Fitness Resources
- National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), www.ncpad.org, 1-800-900-8086: Comprehensive telephone and electronic information center that offers access to a wide range of resources on physical activity and recreation for people with disabilities. The single best place to find information or links to information about exercise, recreation and physical activity options. Continually updated. Monthly newsletter available. SCI-specific guidelines and program descriptions including photos and videos.
- Video: “Exercise Program for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries: Tetraplegia.” Produced by NCPAD, Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. 25 minute aerobic segment, 5 minute warm up and cool down, weight training instruction and demonstration for various injury levels. Cost is $14.99 for DVD or VHS video. (To order: http://www.ncpad.org/exercise/fact_sheet.php?sheet=421 or 800-900-8086.)
- Video: “Exercise Program for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries: Paraplegia.”
Cost $14.99 for DVD or VHS video. (To order: http://www.ncpad.org/videos/fact_sheet.php?sheet=271 or 800-900-8086.)
- United Spinal Association, USA Tech Guide, “Exercise Equipment,” http://usatechguide.org/techguide.php?vmode=1&catid=41: Links to sources for exercise equipment appropriate for people with SCI.
- Cleveland FES Center, http://fescenter.case.edu/site2/gettingstarted.php: Promotes FES (functional electrical stimulation) systems that improve health, productivity and quality of life.
- Rehab Center of Ontario, www.rehab.on.ca/mobile/rom/index.html: Range of motion instructions and videos accessible by anyone on-line. Good for caregiver education.
- RRTC on Secondary Conditions in Individuals with SCI, http://rrtc-sci.livejournal.com: Journal of a woman with C6-7 tetraplegia relating to her attempts, success and failures at getting exercise into her life. She tries chair aerobics, yoga, weight training, joining a gym and stretching. Good example of the ups and downs of personal behavior change.
- Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Spinal Cord Injury: Promoting Health and Preventing Complications through Exercise, at the National Rehabilitation Institute (To contact: http://www.sci-health.org/; 202-877-1038). Provides resources, fact sheets, blog, web casts and conducts research studies on exercise and preventing secondary conditions in SCI.