When you think of cardio exercise, you probably think of brisk walking, fast dancing or other moves that leave you huffing and puffing as you put your legs to work. 

But did you realize that you can also get a great cardio workout by using only your arms?

Many people who suffer from physical issues and/or pain in the lower half of their bodies — back, legs, hips, knees or ankles — can find their ability to do traditional aerobic exercises limited or even impossible. 

Any rhythmic arm movements increase your heart rate

But any rhythmic arm movements that similarly increase your heart rate and breathing can allow you to get that same cardio workout!

The Resistance Chair exercise system is a wonderful tool for cardio workouts using just your arms.

The resistance cables in the pulleys attached to the chair move easily, allowing you to smoothly transition from one arm exercise to another at a pace that increases your breathing and heart rate to improve your cardiovascular fitness.

The system comes with three different levels of resistance, so you can tailor your workout for maximum effect.

Adjust levels of resistance to tailor a workout

 That means you can adjust the cables so they will not be so light that you can move your arms without feeling short of breath, and not so heavy that your arm muscles will fatigue before the minimum 10-minute bouts of exercise recommended for cardiovascular endurance. 

Sure, there are other ways to get a similar workout. But using weights or resistance bands freely — unlike those that are attached to the Resistance Chair system — can put serious strain on your wrists, and make you more prone to back injury if you pick up a weight from the floor incorrectly.

That’s not a concern with the Resistance Chair system since the cables are already in position, and don’t require any bending to pick them up. 

As well, when you use separate resistance bands, you can find them awkward and clumsy, and it’s tough to know how best to anchor and position them as you move from one arm exercise to another. 

With the cables already attached to the Resistance Chair, all guess work is eliminated. 

The Resistance Chair system comes with a wall chart and a workout DVD that outline the many ways you can use it for strength training.

Want to see a great arms-only cardio workout in action? 

Check out the short video below, featuring Gwen Rose, a physiotherapist and vice-president of Xlent Care Products, demonstrating how to use the pulleys and cables attached to the Resistance Chair.

The challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic are creating new aches and pains for some people, and significantly aggravating chronic pain that other people were already experiencing.   

With social distancing, self-isolation and the need to stay at home, we’re facing a lot more physical work doing regular chores, often with no outside help. It results in a lot more lifting of objects, carrying of weight, bending and other exertion. That’s especially concerning for older adults. 

We are also spending a lot more time hunched over computers and other electronic devices, whether working from home, attending virtual meetings for jobs and social connections, and ordering groceries and other items on-line. 

Factor in the anxiety, stress and fears that all this is causing, and it’s a recipe for pain.

Muscle imbalances can be corrected 

Much of the pain is resulting from muscle imbalances — tight muscles from overuse, and weak muscles from lack of use, as well as a lack of circulation and accumulation of toxins.

That can all lead to stiff and tender muscles, and tiny tears in the muscle fibers, called micro-tears.

But there are many ways to combat this pandemic pain. A big one is to correct the muscle imbalances by stretching the tight muscles and gradually strengthening the weak ones, decreasing the related pain and preventing injury or further injury. 

The Resistance Chair exercise system is an effective tool

The Resistance Chair exercise system can be an easy and effective tool to make these corrections.

 The system comes with a wall chart and DVD that outline the many ways you can use the chair. 

For additional exercises, check out the video below, where physiotherapist Gwen Rose, vice-president of Xlent Care Products, demonstrates other exercises that can be done quite effortlessly to stretch the chest and strengthen the upper back.

ToIt’s hard to believe that we have left behind such a challenging year, but now our focus is on going forward.

If you’re like many, you’ve made some resolutions for 2021, and among the most common promises to ourselves is to get fit.

With vaccinations for COVID-19 already underway and a more hopeful end in sight for all of the restrictions that the pandemic brought, you may be particularly motivated this year to get back to playing your favourite sports or interacting with your grandchildren.

While walking is a great form of exercise, offering many benefits including improving vascular health, burning calories and boosting moods, it’s not enough.

If you want to keep your bones and muscles strong, you must add resistance, or strength training, to your mix.

