Adding to the fat man exercises to help build up muscles for safe walking. Our kids need exercise.

There has always been a notable difference between my stronger left leg in a weaker right one. While it seems my upper legs can gain strength comparable to anybody, my lower legs do not. My observations have been when you have physical disabilities that impair movement or strength, progress is slow. There are two reasons why I don't give up:

1. If I quit my exercises, even though I do not have a lot of gains; I will quickly lose what I have.
2. If I quit I will automatically start to increase pain. My experience and many that I talk to report that our muscles are already constantly contracting with CP. If we quit flexibility, strength movements our muscles will increase tightening up and greater pain will result. Next time you see a person with cerebral palsy, realize that person lives with pain every day. The more severe of the disability is the more severe the pain. They will probably never tell you about it. Let's build our compassion!😘

It is a simple formula movement + flexibility = less pain. Since I am a sissy and hate pain, movement + flexibility = less pain and less need of pain pills. Physical therapy like a book are my best friends. Physically handicapped children should earn school credit for their rehab. It should be factored into their P E programs. 
(Schools should offer one hour a day, 20 minutes instructing and doing different fitness ideas and 35 minutes of exercise involving play games such as soccer and basketball and, pursuits such as rock climbing, back packing. We are not for the moment going to be be getting rid of our bus programs and we are less likely to have adults outside forcing perverts back into hiding like trolls so that more kids would be safe, so we better increase recess and PE or pay a big price in health later. The growth in our brains from exercise is undeniable. This growth and health of the brain will improve learning with increased oxygen and circulation. For the most part in over 30 years of observation the last hour of school should be replaced with workouts, games, music, art and social interaction completely free from electronic devices. Mentally the kids and most teachers are spent any ways. If our kids do not move one hour day, we will pay the price. 
We cannot go back to the old days when I used to shovel 5 miles to get to school 😲. OK I'm exaggerating, it was only one mile of shoveling and it may not have been snow.)
What are the things I try to do when I am confronted new problems  is to pick up some rehab tips. Two moves I picked up to improve walking without falling.
 To strengthen my ability to pick up my legs and prevent falls I learned two exercises I can do on the bed. 

 Each of these exercises and be done with  The  Opposite leg the knee bent.

 

With opposite knee bent lift leg a few inches and move sideways. Keep walking

Desk top reminders this winter - goal to help aerobic capacity by 12%

With the use of sticky notes I can record my daily progress. My winter goal is to improve my overall aerobic fitness. Somethings I am already doing.
The fatman exercises, adapted body weight movements: pushups, dips, squats, lunges, heal raises, sit-ups; Hitt recumbent biking 20-45 minutes 3x's a week resistant band workouts 2, 3 times a week.
Adding on off bike days stair work 4 minutes and 4 minute run in place; 10 minute walk - Leslie Sansone, outdoor walk w poles or without. I will be adding knee pads. I know outdoor walking has risks; but I can't give up yet.
Stair workouts and running in place I may add time as with the walking. My immediate goal of 6 to 10 weeks is to improve my aerobic capacity by 12%. These activities can be done around my time of the computer.
All of this stuff has my doctor's consent, both GP and cardiologist. Alternating days biking with walking on stairs gives my knees is a chance to recover. I may find walking in stair work may have to be twice a week and go from there.
Right now biking and strength training works for me. My 10 minute walks right now are three and four minutes at a time. During the day I think many brief walks 30 seconds to a minute. My goal of a 10 minute walk is for practical applications.
I take time to give you a little detail because there are a lot of people who are sedimentary and need to think through how to get moving again. There are also people who are recovering and there are a lot of ways to get back on your feet.
What I am doing is based on my problems with cerebral palsy and mobility problems. Being overweight doesn't help. Taking psychotropic medicine that puts on weight doesn't help either. I have recently taken steps on that front as well. While I take the initiative for these changes it is based on health plans by my doctors and not self medicating.
In the picture are the Lockhorns, like Leroy I hate the scale at the doctor's office. (reality check) DBarb in contrast does not nag. But for many of us we are heavier than we need to be. All of the stickies remind me to move and eat smarter. Keep walking

A lesson from boxing, get off the mat

Somewhere between high school and first year in college some 47 years ago Simon and Garfunkel wrote and sang a song called “The Boxer.” The winters and city of New York can be hard on anyone trying to cut out a living from the bottom up. The boxer in the clearing shows visual reminder of how hard life can be. Boxing has always had it’s roots with poor people. 

It seems my dad and all the young men from the depression who went in to the service boxed, or so it seems. Have you every put on the gloves and tried to knock out your opponent who in turn is trying to do the same? It sounds crazy, but I am glad I tried a few bouts. I learned I took more punches then I gave out. Just a few and I went into retirement. Fighting bullies or attackers on the street was easier. Most never expected a kid with CP to fight back. 

