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Cardio

danz
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Cardio
My cardiovascular work has been almost non-existent for the three-plus years that my stenosis symptoms have been acute. I can't walk, run, use a stepper or treadmill for more than five to eight minutes without pain. (I am also not much of a swimmer.)The local "Y" has a good assortment of exercise equipment, but I could only use a few devices for any length of time.

The best was a recumbent cycling machine. The next best was a rowing machine, followed by a vertical exercise bike. I was also o.k. riding my old mountain bike, but my road bike with drop bars was no longer comfortable. The rowing machine, the vertical exercise bike and both of my bicycles also require an undesirable "hunched" over posture. Even the recumbent machine might be problematic in that it may have some sort of lumbar support. (I'll have to look again.)

Suggestions will be gratefully accepted.

Dan
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09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
Hi Dan, Soon we will get to the inner corset section of the course and I expect you will have many more exercise options available to you. The general rule of thumb is to respect your spinal alignment in any exercise. Given the compression in your spine,  you the Roman chair would be a particularly good exercise for you (the equipment that looks like a high chair with the seat missing) - you can hang on to your rib anchor and raise and lower your legs either bent or straight. I am expecting the elliptical trainer will soon be comfortable for you.

In my Y they just replaced all the equipment so that there is no longer clearance for the buttocks to be behind in all the sitting machines (for the adductors, adductors, hamstrings, etc) - bad, bad, bad. I wish they would consult me on these things. One day...
danz
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"Roman Chair" rang a bell, and http://www.backtrainer.com demonstrated it. I think you may have meant "Captain's Chair." Either way, neither one seems as though it would provide cardio benefits. The elliptical still seems far away, though. Attending the San Jose Jazz Festival required me to cover almost a mile each way on foot. I got to the performance by stopping to sit down only about four times. Coming back was lots tougher. It took almost 45 minutes, with eight or nine stops to sit (or lie) down.

Yet I have faith. 

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If you raise and lower your legs, you will get some cardio out of the machine I'm talking about (yes, it's a Captain's chair). But more importantly, it will set you up to able to handle other exercise better. you strengthen your abs and lengthen your spine at the same time.

How about moving from one exercise to the next when the current one gets problematic? Swimming would be good - I realize you said this isn't your strength, but even if you splash around in the water or walk in the water, it would be beneficial.
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