Resistance Chair system a powerful tool for all exercise needs

And I want to share with you why the Resistance Chair exercise system is a powerful tool to help you achieve not only your strength-training goals but also improves your cardiovascular health, balance and flexibility!

The process of aging causes a degenerative condition called sarcopenia which, quite simply, is the loss of muscle mass.

After the age of 35, most adults begin to lose 8% to 10% of their muscle mass each decade. By the age of 55, most people have lost up to 20 %, or a fifth, of their muscle mass.

The process quickens after that. After the age of 50, adults lose up to 13% of muscle mass each decade. By the time they hit 90, they have about half of the muscle mass they had at 50.

Strength training can stop loss of muscle mass from aging

Frightening statistics? Well, here’s the good news: You can slow, stop and even reverse the loss of muscle mass and strength associated with aging if you add strength training, otherwise known as resistance training, to your exercise routine.

Stronger muscles make daily tasks, such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries, hoisting grandchildren and playing sports, much easier. Your muscles and joints are also much more protected from injury and stress, and you are less likely to have pain. 

All physical activity is beneficial but only resistance training produces a chemical reaction that signals the body to produce bone marrow that is deposited on your bones to make bones and joints stronger.

That’s why strength training is recommended by doctors and health care professionals for the prevention and treatment of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

The many benefits of resistance training

Resistance training not only creates stronger muscles, bones and joints but it also:

• bolsters fat metabolism (good for helping you lose weight)
• tones muscles
• balances blood sugar
• improves aerobic capacity
• enhances balance
• increases energy levels and stamina
• promotes quality sleep
• reduces or better manages chronic diseases
• and is considered to be anti-aging

In short, resistance training makes you look and feel younger and better!

While you can use weights or even just your own body to do resistance training, the Resistance Chair system is an all-in-one piece of equipment that offers an excellent way to strength-train your arms, legs, abdominal and back muscles.

It features resistance cables of varying strengths with which you can do a variety of strength-training exercises from a safe, seated position.

The smooth motion of the resistance cables moving inside the pulleys attached to the chair puts much less stress on your joints than other weights and, with the cables attached to the chair, reduce the possibilities of hurting yourself.

The system comes with a wall chart and a workout DVD that outline the many ways you can use the chair for strength training. 

So as you make your vows to yourself for the year, remember to add resistance training to your exercise routine– just for the health of it!

Going for regular walks has many benefits for people of all ages, especially for aging seniors. Maintaining mobility is the best way to stay fit, healthy and thrive with improved mental health for years to come.

We explore the key benefits of walking for seniors, and further offer tips on how you (or your loved one) can get started! 

Do you imagine walking trails or having the freedom to spend more time outdoors but feel you can’t? Does your walker limit you? Volaris rollator walkers s may be your access to greater freedom and health! Our models feature rugged flex-frames and all-terrain wheels with seat’s built in – so you can rest as needed. 

Help you maintain or improve your weight

Walking at a brisk pace for an hour a day can significantly reduce the effects of obesity as you age. Even if you can only manage to get moving for a fraction of that, walking is going to have positive effects on your weight. Walking regularly has also been shown to reduce cravings for sugary and sweet foods.

Improve your immune system and decrease risk of disease

Walking just 20 minutes a day, 5 days each week can help boost your immune system and allow your body to better fight off illness. It can also help to lower your risks of developing heart disease, diabetes, stroke and even some cancers.

Strengthen bones and muscles

This low impact, whole body workout is perfect for those looking to keep moving without stressing out their body too much. The regular movements required when walking can help lubricate joints, strengthen the supportive muscles in your stomach and back and even reduce the chances of developing osteoporosis.

Can lower blood sugar

When you go for even a 15-minute walk after a meal your body is able to reduce the natural spike in blood sugar that some seniors might be prone to experience.

Improves mood and confidence

Going for a walk, whether outside or in, can be a great way to improve your mental health. Walking helps to release endorphins which are feel-good chemicals in your body, and helps you to breathe more deeply which can increase the flow of oxygen to your brain, thereby improving your mood.