I haven’t met a fellow CPer who was anything but brave. It eats at me that there are those who would steal, bully, mistreat any who has to deal with pain, balance, falling, and a number of other issues. For me it left me with a bit of a short-fuse. Coming to faith in Christ, God over the years has helped me put down the gloves. I know that is a motivator for me to help others one way or another. 

Over the years I have enjoyed the Robert Parker character Spencer and Hawk boxers who keep getting up, helping others who basically are being bullied and knocked down. The characters stay ageless as they return to the gym to restore their health to keep at it. 

The Psalms are like a spiritual gym, a place where we can meet God and God can restore us. We have needs in our body, mind and our spirit. The world, sin, and spiritual forces are more brutal than a New York or Chicago winter. There are too many in pain today, hurt by others and warned down with care. There is a Great Physician who has balm greater than the balm of Gilead. (Check Wayne Stiles link below for back ground on the balm of Gilead)

Lately I have been biking with HITT 30 minute, 45 minute workouts. On my TV using You tube app, type "cycling workouts" and a variety of workouts come up. I’m back training in the gym with Spencer, Henry and Hawk like a boxer. Just a CP guy trying to keep walking. 

In the clearing stands a boxer

And a fighter by his trade

And he carries the reminders

Of ev'ry glove that laid him down

Or cut him till he cried out

In his anger and his shame

"I am leaving, I am leaving"

But the fighter still remains, mmm mmm

https://www.waynestiles.com/a-balm-in-gilead-your-solution-is-nearer-than-you-imagine/#more-14044

Be positive, adapt, work through challenges

One of the purposes of my blog is to record my journey for better health and fitness as I age. One of the things that I've noticed my story is not one  and done and happy forever and ever. No for me it is a series of changes, some of them unexpected. 

Part of the John Lennon quote, “Life happens” challenge my possible success story. I never anticipated falling into a depression and anxiety from a long term insomnia. Walking was also helping me sleep. Lifelong stressors then adding a few more setbacks, my brain wasn't working right. Like Humpty Dumpty I wasn't able to put my life back together. 

TRX give it a try

Returning to health I was back on the walking trail, but a serious fall in the winter two years ago and walking as I had known it changed forever. (I still have issues) While I was recovering I was able to improve my resistant training with body exercises, TRX, and resistant tubes.

Walking was replaced by my indoor recumbent bike, indoor walking with Lessie Sansone with brief periods walking that I could tolerate with my backache.

Having cerebral palsy with thousands of falls has a practical outcome of joint pain from head to toe. Pain management involves help for my GP, physical therapists; but surprisingly, the most relief comes from therapeutic movement, resistance training, aerobic training. Flexibility has

It hurts but latter you
will feel better

issues all the time in the life of someone who has cerebral palsy. What I have found it is easy to have more problems; for example, putting my socks and shoes on. I suppose many seniors experience the pain is they age into their 80s and 90s. But for me right now it is extremely painful. What do I do to relieve the pain? Two or three times a day I cross my feet on my knee and rotate the foot at the ankle joint and each day the pain is less. (I have to work through the pain and I can’t let it go) This was something I never had to do it when I was younger, but pain teaches you new things.

I want the blog to be a positive experience as I share some of my successes. The fat Man exercises, adopted push-ups, sit ups, dips, squats, heel raises, walking stairs are all just about anybody can do as we age. These moves are adapted to fit you. A push-up off the stairs from lower stair to four steps up give you a push-up from hard  to easy. Using a countertop, table top or a wall give other levels of resistance. Dips can be done at a corner on counter top in the kitchen. You use your legs to vary the resistance. The Internet can showing you how to do body resistance exercises.

Today I did I hitt program enjoying the Internet cycling workout 30 minutes. The exercise

The bike I use

includes interval training of high intensity, higher resistance cycling with periods of lower intensity and resistant cycling. The cyclists in the program are all using hi end indoor bikes. Once again I adapt the program to use my indoor recumbent bike and to keep my biking in the heart range that is good for me at 65. I am not going to compete with Younger more fit people on the screen. I follow the beat of the music and keep my pace up and increase resistance in the sprint periods. 

I stayed in my heart range and following program I've biked about a mile longer then I would have if I was biking by myself. 

I really strongly recommend an indoor recumbent bike. The comfort and adaptability to bike listening to a book, watching TV, listening to music; you will find yourself biking every day. You don't have to buy the most expensive one, but by a good one. Biking is a good way to battle diabetes and for many of us get the steps we need each day to be healthier. For me it is an activity where I have no back pain.

If you go to YouTube and typing cycling workouts you will get a lot of options. Check out the link below. Work with your doctor in this. Keep walking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRylMkvahjM