VitaGlide™ is a revolutionary exercise system designed to improve the quality of seated fitness programs. Using its patented linear, push-pull technology, VitaGlide™ increases range of motion and involves more muscle groups, resulting in a more complete workout when compared to traditional seated systems.

VitaGlide™ uses handles that glide along two converging tracks. The handles and tracks are positioned to provide natural pushing and pulling motions. The VitaGlide™ unit comes complete with an adjustable base to allow users roll into position in their wheelchairs, without having to transfer onto another seat.

BACKGROUND
VitaGlide™ is the result of extensive research into the causes of shoulder injuries and pain, especially among wheelchair users. Research has indicated that shoulder injuries occurring in wheelchair users are similar to rotator cuff injuries suffered by baseball pitchers. These injuries are caused by imbalanced muscle stress placed on the shoulder joint that produces overuse syndrome. It is important to not only condition the muscles groups directly used in specific movements, such as pushing a wheelchair, but also the opposite muscle groups, as a balanced shoulder musculature better supports the joint and reduces the chance of pain or injury..

 

COMPARISON OF MUSCLE ACTIVITY

Traditional seated exercise systems typically develop only the front of the shoulder, creating that same muscular imbalance that exposes the shoulder to potential injury. VitaGlide™ was developed to provide balanced muscular development to the shoulder area, and protect the joint from injuries.

VITAGLIDE WORKOUT
The VitaGlide™ workout stresses the muscles on both the front and back of the shoulder. Exercise programs that apply stress to all sides of the shoulder have been shown to strengthen the joint and significantly reduce shoulder injuries and pain

Besides providing stress to a greater number of muscle groups, VitaGlide™ also provides a greater range of motion than traditional seated systems. These advantages allow more work to be performed, which should produce greater exercise benefits.

The linked design of the handles provides particular benefit to users with a deficit on one side of their body, such as stroke patients. Using their stronger side, these users can push and pull their weakened side through a full range of motion, providing the reciprocal pattern used in many rehabilitation programs.

The converging direction of the movement of the handles also provides some trunk rotation, providing exercise to muscles that are ignored by traditional systems. Wheelchair users rarely have the opportunity to condition the trunk muscles which are vital in both stabilizing the torso and in many daily functions such as reaching for objects.

EXERCISING WITH THE VITAGLIDE™

See your Physician
Before beginning any exercise program or changing your physical activity patterns, you should always consult with your doctor or physician, particularly if you have been inactive, are very overweight, or have or suspect any sort of medical condition that might be worsened by exercise.

Introduction
There are many kinds of exercise programs, but the two main categories are endurance exercise and strength training. Both of these types of exercise can be performed with the VitaGlide™. Endurance exercise is also known as aerobic exercise because during this type of training, energy is primarily supplied by aerobic metabolism. Endurance training provides enhanced muscular endurance as well as improvements in cardiovascular fitness and various health risk factors while strength training provides increases in muscular strength and power (and some endurance).

How do I set up MY workout program?
There are three things to consider in setting up a workout routine. The first is training frequency, or how often you will train. The second factor is training duration or how long each session will last. The last variable to adjust is training intensity or how much physical effort is required. Each of these items differs significantly between endurance and strength training.

Endurance (Aerobic) Exercise Programs
Exercise professionals have developed the following guideline for endurance training:

Frequency: Three to five sessions per week. This general recommendation is primarily based on leg exercise. Fewer VitaGlide™ endurance training sessions may be needed, especially if you are a wheelchair user. It is probably best to start out endurance training with two to three sessions a week.

Duration: 20 to 60 minutes of continuous activity. Initial endurance workouts might last 15 – 20 minutes. If you unable to comfortably complete that much exercise, you can divide the workout into separate bouts. For example you could exercise for five minutes, rest five minutes, another five minutes of exercise, and so forth. The key to endurance exercise is continuous exercise for at least 20 to 30 minutes. So it is important to increase the time (duration) of the exercise before increasing the resistance setting.

