Workout Tips #2 : Best Leg Workouts! (for those with limitations)

This is going to be geared towards people who may have suffered an injury to one or both legs, feet, hips, pelvic region, back... Or maybe someone who is in the same boat I was> a boat that is going under the water fast from the amount of weight it has to carry.

Twenty years ago, at the ripe old age of 18, my car was hit by a semi trailer. I sustained numerous physical injuries including nerve damage in my legs, fracturss to my lower extremeties and pelvis, and the shoulder blade of my dominant hand was broken in half and not connected. Needless to say, I have chronic pain.

Pain led me to sitting ony butt and gaining a lot of weight, which made my pain worse. Finally, at nearly 400lbs, I'd had enough and was ready to make a change. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to exercise in any traditional sense, or at least what to my mind was exercise. I had to get creative until I had built up a bit of stamina and strength.

I started out using resistance bands that had been given to me during my many, many visits to rehab/therapy. Since I couldn't stand for long (about 5 minutes until the pain became too much), I performed these exercises while seated.

As a note of inspiration, I started my journey to health and wellness roughly 1.5 years ago at nearly 400lbs and barely able to move without loosing my breath. Today, I walk 6 miles at a go while wearing 10lb ankle weights, I can touch my toes and scratch my own back, and I hike a moderately difficult trail up a mountain without needing an oxygen tank. These are MAJOR accomplishments for me from where I was. I am down nearly 200lbs and dropped from a size 5X to a L.

If I can do it, you can do it. Below is the simple chair exercises I did using resistance bands. I started out doing sets of 10 during the day. Gradually increase that number

1) chest press

2) tricep kickback

3) lateral raise

4) deadlift

5) bicep curl

6) leg press

7):calf press

8) leg press

9) abductor squeeze

10) heel slides