SCI Forum Reports
Exercise and Fitness
October 4, 1994
Charlie Stratton has been working as a fitness trainer for about 12 years, and met her husband, who has a T8 spinal cord injury, about eight years ago at the gym. "He started lifting weights," Stratton said. "He found that sitting all day, he needed to work on the arm and shoulder muscles."
Stratton recommends the use of an upper body cycle for aerobic exercise, and has one client with tetraplegia who uses the machine by taping her hands to it. Stratton also recommends the use of free weights, concentrating on the upper arm and upper back muscles to help counter the forward and downward effects of gravity. "The tendency is to work the fronts of our bodies, because that's what we see," Stratton said. But strengthening one muscle group without strengthening the opposing group can jeopardize a joint, decrease flexibility, and pull you off balance.
The biceps and triceps muscles in the arm are vital for those with SCI because they are used in transfers and can help spare the shoulders and elbows. The muscles that run from the neck to the shoulder always need stretching, since they tend to hold up the body--especially in persons with spinal cord injury.
"Get a good book on bodybuilding, learn the muscle groups," Stratton advised. "I recommend that people work with fairly light weights (about 5 lb.) and do lots (10-20) of repetitions."
Dee Malchow, a nurse at Harborview Medical Center and a participant in Team USAble, the local branch of Disabled Sports USA, said that skiing has given her an escape from her handicap. Malchow, an amputee, explained that wheelchairs and prostheses can bog you down, making you do everything at a slower pace than everyone else, "but when you're coming down the mountain, it's the same gravity. I think everybody should give it a shot.
"Being active is important to me," Malchow said. "I'm not an athlete, but I want to maintain as much fitness as possible." One of the main focuses at Team USAble is to make the most of each member's abilities, she added. "Don't focus on what you can't do, but on what you can do."
The organization sponsors several events each year, including a "sea to ski" race in Bellingham, WA. Readers can contact Team USAble in Bellingham at 206-733-6714, or the national organization, Disabled Sports USA, at 451 Hungerford Dr., Suite 100, Rockville MD 20850, 301-217-0960.