions that caused the pain and ended up losing the full range of motion previously available in that shoulder.  I didn't lose all motion but now I am having to go thorugh all kinds of PT to strengthen the muscles that had dwindled.  My PT says this is very common and only takes a couple of months of inactivity to 'freeze' the joint.

I keep thinking how this lesson is applicable to my mom.  I know her situation is not exactly the same, but it seems that with painful knees you avoid anything that taxes them at all when in fact strengthening the quadraceps and hamstrings would probably alleviate at least some of the pain.  She can't lower herself at all, such as into a squat, but had she started making herself do that years ago when the problem was only minor, she might have postponed the worst of it and still be able to move around more now.  I don't know.  I just want to help her and since it's a family tendency (all the women on her mom's side of the family have knee problems, similar body shape, etc.) I want to think at (almost) 46 I can head off the same problems for myself.

I am also handicapped and am in  a program now to have lapband surgery, but since started with them and with nutrition and their excercise program am down almost 60 pounds and the excercises they set me up with is ELASTIC BANDS.

Works really well as you use your WC to hold the bands while do legwork, armwork and even ab work if can do it. And does REALLY WORK my arms and legs seem to be getting stronger even tho I only feel well enough to do it 1 time a week.

Another suggestion (which I need to follow m'self) is using callesthenics (there are a couple books available as well as a couple VHS tapes). It's a form of exercise which uses your core muscles and the weight of your own body to strengthen your muscles. I'd have linked wikipedia's link but it talks about jumping jacks and push-ups and what-not and that wasn't my experience via the books. It can be gentle but effective, in my (limited) experience.

Something else that has worked well for me is taking a bellydance/Middle Eastern dance class or using videos/dvds to learn. It's low impact, is good for your back (we even had a couple people with rather severe back injuries in our class!) and is very empowering for women. I highly recommend it to anyone who asks. I'm a big girl and it was great for me. I'm about to get started in it again as my back is hurting again and I've lost the flexibility I had when I was taking class. Give it a try though! You can sometimes rent videos from blockbuster or netflix either locally or online. Also, try your library.

I also am disabled which prevents me from exercising. I think most of my problem is being out-of-shape. However, I used to love to jog and run, but I can't see well enough to do it on my own. And our house is way too small to accomodate an exercise machine of any kind.

Everytime I try to do simple stuff like jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, I ache for a week and am too sore at times to continue. Then I never get it done. It's so discouraging. I have no discipline! I wish I had an exercise buddy. I do have one friend who I know is trying to get fit and lose weight, etc, but she doesn't live near me, doesn't drive and our being students doesn't leave much time to plan something anyway.

Maybe I can jump rope? Can I hurt myself doing that? Lol.