Exercises or No Exercises That is the question?

 We are still in lockdown here in the UK and life has started to be a norm now. But is it going to be staying forever? Spring is also a couple of months away so making exercise difficult for anyone who is disabled.

I am not a professional instructor however being a person with cerebral palsy the following is a set of exercises that I use myself to help maintain my level of agility. Despite having the condition.

Please remember to consult your consultant and physiotherapist to ensure that these exercises are good for your own body.

The whole situation of the virus is making things very difficult.

Because of those of us who can walk even a little bit.

Physiotherapy is a must even the littlest bit of stretching and movement is important especially as staying indoors limits the amount of exercise we can do. Simple exercises such as the bridge.

1. Lie flat on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
2. Push your heels into the floor as you lift your pelvis off the floor until your upper body and thighs form a straight line.
3. Do this about 20 times slowly, as you can damage your hips and pelvis.

This exercise can be done on the floor or on your bed if it is a firm one.

It is a great exercise if you do it carefully as it strengthens your core muscles as well as ensuring that your pelvis and bladder are strong. Making mishaps less evident. Here is a video of some tummy exercises that can help you stay safe doing them.

Another simple exercise you can do even sitting in a chair. And that is to squeeze your butt muscles. It's called The butt clench and below is a video that shows how you can do the exercise.

And do this as often as you can. For as long as you can.

A good thing to do when you can pull your tummy muscles in for as long as you can.

If you combine the tummy pull in and use the butt clench together you can improve your posture.

Please remember to consult your consultant and physiotherapist to ensure that these exercises are good for your own body.

The following video is by Kym Perfetto KYM NONSTOP. It is a full upper body exercise routine lasting 10 minutes.

which I think is great for the upper body even if you are in a wheelchair.

She has several videos catered for disabled people. Particularly for wheelchair users, amputees and injured people

Having a mild form of cerebral palsy I like to ensure that I am agile for as long as possible. Before I have to sit in a wheelchair permanently. Yet I won’t discount a wheelchair in the future when my body insists. So exercising is a good way of maintaining the memory for muscles to keep their tone for longer.

Please remember to consult your consultant and physiotherapist to ensure that these exercises are good for your own body.

Because I do not want to cause you any injury. But I do want you to be healthy and fit.

If you do find other videos with good exercises for people who have cerebral palsy. Then let me know if they are any good.

Love and Peace.

Common Questions For Me!

 Are you tired of staring at people? 😫

You know the ones that are different from you! Are you curious to find out why that someone looks different to you? But you are scared to ask why they are different. Are they walking differently from the way you expect? And you are scared to ask why? Or are you one of those people who want to know why someone might be walking differently but are scared to ask why? Or were told it's rude to stare but are scared to ask! Don't worry I have got your back on this one 😀

Yes I know you are scared to ask those questions but that's ok I've got you!. Yes I know those are awkward questions. That's alright I know how you feel, we all feel the same. Even I get curious at times about what happened to them. That is passable just remember they are human too. They have feelings as much as anyone.

When you have finished this post you will rethink! 🤔

You're walking down the street and from the corner of your eye you see someone who is walking differently from you. You want to look and ask but are frightened in case you get an angry answer.

I get you! It's ok 👌

I have been in both quarters of this situation. As disabled I have been stared at. Or more importantly, rudely looked at.

As a person, I have been curious to know what has happened to another person who was disabled in front of me and unfortunately, I've done the same as some and looked rudely at others.

But I realize that I was wrong to do that. The best thing to do is to ask the question. It is better to understand and appreciate the difficulty that the person has than make assumptions about what they are dealing with.

As I said, in several posts I have cerebral palsy. For me this means I walk differently from the average individual.

And I was born with this disability.

The most common questions I used to get was "is it contagious?” or " is it hereditary?" I try not to react to the questions. Although sometimes it is hard not to. My response is pretty much the same every time. "Oh no, it was an accident when I was being born! But it doesn't always happen that way." 

Born this way!

Most of the time cerebral palsy is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain or some other difficulty at the time the child is born. 

Another common reason is because of an accident resulting in the lack of oxygen for a short period. 

There is also a condition that happens at any time which is a stroke. And this has some the similar symptoms. 

I'm not here to talk about strokes all though you must remember to ACT Face Arms Stand Talk. And if you have any of the symptoms of having a stroke.

With cerebral palsy, there are subtle differences and more obvious signs.

There are four main different types of cerebral palsy and they are ataxic, spastic, dyskinetic and mixed.

There are also different areas in which it shows its self. These are monoplegia

usually an arm.

Hemiplegia which is usually one side 

Diplegia is the same limb on opposite sides.

and the last place is quadriplegic meaning the whole body 

But all these different types does not mean we are not capable of doing things. Just things need to be done a different way.

Remember This

Yes, we are different from everyone else but isn't everyone different? So if you think about it it should be common sense and compassion for everyone whoever they are. It doesn't matter what disability, race, religion or sex we all have bones, muscles and blood.

And last of all don't forget to ask those questions. It's ok to ask them.

Love and Peace

xxx