Elliptical

        I ventured out onto the elliptical  in therapy one day.I was with my physical therapist as he showed me how to use it. This was a safe and feasible machine! Not only does it speed up your walking gate, but it improves endurance, balance and functional mobility. Also, the person who uses the elliptical puts far less stress on his/her joints and you generate forces up to 110 percent of your body weight. This is also for those who want to cut calories. The elliptical burns twice the amount of calories than by walking alone. Now I need to do it more often to see some  of the great benefits, but if your ambulatory and wanting more out of your gate then give it a try!

Getting dressedd

Have you ever thought about how many steps it takes to get dressed? My guess is that you have not. When your mobility is impaired it becomes extremely difficult to do this simple task. For example, let’s talk about putting on a shirt. You have to locate the exact holes that you put your arms in. Then you have to slide your arms through the shirt to get to the hole. Next, you have to find where your head goes and put it in the correct place. Finally, you have to pull the shirt down your back. This is probably one of the easiest clothing items to put on. Some people need to transfer to a bed to complete the process, especially if you lack in balance and coordination. It took me about a year after my car wreck before I was dressing myself and I still have trouble with snaps and laces. My best piece of advice is to receive the help from an occupational therapist. They are all about doing tasks independently.

Hickies

One afternoon near Christmas time my driver transported me to Shepherd Center. This driver,  I had used for several years and who’s company got paid for transporting me through Medicaid. This was before I used Marta Mobility and was just using the service that only transported me to medical appointments. The driver gave me a pair of  Hickies, the no tie shoe laces for Christmas. They are elastic and stay in place all of the time. They are perfect for therapy or just working out. They are a one size fits all and even accommodate a child as young as 5 years old! They are  $9.99 which is a bargain considering what they can do for you, If you or a loved one has shoelaces that don’t stay tied or they can’t tie their shoes then check out this web-site.

http://www.hickies.com/collections/doohickies?variant=1060533617