wheelchair treadmill?

[Ashley]

Now that winter is upon us here in Stl, it's harder for me to get outside and push so I'm wondering if anyone knows of a place you can buy a contraption with double roller bars that work as a wheelchair treadmill? You use a ramp to get onto it and then you can push in place for however long. I've seen them at mobility centers/rehabs but none for individual purchase. If anyone knows what i'm talking about, i'd appreciate the help.

[wheelchairTITAN]

Forget the machine it sounds like most of "our" lives!

[LambOfJesusFreak]

Forget the machine it sounds like most of "our" lives!

There's the spirit! :D

[krazykate]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]I purchased this one: it doesn't have the ramp behind it but I suppose that can be made.

http://www.accesstr.com/AMAZING/itemdesc.asp?ic=BR20&eq=&Tp=
/FONT]

[Miss September]

Howdy, Have you considered a hand crank/ergometer? It will also give you a good cardiovascular workout. They come with hand straps and special quad grips if needed.

If you have trouble finding a treadmill it may be worth a try.

I bought one and used it all last winter while watching tv

goodluck! xoxo

[Todd, ADI]

We sell thid unit - http://adirides.com/roller.html

ROLLER SPECIFICATIONS:

Muscular and cardiovascular conditioning
Accommodates regular and sport chairs
Brake for getting on and off the roller
Five year guarantee
lathe turned drums
Three speed settings
8 lb. flywheel for added momentum
Made in the USA
Optional resistance unit

[jdoyle]

I made my own for testing power chairs in my repair shop. You could use it for a manual chair treadmill too.
I used conveyor rollers (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1VAU7) and rails for industrial shelving with a scrap piece of plywood. Total cost was about $30.00

http://www.jddoyle.net/images/treadmill.jpg

http://www.jddoyle.net/images/treadmill1.jpg

http://www.jddoyle.net/images/treadmill2.jpg

JD

[rzimny]

My dad and I tried making it how you said but it doesn't give a good roll like the roller with the fly wheel. We thought it would be super easy, maybe you could help?

[jdoyle]

My dad and I tried making it how you said but it doesn't give a good roll like the roller with the fly wheel. We thought it would be super easy, maybe you could help?I'm not sure what you mean.
The fly wheel will allow for longer continued wheel rotation after the stroke, with mine I get about 3 complete rotations after.
Make sure that the rollers are aligned evenly, and are square to the frame rails.

JD

[rzimny]

The wheelchair treadmill Ashley is talking about is similar to a bike roller/trainer, if you ride really fast you can coast for a little bit. The conveyor rollers you have or the ones I tried at least are not like this, no matter how hard/fast you push you never get that free wheel feeling. If price is a factor then the one you're talking about it compared to the expensive one is very good, it just gets a little frustrating, IMO.

[jdoyle]

The wheelchair treadmill Ashley is talking about is similar to a bike roller/trainer, if you ride really fast you can coast for a little bit. The conveyor rollers you have or the ones I tried at least are not like this,3 rotations is not really that far, but the purpose would be to exercise by pushing in place, correct?

JD

[rzimny]

Yes you are correct I'm not disputing that. I wasn't able to get that many rotations so yours is probably better than mine. All I'm saying is if your outside pushing or at a mall you will get some momentum built up or glide for a while and I never could get that on the treadmill I built.
But either way you're getting a workout and maybe I should look for better conveyor rollers

[trekease]

Howdy,
I have been working from my garage and in collaboration with University of Texas and Texas State senior engineering students to develop a stationary wheelchair trainer with computer gaming /navigation interface.

Type in "trekease" on youtube or google. I shipped a unit to a gamer in Belgium a few months back and am working this next semester to interface with the Wii Resorts games.

The only way for stuff like this to be developed for our demographic of manual wheelchair users is to do it ourselves. None of the US Wheelchair makers, sports equipment makers or gaming manufactureres will have anything to do with an effort like this, too much time for development, too little money for a finished product and too little interest on the part of a demographic which seems to want electric scooters more and more.

Also look at the Wikipedia page we wrote to tell the history of such devices, the VA spent $millions on the WAFT and GameWheels, but never commercialized the products.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelchair_Trainer

[totoL1]

Now that winter is upon us here in Stl, it's harder for me to get outside and push so I'm wondering if anyone knows of a place you can buy a contraption with double roller bars that work as a wheelchair treadmill? You use a ramp to get onto it and then you can push in place for however long. I've seen them at mobility centers/rehabs but none for individual purchase. If anyone knows what i'm talking about, i'd appreciate the help.