Intensity: 60-90% of Maximal Heart Rate or 50-85% of Heart Rate Reserve. Intensity refers to how hard you are working, usually related to the resistance setting on the VitaGlide™ and how fast you are moving the handles. The exercise intensity is probably the most important variable in the exercise equation, but is very often the factor incorrectly applied. During endurance training, energy is supplied to the exercising muscles through aerobic metabolism, which uses oxygen as the primary energy fuel. We obtain this oxygen through inhaled air that is absorbed through the lungs and then passed into the blood stream and distributed through the body by the pumping actions of the heart. As exercise intensity increases, we need to supply the exercising muscles with more oxygen so we take deeper and faster breaths and our heart rate increases. We can therefore measure the intensity of the exercise by measuring the heart rate or the breathing pace, or how hard the exercise seems to us.

Many exercise professionals use heart rate as an indication of exercise effort. A range of heart rate is assigned during the workout session and you are directed to adjust your exercise pace to keep your heart rate within the range. The recommendations for the exercise heart rate ranges are percentages of your maximal heart rate. Maximal heart rate is the highest heart rate that you can reach. Heart rate reserve is the range of heart rate between the maximal heart rate and the resting heart rate. A structured exercise is need to determine true max heart rate (not available to most of us) but a simple equation is often used to estimate someone’s maximal heart rate.

Max HR = 220 - Age (in years)

While this simple equation does generally work out pretty well, it is important to note that it does not work with persons that have had a cervical spinal cord injury (broken neck). Most persons with this level of spinal injury also have damage to some of the nerves leading to the heart. Persons with neck spinal injuries commonly reach peak heart rates of only 120 – 125 beats per minute.

A general equation used to calculate exercise heart rate ranges is 60% to 90% of your maximal heart rate. So if you are 40 years old, you can estimate your maximal heart rate as 220 – 40 which is 180 beats per minute. Your recommended heart rate range would then be from 60% to 90% of 180 or 108 to 162 beats per minute. This method does not work well if you have had a neck spinal injury because the nerves leading to the heart are usually damaged. In that case your maximal heart rate may only be 120 to 130 beats a minute.

Another way to calculate exercise heart rate ranges is based on the difference between your resting heart rate (first thing in the morning) and your maximal heart rate. The recommended exercise range using this method is between 50% and 85% of the range between resting and maximal heart rate. Lets look at two examples. If you have a resting heart rate of 60 and a max heart rate of 180 then your recommended range would be from 120 to 162 beats per minute. If you have had a neck spinal injury and your resting heart rate is 60 and your maximal heart rate is 120, then your recommended training range would be from 90 to 111 beats per minute.

There are other ways to determine exercise intensity levels. You can determine your exercise intensity yourself using only your own perception of the effort level. The following scale can be used to classify your own Rating of Perceived Exertion.

6
7 Very, very light
8
9 Very light
10
11 Fairly light
12
13 Somewhat hard
14
15 Hard
16
17 Very hard
18
19 Very, very hard
20

You can determine how hard you are working by checking the number next to the words that best describe your physical exertion level. During endurance training you should be working at about 12 (somewhat hard) to 16 (hard).

Another very way of measuring exercise intensity a simple test referred to as the Talking Test. You should be able to carry on a conversation during your endurance training workouts.  If you are breathless, or can't talk, you're working too hard!  First lower the resistance level. Slow down your pace. If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness you may be overexerting yourself and should stop

Strength Training Programs
Exercise professionals have developed the following guideline for strength training:

Frequency: Two to three sessions per week. You need to take at least one day off between strength training sessions to allow your muscles to
recover.

Duration: One to thee sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Each bout is called a set and each cycle of VitaGlide™ movement is one repetition. For strength training we will use less repetitions than endurance training, but with more resistance. It is generally recommended to exercise with eight to 12 repetitions per set for strength benefits.

Intensity: “Near Maximal Effort”. The exercise intensity used in strength training with the VitaGlide™ is the resistance level setting. You should initially adjust the resistance setting to allow you to complete the eight to 12 repetitions comfortably. Gradually increase the resistance but still within the ability to complete at least eight reps.