Keeping Pace With Adaptive Exercises

I would like to wish my readers, family, and friends a peaceful holiday season with your loved ones. For this post I thought it would be helpful and informative to post some of the exercises I have been doing over the years. Since childhood, I have always been involved in athletics, yoga, and dancing. After the diagnosis I was told my condition will get worse,and I should not engage in strenuous activities because it would break down my muscles faster. Knowing myself, I know I would have to find exercises that I can do as my abilities decline. Gradually, I transitioned from "Ashtanga" yoga to the swimming pool, and now I have incorporated the swimming pool exercises with weight training, cardio workout and stretching. I have been quite fortunate to find two community colleges that offer these adaptive exercises for people with disabilities. All of these exercises, except for the cardio, I do many repetitions as many as I can do without exhausting my muscles. I feel had it not been for these exercises, I would have declined faster. Photo by R.W.Swan(Alaska)

These two machines I do my cardio workout on. One is an elliptical and the other is called a Nu Step.

This machine is a leg press. I have to strap my legs to help them stay together. I add some weights to do this exercise. It helps to strengthen the gluteal and quadricepts muscles. I also feel that my hamstrings get some workout.

This equipment is called an abdominal press, it helps me to stregthen my core muscles which I think has helped me to maintain mobility over the years.

With this equipment I add some weights and pull it over my head. I also do bending exercises with this one, bending forward as if to pick something off the floor.

This equipment is a "lateral pull" I also add weights and pull down. I feel a good stretch around my shoulder blades.

I use this walker to assist me in navigating the exercise room.