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To Assist Persons with spinal cord Injuries and other disabilities to achieve independance, self reliance and full community participation. Learn more about us.
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Keep Moving
“Exercise more” they said; “keep moving” they said; “it will build up your strength” they said. After my injury these words of encouragement seemed to be all I heard. Though there seemed to be one problem, how could I keep moving when I couldn’t actually move? Also how could I exercise or build up my strength if I didn’t have any strength in me. Anyone who has had a spinal cord injury knows how hard it is to exercise after an injury. It is harder physically the higher the level of the injury but it can be just as hard mentally no matter your level of injury. For me at times it did get pretty rough, I remember lying on my back on a mat. A physical therapist telling me to pull up my arms, I lay there with my eyes closed trying as hard as I could. A few times I would think ‘yes I just did it, finally I moved my arm’ only to open up my eyes and realized that my arm wasn’t moving. Times like these made me want to quit. I would think what is the point; I would never be able to do this. It was draining me mentally and just making me more frustrated.
One day as I lid there not even really concentrating on what I was supposed to be doing. I was just day dreaming to get me through the frustration on my failure. I heard a voice, a voice I will never forget “you did it”. I opened my eyes staring at the physiotherapist and begrudgingly awoke from day dreaming about a place I would rather be. As she looked at my dazed and confused expression she said you just moved your arm. My expression quickly changed to excited even though I didn’t realize or feel that movement. The many times before when I felt like I was moving when I really wasn’t. I think that was the only time that I moved my arm that day but it gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going, to keep trying. I remember lying in bed that night trying and trying and nothing, maybe my body or the mind just had enough. The movement didn’t come back as quickly as I wanted. However it was gradually coming back a little at a time. I would get frustrated with how slow my progress was, not realizing how good I was doing. Now looking back I’m glad I did not quit, that I resisted the urge to give up.
They say exercising gets easier with time it might not ever feel that way but it does. Mentally it will never be easy to work hard every day and it is easy to fall into a rut. Today even though I have regained a lot of strength and movement I still find it hard to get back into a regular exercise routine. I know how important it is for my health but sometimes it is hard to get time in my busy life. Nonetheless I manage to push myself a few times a week to workout. Physical exercise is important for everyone as it lowers the risk of developing chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. There are added benefits for people with Spinal Cord Injury who exercise regularly as you lower the risk of developing secondary complications such as urinary tract infections, pressure sores and respiratory illness. Regular exercise can also help to manage problems such as spasticity, weight gain and chronic pain.
When I was able to trade in my power chair for a manual chair I realized the importance of physical exercise. I needed to improve my strength and endurance not only for transfers but for regular daily task. This gave me back more independence. Research has shown that physical activity can even lower the risk of you experiencing feeling of anxiety, loneliness and depression. In January of this year I started going to a gym as I felt this would encourage me to get into a more regular routine. I got a lot more out of it than I expected. I got to meet new people, I felt better about myself and had a feeling of accomplishment as I started to lose a few pounds. There are a lot of us who feel that we don’t have time to go to the gym. However there are a lot of other options available such as seeing a physical therapist and developing a at home exercise program. All you need is free weights, bands, wall weights, or invest in some exercise equipment. Completing household tasks is also a great form of exercise.
A great way to not only get exercise but to get involved in your community is to join a recreational sports league. There are a number of accessible sports currently available and the opportunities are growing. Being involved in recreational leagues is a great way to meet people. There are activities out there for individuals’ at all different levels. To name a few: basketball, sledge hockey, bocce, curling, sits ski, bowling, sailing, or swimming. For those of us in a manual chair just getting out and getting a good distance covered in our chairs is great exercise. My daughter likes to put just dance on the Wii and get me to join her. Even though I cannot get up and dance as good as her she can still make me have a good workout from my chair just trying to keep up with her. Getting your exercise doesn’t have to be boring, you can choose something fun that you like to do and get active at the same time. It’s always great to invite a buddy to join you. As physical activity is important it is also a good idea to set reasonable goals and know your limitations.
Dion Regular
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About Dion Regular
Dion Regular grew up on the Baie Verte, Peninsula where he lived for 23 years before moving to St. John’s. In 1999 Dion became a husband, father and had an accident that would forever change the course of his life. In December, he fell from a boat in dry dock; he broke the C5, C6 and C7 in his neck and ended up a quadriplegic. Though he was told he would never walk or even feed himself again he was determined to be independent. With hard work and perseverance, Dion has regained strength in both his arms and legs. He became a volunteer with the Spinal Cord Injury NL (formerly Canadian Paraplegic Association) in 2008 and spent as much time as possible being a peer for others who were going through or had met the challenges that he had. In November 2011, he became employed with the Spinal Cord Injury NL as the Peer Support Specialist; he continues to offer the support and services needed to his peers. He offers support to those with similar injuries cope with their emotions and daily challenges while getting back into the community and participating fully in daily activities. Dion is also a single dad, who enjoys spending time with his two children. He also likes going for coffee, bowling, watching movies, going to concerts and sporting events or sparking up the fire pit in his backyard.
