Exercise!

[cjsmith]

I think I found an object that will help me exercise! YAY FREECYCLE!

If you can't use the legs use the arms, right?

I have a wheelchair. For free. 8-) It's sitting in my car right now.

This one is probably supposed to be for a child. It wants a little bit shorter leg than I've got, which is saying something. And it's truly ancient. On the other hand, it's skinny enough to go through doors and stuff, and it's easy for me to put in the car. And I do fit in it pretty well. Ah, one advantage of not being a real grown-up human being!

First impression: Those things are not as easy to drive as they look.

EDIT 11:10: After my company meeting I took it for a spin around the parking lot. "Spin" is fairly accurate in places -- this thing has great pivot capability. I must confess though that "around the parking lot" is a lie. I got the length of one wall of the building and back. My arms are noodles. I'm still excited though.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

First impression: Those things are not as easy to drive as they look.

Tell me about it. Now try going down a road, like in a Pride Parade, on the side, so camber's fighting you.

I love this scooter, thanks so much. ;)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figure once I get past the parking lot stage, any "exercise" will be on the side of a road like that. Sidewalks just do not cut it, not in my neighborhood - way too broken up.

Glad you like the scooter! (Glad it's WORKING.)

[apparentparadox]

Maybe I missed this, but what about swimming as exercise?

A totally strange idea: get a "treadmill pool" and set it in your current pool (drained). Would that be OK as far as building codes go?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I might do swimming too. I'd want to cut the hair. The advantage of the chair is a) 100% free and b) might be able to bolt on a cheapy-style arm bike (the kind that need a chair to be the back end). But just 'cause I try this doesn't mean I can't swim TOO, or get tired of the wheelchair and just swim.

I bet that'd be OK if enormous holes were cut in the bottom of the pool. There's code for how big they have to be.

[ambar.livejournal.com]

You are going to have seriously massive shoulders if you keep that up. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah. And if I were a guy, think what I could do with THAT upper-body potential!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

If you can't use the legs use the arms, right?

A former cow-orker of mine from $SuckyJob has had CP since childhood and uses a walker to get around. His arms are like tree trunks. He has enough leg control wherein he doesn't need a hand-controlled vehicle, though he also said he never uses the walker at home - he just crawls around the house.

Given most of my exercise historically has been bicycling, my arms are rather neglected by comparison. I should do something about that.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

As a runner I too have neglected my arms. I just got back from the parking lot. DEAR LORD. Yowza.

[dieppe.livejournal.com]

Well, if the wheelchair isn't too wide then I suppose you could do it right... Get a treadmill, put the chair on the treadmill... assuming that said treadmill is powered, turn it on... and relax... ;)

*cough* Okay, not much exercise benefit there for ya I guess.......

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I can see it now. "I did TEN MILES on the treadmill today! In rollerblades!" ;-)

yay wheels!

[gev.livejournal.com]

Meg has a wheelchair that she doesn't use...
I plan on using it as my computing chair.
It's been over 20 years, but I expect to
be doing wheelies in it again soon. :)

Re: yay wheels!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I love its pivot capability. One wheel forward, the other back - presto!

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

wheeeeeee!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I think it might be a little while before I learn to do wheelies. :-)

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

yay! Great idea! Hope it works for you. :^)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

And I sure can't beat FREE!

[sharya.livejournal.com]

Excellent! Your upper body strength will be amazing pretty soon :P

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

If my upper body strength even gets to "average" it'll be amazing. :-)

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

hooray!!! i *heart* freecycle.

if you join a wheelchair basketball league, i'm totally coming to see you play! ;-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I bet I'm too short for wheelchair basketball when I'm standing up. :-) If you want humor, though, you could come see me "drive" around the parking lot. I never knew how non-flat this lot was until I kept rolling toward all the storm drains.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

That's pretty imaginative! And cool. Upper body strength is not just for the guys. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I have a new rule for myself: never arm-wrestle with a wheelchair rider. :)