According to the Amputee Coalition, 187,000 people lose a limb each year. Below the knee amputations require intensive postoperative care and physical rehabilitation. Along with physical and emotional healing, patients learn to walk with a prosthetic or adjust to life without one. Once cleared by his doctor, a patient should exercise on a regular basis. Exercise provides physical and emotional benefits; it relieves stress and strengthens the muscles that support the legs, preventing muscular atrophy. Engage in strength training exercises that work the hamstrings, quads, abdomen and lower back.
Step 1
Lie face-down on a mat. Adjust your limb so that it is straight. Lift your amputated limb towards the ceiling. Hold for five seconds. Lower and repeat until you complete 10 repetitions. Do the same with your other leg.
Step 2
Sit up on the mat and extend both of your legs directly in front of you. Tighten your abdominal muscles and sit up straight. Tighten the thigh of your amputated leg. Push the back of this leg's knee against the mat. Hold for five seconds. Release and repeat until you complete 10 repetitions. Do the same with the other leg.
Step 3
Turn your body so that you are lying on the side of your non-amputated leg. Stack your hips and shoulders, so that your body is aligned with them on top of one another. Push your amputated limb behind you, pause and return to the start position. Repeat until you complete 10 repetitions. Turn over and do on the other side--stop if this causes too much pressure on your limb or if it is painful.
Step 4
Lie on your back with a pillow under your head. Roll a towel and place it under your amputated limb. Bend your other leg and place your foot on the ground. Press your amputated limb into the towel and maintain that tension throughout the exercise. Squeeze your glutes and push up through the heel of your other foot. Pause, lower and repeat until you complete 10 repetitions.
Step 5
Remove the towel and the pillow. Remain on your back. Loop a Thera-Band around your thighs. Simultaneously, pull your legs apart, pushing against the resistance band. Stop and hold for five seconds when you cannot push any further.
Step 6
Remain on your back. Place the rolled towel in between your thighs. Squeeze as hard as you can and hold for five seconds. Release and repeat until you complete 10 repetitions.
Things You'll Need
- Thera-band
- Pillow
- Towel
- Exercise mat
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