Reduces pain

Though you might think that physical activity like walking might increase pain from arthritis and other chronic or localized conditions, it can actually do the opposite. Walking just 20 minutes, three times a week can help strengthen the muscles in your knees, hips, back, and abdomen which can decrease pain and improve your overall mobility.

Improves socialization

Going for a walk is a great way to get out with your friends or meet new people. Whether you join a local walking club, take up mall walking or just circle around your neighbourhood, the benefits of engaging with people you see while out on your walks are significant for your mental wellbeing.

Increases the ability to age in place

When seniors take regular walks, they won’t just experience mental and physical benefits. They may even maintain or improve their physical health to the point where they can hold onto their independence and stay in their home for longer than if they didn’t exercise.

Can help slow mental decline and dementia

Studies have shown that walking regularly can help seniors experience lower incidents of cognitive decline and slow the onset of mental disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s. In fact, the more that subjects walked, the lower their rates of mental decline would drop.

Improve heart health

Walking is known to help improve circulation, lower blood pressure and help prevent heart disease and stroke. Making an effort to get your heart rate up each day can help prevent, treat and reduce the occurrence of many heart related issues.

Help you sleep better

Putting your body to work with a walk in the morning can actually lead to better sleep in the evening. Tiring out your body and muscles can allow you to have an easier time falling and staying asleep at night.

How to get started with regular walks

If you are looking to add a regular walk to your routine or wanting to help a senior you know incorporate this activity into their days, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

Start small – Just like you wouldn’t start out running a marathon, don’t start by planning too long of a walk. Especially if walking is new to the routine, start with a short walk around the block a couple times a week and slowly work up to longer ones.
Don’t walk too fast – A good guideline to follow is to walk fast enough that you feel like you’re actually exercising, but not so fast that you’re out of breath and can’t carry a conversation.
Check the forecast – As bodies age they become more susceptible to weather swings and have trouble handling very hot or cold weather.
Wear good shoes – Proper walking shoes can help reduce the chance of injury.
Walk with friends – Seek out a walking buddy if you prefer. Chatting while walking can make you walk/exercise longer than you realize. At the same time, you’ll pass time and make new friends.
Get a Rollator Walker – Don’t let your limited mobility hold you back more than it should. There are excellent, all-terrain rollator walkers available that help you walk where you thought you couldn’t at all, or help you walk further for increased health benefits! 

If you’re ready to get started, then that’s the first “step” towards better health. See you outside! 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, 30-year-old Tabitha Star, who has cerebral palsy and has been a spastic quadriplegic since birth, regularly attended well-equipped physiotherapy clinics to meet her exercise needs. 

But after Toronto went into lockdown last spring, she was left with no options. That sent her mother, Lisa Star, on a hunt for home equipment that could do the job.

Lisa’s search led her to the Medup V2, the newest active-passive motorized therapy bike to be introduced into Canada.

A great motorized cycle for rehab and exercise at home

This wheelchair-accessible trainer is a great tool for rehab and exercise at home for people with physical limitations stemming from a variety of diseases and conditions, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injuries.   

After only a short trial, Lisa decided the Medup V2 was a very effective choice for her daughter. Last July, she bought the first one sold in Ontario. She says that Tabitha has used it every day for at least an hour, and often for longer.

At first,Tabitha used the trainer mostly in passive mode, letting the machine do all the work. But she soon began using her own leg muscle power along with the motor.

Initially, she suffered from lots of spasms but they have decreased significantly. As well, her leg muscles, which were always tight, are now loosened after just  half an hour on the bike.

Reducing spasms and spasticity among benefits of Medup V2

Reductions in spasms and spasticity are among the many benefits of using the Medup V2. Improved circulation is another; Tabitha’s legs, which always felt cold, are noticeably warmer after a workout on the Medup V2. 

Tabitha has experienced other positive effects, including an improved gait pattern and better endurance, adds her stepfather, Nik Tsoutsoulas.

For example, when she began to use the home exercise bike, she could take only up to 30 steps with her stepdad’s support. Now, that’s risen to more than 70 steps, he says. 

The family spends their winters in Arizona.  The first month there, Tabitha asked daily for her Medup V2, which they’d left behind in Toronto. She missed it so much that her family purchased a second motorized bike for their time in Arizona.