Be Prepared

Building Strength For a Better Future If you are a new amputee or an amputee who hasn’t been wearing their prosthesis for one reason or another we need to talk. What are you doing to prepare your body for movement? Balance is so important in preventing falls, even when being silly! After becoming an amputee you spend weeks healing only to find yourself getting use the weight deficit of not having a leg. This makes adding a cumbersome, heavy metal and carbon fiber limb to your body feel like double the weight. You will wear it, but it won’t feel great, and it’ll be hard (not to mention exhausting) to move. Within just a few weeks, your body has adjusted to weight change, the balance change, and your muscles will be decreasing since they have not as much flesh and bone to manipulate on each step. You might think that your job after amputation is to heal, and some of you might even be struggling with phantom sensations and pains, which will be a learning curve as well, just don’t deny yourself some activity level to get yourself ready for movement! Even if you are stuck at home you can still do some very basic exercises and stretches, that take no equipment, to help maintain or even build strength and balance. At this point there are no excuses. If you really want to be mobile once you get a prosthesis you need to prep NOW! The main things to work on are; stretches, balance, and core/back strength. Stretching will allow your body to move freely in your prosthesis and avoid hip contractures. Balance will be key to avoiding unnecessary and painful falls. Remember, your center will be off now that your weight distribution isn’t equal on both sides of your body. When your core and back are strong you will be able to move with greater ease and avoid hurting your back as you learn to walk again. The best benefit of simple exercise: endorphins! Happy chemicals released by your body when it exercises, and trust me, this is when you need it more than ever. Losing your limb can be like losing a best friend or close family member. You may grieve, be angry, scared, feel alone, uncertain, and many other emotions. You will want as many happy feelings as you can get to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind so that you CAN achieve success. Where do you begin? Keep it simple. You can do these basic exercises throughout the day, in your own home. Let’s get started. Your challenge? Start the exercises below today and continue to do them throughout the next several weeks. As you do them try to do more, or hold it longer each day. Work on building each exercise, and as you repeat them you will begin seeing a difference in your flexibility, strength and balance. 1. Stretch hip flexor A) I suggest just simply getting off the couch or out of the chair, and lay down on the floor on your stomach. Allow your legs to lay straight behind you and just hold that position as long as you can. Do this several times a day, especially if you are home bound and sitting a lot. When you are standing up you want your leg to hang straight down, with gravity, to ensure the best fit possible for your prosthesis. B) Same stretch but use your couch or bed, and laying on your back this time, hang your residual limb off the side and let gravity or a friend gently hold your leg down. Feel the stretch on the front of your leg? Do these two exercises several tines a day, especially if you are sitting more often than not. 2. Balance work A) Don’t make this complicated. Find a safe place to stand on your one leg. Make sure you have a stable structure next to you that you can hold on to as you get your balance. Make a game of it. How long can you stay balanced before you grab a hold of the wall. See if you can grow your time without needing to grab something for stability. Sit, rest and repeat. Before you know it you’ll be a pro at keeping your balance. This takes time, especially if you have always had balance issues, but it can be learned. When you gain balance, you avoid falls. Falls are a part of the leaning process but if they can be avoided from happening often, you’ll be better off. 3. Core strength Modified Plank on elbows and knees A) Everyone knows that sit-ups can build a strong core but so do planks. Planks can be modified to using your knees and on your elbows at first, remembering to keep your back and butt in a straight line like a plank of wood. Physical reminder: picture a string coming from your belly button, through your back, and up to the ceiling, pulling your stomach up and in. Hold that for as long as you can, work your way up to 30 seconds to a minute. Up, like a push-up, and hold. B) Plank challenge: straighten legs, toes on ground and up on your hands like you are going to do a push up. Keep you butt tucked, stomach tight and in, hands shoulder width apart directly under shoulders. hold. C) Simple sit-ups. Bend knee(s) raise hands to ceiling and lift shoulder blades off the ground, then lower. No need to go all the way up to your knees, we do not need to hurt our backs. 4. Back strength A) Superman; while laying on your stomach stretching your hip flexors out, raise all of your limbs up and off the floor. You should look like Superman flying. feel the glutes tighten and your lower back muscles being engaged. Hold for up to 30 seconds then down, rest, repeat. It doesn’t take fancy equipment, a gym membership, or even a lot of time to give yourself an edge to becoming mobile in your prosthesis, it just takes commitment. Work on these stretches and exercises each day and when the time comes to fitting on your leg, you’ll be a step ahead. Remember who you are. You are a Warrior! Believe it! Have a blessed week and as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!!! Much love,