Exercise recommendations for people with spinal cord injury - Page 2

Jeff Weeks · 03-05-2006, 07:48 PM

Fuente - your autonomic system must still be largely connected. So, in response to exercise, your heart rate increases appropriately, supplying enough oxygen for the muscles that are working and also your brain and other tissues.

For those of us above T4, with mostly complete injuries, our heart rate will not increase commensurate to the exercise we are doing. So our muscles can use up all the the oxygen while our brain gets starved causing major discomfort.

I just pedal anyway. I know that somehow even complete quads can condition themselves. There just has to be some mechanism that we're not considering.

Aly - Your blood pressure at the time of exercise will have a lot to do with when nausea begins to set in.

dan_nc · 03-05-2006, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surf_Sister

swimming and walking gets my heart rate up pretty well. I swear one of the first times i tried walking in the supported treadmill, my heart rate was like 140 or something.

i'm worried about heart problems when i'm older, so i try to do cardio regularly. my life span's been shortened enough by sci

Yeah, swimming and walking gets my heart rate up too. I think it has to do with level of injury. I don't know if my heart rate has changed much since injury--I've always been a bit tachy. I am worried about that, but don't know what kind of cardio I can still do.

fuentejps · 03-06-2006, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Weeks

Fuente - your autonomic system must still be largely connected. So, in response to exercise, your heart rate increases appropriately, supplying enough oxygen for the muscles that are working and also your brain and other tissues.

For those of us above T4, with mostly complete injuries, our heart rate will not increase commensurate to the exercise we are doing. So our muscles can use up all the the oxygen while our brain gets starved causing major discomfort.

I just pedal anyway. I know that somehow even complete quads can condition themselves. There just has to be some mechanism that we're not considering.

Aly - Your blood pressure at the time of exercise will have a lot to do with when nausea begins to set in.

i dont sweat thou. i hate that.

Brian S · 03-06-2006, 08:21 AM

Interesting... I always thought that with SCI, it would be tough to get your heart rate up. I know it is for me. Prior to my injury, I could get my heartbeat up to 160 during cardio. I know someone else who has a high cervical injury that has the same problem. We both exercise on a regular basis and do as much cardio as we can, but we just can't get the heart rate up like we used to.

Aly · 03-06-2006, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuentejps

i dont sweat thou. i hate that.

I don't sweat either, unless something is wrong like uti or pressure sore.

CapnGimp · 03-07-2006, 04:45 PM

I don't use the heart rate monitor all the time, just often enough to ensure I am 'guesstimating' accurately as I ride. The highest I have saw my hr get is 187bpm. I follow the 'average' chart for a regular AB type, as I have noticed on the days I wear the monitor.
Now I'm not into the hr training regimen. I just ride the ol handcycle, some days harder than others, some days, farther than others. But I was in really good shape before winter hit. Haven't ridden but a few days since and a few days on the trainer(BORING!!) but quick as it gets warm, I'm on it.
I felt better than I had since my injury, and my body just plain ol worked much better with a MAJOR decrease in pain levels.

lurch · 03-07-2006, 11:23 PM

I wear a heart rate monitor while using my "easystand 6000'.
I try to keep my rate above 125 for an hour ,hitting spikes of 140 to 150.
I found the glider to be really hard work at first,but it is surprising how quickly I have improved with a little consistent effort.

03-07-2006, 04:45 PM	#16
CapnGimp Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Mooresburg,TN USA Posts: 3,129	I don't use the heart rate monitor all the time, just often enough to ensure I am 'guesstimating' accurately as I ride. The highest I have saw my hr get is 187bpm. I follow the 'average' chart for a regular AB type, as I have noticed on the days I wear the monitor. Now I'm not into the hr training regimen. I just ride the ol handcycle, some days harder than others, some days, farther than others. But I was in really good shape before winter hit. Haven't ridden but a few days since and a few days on the trainer(BORING!!) but quick as it gets warm, I'm on it. I felt better than I had since my injury, and my body just plain ol worked much better with a MAJOR decrease in pain levels. __________________ http://www.flickr.com/photos/capngimp/ http://tinyurl.com/atfb5mn ^~- GMO education, MUST see

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03-05-2006, 07:48 PM	#11
Jeff Weeks Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: North Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 1,988	Fuente - your autonomic system must still be largely connected. So, in response to exercise, your heart rate increases appropriately, supplying enough oxygen for the muscles that are working and also your brain and other tissues. For those of us above T4, with mostly complete injuries, our heart rate will not increase commensurate to the exercise we are doing. So our muscles can use up all the the oxygen while our brain gets starved causing major discomfort. I just pedal anyway. I know that somehow even complete quads can condition themselves. There just has to be some mechanism that we're not considering. Aly - Your blood pressure at the time of exercise will have a lot to do with when nausea begins to set in.

03-06-2006, 08:21 AM	#14
Brian S Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bainbridge, NY Posts: 209	Interesting... I always thought that with SCI, it would be tough to get your heart rate up. I know it is for me. Prior to my injury, I could get my heartbeat up to 160 during cardio. I know someone else who has a high cervical injury that has the same problem. We both exercise on a regular basis and do as much cardio as we can, but we just can't get the heart rate up like we used to.

03-07-2006, 11:23 PM	#17
lurch Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: nq australia Posts: 498	I wear a heart rate monitor while using my "easystand 6000'. I try to keep my rate above 125 for an hour ,hitting spikes of 140 to 150. I found the glider to be really hard work at first,but it is surprising how quickly I have improved with a little consistent effort.