Game Console Fitness

With New Year New You New Foot (or hand) starting this week, we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce some fun work-out options. Resuming an exercise routine after limb loss can be frightening. We want to help you resume an active lifestyle by quelling exercise anxiety.

It is not unusual for insecurities regarding the movements, impact and proper use of the prosthetic to keep the individual from pursuing their work-out goals. In the coming weeks we will be offering a variety of work-out options that can be adapted to your level of amputation. You don't have to have a gym membership or expensive equipment in order to exercise, burn calories and increase your physical fitness.

If you have a game console, you have access to an array of work-out routines. A number of games incorporate enough movement to work up a sweat and to burn calories. After all, fitness doesn't have to happen in a gym.

Active is an interactive program designed to move the player through a variety of work-outs. This basic fitness program has options to work sections of the body, or to run you through a whole body workout. Because of the ability to personalize, the player can eliminate the exercises which are difficult or painful.

Dance Dance Revolution has received a lot of press in the past months. Many lower extremity amputees find it frustrating with the constant impact on the residual limb becoming painful. This is a game that utilizes primarily foot movement in quick succession. Dancing ability is a requisite for this game.

Just Dance, another physical game, only utilizes the hand controller. Foot options are demonstrated on the screen but are not required to score points. Lower extremity amputees are not at a disadvantage! Be careful, this game will have you working up a sweat in a song or two.

Many of our patients struggle to find an effective and fun fitness regimen. The fear of exercising with a prosthetic, and of potentially becoming injured, keeps the amputee sedentary. We recommend starting slowly and building upon your fitness accomplishments.

Before viewing the following video, please keep in mind that individual in the video has had no professional dance training (she is also a bka), and remember that laughter is good for the soul! Cowboy hats are, of course, optional.