Up date 11-10-2000 - Yes the water is fine see text in # 2 its all new as of April 18,2008 - Personal - http://maxpages.com/happymspage/Swimming_Is_the_Best

Update:April 18,2008 Let me reinterate the benifits of water exercises
My doctor has finally got respect for my MS pages. He is an
easy man to talk to actually. But one of the best pages , I'm sure
he didn't look at all 72 separate articles, but he likes what I say
on this particular page.
He feels as I do that the right exercise
done on a very regular basis will do as much good as any of the ABC
drugs. I have seen recently down at our pool other disabled people
and they too all say it is one of the good things for their body.

Some how the body has a way of responding when it starts to get
the treatment it needs.I also so took my wheelchair to the mall instead
of my scooter. With the scooter while they are nice , you get no exercise.
If your legs are the main affected part of you like they are for me,
wheeling is also do you a great exercise. Try it, results will take a while
to see, be patient. RET

Regardless of your MS condition swimming
is the best exercise. Why? When you are up
to your arm pits in water , you get better
support from the water than your crutches
will give you. You can dance in the water,
when you can't
on land. I have done it for 30 minutes
at a time.
I think of this article every day when I'm
in the pool. It always strikes me as odd how
much swimming does for the body and it's maintance.
We have where I live and swim some people with
physical disabilities which always surprise me.
I see how the water does them so much good.Many
are able to chuck their wheelchairs and get on to
walkers or crutches in due time. Personally I feel
swimming does me about the same good as taking betaseron.
(RET revised 5-21-2000)

If you are in a wheelchair, and you have
a good way to get into and out of the water
then take the chance and do it. Some places
like wellness centers for hospitals have
hydrolic systems to raise and lower you.
The pool that I swim in where I live has
a set of parallel bars and easy steps that
most chair users find it easy to get into
and out.
There Is magic to your movement once
you are in the water. Most of us could never
get our pulse rate up to the target levels
on land.
Your whole body will function better
if you get some good exercise. You will
never be sorry. And you will be surprized
how much better you start to feel after you
get into a regular habit of doing it

I would suggest you try music if it is
allowed at you pool. Many don't allow it but
it adds so much to the fun.
If not, then at arm pit height water, do
some kicking exercises. If it is possible
to hold on to something then do so.If not
you hands and arms when waved in the water
can counter the force of your kicking.
2. Try tredding water or just stepping in
place.
3. Do some side steps and try walking
backwards. It uses a different set of muscles.
4.If you are just starting out,don't exceed
15 minutes. If you do this for 3 times then
up it to 20 and three times at 20 minutes
before you go to 25 or 30. For the typical
MS person I don't recogmend going beyond 30
total minutes.
You folks up north, and from Florida every
thing is up north, out door pools will just
be opening this month.

NEW New New New !!!!
Don't give up on exercise,Its what keeps you
alive. The body starts to shut down in the
inactive. I've seen too much of that sort of
thing where we live. Couch potatoes,that will
kill you almost as fast as smoking. This is
not oppinion but fact.
If you do take to the water, remember all
public pools are clorinated and that will
tend to dry out your skin. so get some body
lotion to rub on later.
It is now warm enough up north to get into
pools.Actually if it's a little cool,this is
good for the MS person, especially when the
temperature starts to go up.
As hot as it is here in Florida, I have been
either going swimming very early or vary late.

Water in a swimming pool is treated with chlorine to kill bacteria. You shouldn't be in much longer that 30 minutes as the chlorine slowly penitrates the body .
You will aslo need a shower when you come out as the chlorine when you hair gets wet will turn it odd colors.If you can'r swimm stay in shallow water. Some therapy pools will insist you wear a life jacket.Unless you prove you can swim.

Now the water will make it possible for those of us who can't walk ,that is wheelchair users to walk in the water.I even enjoy dancing as its the only time I can do it being mostly a non walker. There are general exercise you can learn for ding in the water and water exercise classes in most pools.

Take your pulse at the height of exercise and it should be high .This gives you the "training factor" talked about in The now well read book published by Dr Ken Cooper now out of print but he did a land mark series of checks on various types of exercise and how well they trained to heart to function better.

If you are a wheelchair user there are ways of getting you in and out of the pool generally at many places. For those that can hold on to a double parallel bar that has steps in to the shallow part o fthe pool is a good way.Some therapudic pools will have what I call Dunkers ,this is a hydrolic system where you sit in a seat and the machine lowers or raises you out of the water .You will transfer to it when you enter and and transfer off it when you come out of the pool.

If you thought wheelchair users don't use the pool you are wrong.
Richard 4/18/2008

Eileen Lukeman and Richard Tanner

FL.

Eileen(Lobosgirl) and Richard (RET1000) both at aol.com

Visitors: 09132

Page Updated Mon Mar 9, 2009 11:28am EST