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New Exercise Chair Provides Pleasant Way to Increase ROM
By Miki Fiarley A newly designed exercise chair increases range of
motion (ROM) for the physically disabled, opening a new avenue for
wheelchair users and others with disabilities to improve health and
mobility.
The chair, manufactured by Genesis Chairs,
Quitman, Georgia, is available in both stationary (Exodus I) and
wheelchair (Exodus II) versions and features a unique inverted
gliding arc design that allows users to safely exercise.
 "Used regularly, this chair helps with
cardiovascular fitness and general overall improvement in muscle
strength and balance," says Susan Harding, MD, a board-certified
internist who has used the chair with some of her patients. "It
also allows people who are debilitated from strokes or lengthy
illnesses or operations to exercise safely under their own control.
This chair is going to help many people go from being inactive to
gradually regaining some of their mobility and strength to the
point where they can function more normally, get around better, and
improve both their physical and psychological health."
According to Genesis Chairs, the chair may provide these
benefits:
- Increased joint range of motion
- Increased muscle activity
- Reflexive recruitment of major muscle groups
- Stimulation of respiration
- Stimulation of vascular and lymphatic activity
- Improved venous return from the distal aspects of the
extremities
- Increased metabolic rate
- Improved sense of well-being born of autonomy while propelling
the glider
- Increase in movement amplitude
- Improved performance in activities of daily living (ADLs),
especially transfers between sitting and standing
According to private practitioner Jane R. Davis, PT, among the
many patients that may be helped by use of the exercise chair are
those with adhesive capsulitis, amputation, hemiplegia/hemiparesis,
muscular dystrophy, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, osteoporosis,
multiple sclerosis, and spinal dysfunction.
Another nice feature of the chairs is that they don't look
"institutional"--but rather like handsome pieces of patio or lawn
furniture.
The chairs cannot tip over, are easy to clean, and come with a
limited lifetime warranty.
The chairs have a slat design for air circulation, a seat lock
lever, a seat belt for added safety when using, in-place beverage
holders, a locking mechanism to stabilize seating for easy entry
and exit, a power therapy bar, lumbar back design, and comfort-grip
therapy handles. A DVD showing range-of-motion exercises is
included, and optional accessories are also available.
"I believe that there are individuals with varying disabilities
who could benefit greatly through the use of this chair," says
Robert H. Rider, PhD, Florida State University, Tallahassee,
Florida, who saw the new chair demonstrated. "Certainly people with
lower-extremity impairment can experience facilitated movement,
which may lead to increased range of motion in the ankle and knee
joints," he is quoted as saying on the Genesis Chairs website. "I
also see this device offering assistance to those who have
restricted total body movement. Just experiencing dynamic motion
may encourage persons with severe hypokinetic disorders to become
more involved in active movement."
For more information, visit www.genesischairs.com 
Table Of Contents - February 2007
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