I want to make a point clear- The original purpose of this thread was to promote strength training, as i said in my
opening post. It just happens that the physician talks about
both, but I am just cherry picking the info on strength training.
As far as aerobics are concerned, I don't agree with those that would prohibit it. Discussion of this issue needs to be qualified. Heather got to the point where she could not walk for several months. However she just laid in bed most of the time for several months prior to losing the ability to walk. If a person reaches the point where they can't even walk, then anything that you try to do is "aerobic".
Once I realized my error, we started Heather out on her way to recovery by helping her onto her rebounder with a parent on each side of her, holding her up. She just bounced gently for only 5 minutes at first and built up to 20 minutes.
Within a few weeks she could walk again. Then we took her back to her swim club, and she started out by very slowly swimming for 15- 20 minutes with frequent rests. You better believe that I was ready to jump over the rail if I saw any sign that she was struggling!
My rationale is that cessation of movement ultimately means death. I have seen it countless times with the elderly. A guy that retires only to flop himself into his recliner doesn't have very many years left. A healthy elderly person that falls may never leave the hospital. A cascade of events leads to death. The person is immobile while in the hospital for a broken hip. The person loses appetite. Kidney start to fail. Things start spiraling down hill until death.
At his clinic Dr. J. encourages his patients to take walks outside in nature. As far as Heather was concerned he encouraged her to contact the local swim club in his city to see what level of exercise that she could bear while she was at his clinic. The point is that you use common sense and do what your body can bear, and not what you emotionally feel like doing. There is a huge difference. We eventually did not allow Heather to call the shots in such matters, or she would be in a wheelchair right now. You better believe that she protested when we first started, but she did get better.
I am a 59 y.o. man. I had allowed myself to get into terrible shape. After my long fast I started an exercise program. You have no idea how miserable I felt during the first couple of weeks jogging, and doing pushups and situps. After seeing this video I am planning to do strength training in my basement and doing less jogging. I feel great after just 2 months of jogging. I am glad that I didn't let the fact that I didn't feel like doing it dictate whether or not I continued.
With this illness we must not think in the extremes. I am not saying that strength training or aerobics is for everyone, but if you stop moving for an extended period of time, you are training your body to do so permanently.
Garden Peace- a full size trampoline is a wonderful piece of equipment. Eventually Heather started using her full size trampoline again. She has had it since she was 4 years old. Let me tell the story behind that. When she was 4 y.o. she was still addicted to her pacifier. We just couldn't persuade her to give it up, and she was scheduled to soon start preschool. Although it is usually against our practice, we bribed her by promising that we would buy a full size trampoline for her if she would give up using her pacifier. She gave it up that very night and never looked back! Good for you that you are exercising again!
Don
Post Edited (Heathersdad) : 6/26/2014 5:17:14 PM (GMT-6)