You will do a better exercise with a saratoga (http://www.sportaid.com/saratoga-cycles/) than pushing your wheels.

[ancientgimp]

You will do a better exercise with a saratoga (http://www.sportaid.com/saratoga-cycles/) than pushing your wheels.

Agreed, I used to use rollers in winter with a race chair but that was because it was sports specific. The rollers weigh a ton and take up too much space. If you want to do this for general conditioning get a table mounted hand cycle. You can use the same cheap stationary exerciser that ABs use to pedal with their feet. We have one that cost 40.00 and it can be adjusted for various resistances, records mileage and calories burned. Mount it on a table in front of TV and if it slips on table put a piece of dycem underneath.

[fuentejps]

Vitaglide is much better on the wings than saratoga. Ive had both for many years

[Patrick Madsen]

Rollers without any flywheel or restrictive device really doesn't provide the "drag" needed to get a workout.

Fuentes is correct, get a Vitaglide and use as a crosstrainer. It'll work the cardio and muscles we wheelers have a hard time working out. It'll save your shoulders bigtime for pushing, you'll lose weight and get buff. The whole family would be able to use it. Mine has a sliding seat for ab's and those who want to exercize out of the chair. Add a few rubber cords hanging from the ceiling and doorways to workout overhead.

The crank handles on Saratogas are not long enough to get a good workout and they are belt driven which is even more faunky.

[totoL1]

Well, i don`t know what brand is better, Saratoga or Vitaglide, i just was reafering about the type of excersice you did with this kind of accessories.
You do more cardio than pushing wheels.

[Patrick Madsen]

Two different types of exercize ToTo. Saratogo is a cranking, circular motion; working mostly shoulder, bicep and tricep groups, in a very limited way.. The Vitaglide is a back and forth type motion, working the whole upper to mid lower core muscle groups bigtime. Especially if one uses a heart rate monitor to ensure a proper workout.

The saratoga really doesn't get the heart rate up due to its short cranking arms and belt resistance whereas the VG really can work the heart due to the reciprocal long motion.

If considering a circular motion, I'd look at a Krankcycle or even better, buy a handcycle and put it on a trainer. IMO, the VG is one of the better indoor cardio/strength machines for us at a reasonable cost. I think Fuentes got his for around 300 used.

[Ashley]

the vitaglide takes up more space though correct? I would love to get different muscles doing but I'm dealing with limited space.

[Aditya]

Since I discovered that my school's gym has a Vitaglide I've been going as much as my shoulders have been tolerating. I have a C5 ASIA C (incomplete) injury and have no problems using it, despite less strength in my shoulders than most typical folks with my level of injury (secondary to complications post injury).

While it can be used for strengthening at the higher resistance levels, I've found the greatest benefit for cardiovascular training when used in conjunction with a heart rate monitor which can ensure that your body is working as hard as you'd like to. I found it difficult with the arm ergometer to get the same quality of exercise just due to the motion involved and also other factors like spasticity in my arms.

I don't have space for the vitaglide in my house either and can only use the same one here at the University because I'm a part-time employee now. Before that though I was considering petitioning them to allow me to use itjust because most other gyms do not have that equipment, thereby making the case that it was necessary for maintaining my cardiovascular health.

Something else that might be an option is to talk to your local gym to see if they would purchase a vitaglide for wheelchair users if you were to get a membership. I haven't had to do that yet but might have to sometime in the future depending on if my circumstances change.

[christopher stanford]

Howdy All,
I have been working independently out of my garage for the past 5 years to develop an affordable, easy to mount, durable and inexpensive wheelchair trainer that really approximates wheelchair travel. Our (engineering students and me) current task is to incorporate virtual reality into it as is being done for walking devices. I think this device could be a useful exercise platform as well as entertaining, I call it "Exer-tainment".

I wrote a Wikipedia article that includes historical research efforts by the VA to create a clinical and home device.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelchair_trainer

The "Trekease" parallels omnidirectional treadmills in general.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnidirectional_treadmill

a couple of implementations of non wheelchair virtual reality are only now being sold and shown at two links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmpOQZgHUMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQw1tsgrJOs

I include some links to the Trekease so you might view it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m8DUmx6Wes

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/exercise-device-helps-wheelchair-users

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wVcGd48AU4&feature=related

We also have tested an electric lift version, two videos at bottom of link below

http://www.science.txstate.edu/


I can be reached via email, stanford@trekease.com or office 512-800-8050 or cell 512 567-2066

christopher stanford

[lopez787]

http://www.sportaid.com/wheelchair-training-roller/