One of the biggest mistakes humans make when thinking about exercise is that is that all good cardiovascular exercise has to be done with the legs. Not true! I’ve had clients in wheelchairs and those who couldn’t walk due to diabetic neuropathies. You know what they could do, though? Pull.

Get yourself a set of resistance bands that comes with the strap for rigging the band to a closed door. Loop the lowest resistance weight through the door strap and shut the strap in the crack between the door and the jamb. Go turn on some music that moves you. Come back and pick up a handle in each hand. Step back from the door, bringing some tension in the band. At this point you can sit down (wheelchair, remember?) or you can stay standing. Bend your elbows to a 90 degree angle so that your forearms are parallel to the floor and alternate pulling back and releasing forward with each arm. Do as many as you can until you are winded. Break for 60 seconds and do it again! Repeat until you are too fatigued to continue.

I like to call this Arm Cardio. It *will* get your heart rate up!

Click on either one of the photos to see about buying the equipment you need to get started.