Hi Anne,
Bear crawls are simply walking on all fours. It sounds simple, but it is quite taxing, primarily because we are not meant to walk on all fours and, unlike our dogs and cats, our arms are much shorter than our legs. As a result, more of tour bodyweight is concentrated on your arms and shoulders when you do a bear crawl.
The starting position is similar to what people refer to as being on their hands and knees, except that you will be on your hands and feet instead of your knees. As a result, your back will be tilting toward the front of your body owing to the fact that your arms are shorter than your legs. You can google bear crawl and get a clearer image of what I'm saying.
Anyway, once you're in the position, you just start walking. It's ideal as an indoor working because you'll be huffing and puffing after 10 or 15 feet. You'll also feel it in your shoulders, which have to work very hard compared to your longer, stronger legs. If you're puffing too hard, just take a break and then do another set the way you would with weights.
Again, do not do this if you have a history if back problems, particularly sciatica. This past January, it was raining hard and I was running late for work, so I decided to skip the gym and do some bear crawls instead. I'd done them for years and never had a problem, even after developing sciatica from a weightlifting injury to my piriformis muscle ten years earlier (its a tiny muscle in the lower back and the sciatic nerve runs through-inflamed muscle and you've got sciatica). This time, though, it was another story. The workout itself was great, but by the time I got to work, I was starting to feel that burning pain in my left leg and hip. It got progressively worse during the day and I still don't know how I managed to make it home. Ince home, though, I was out of commission for two weeks and my sole form if exercise was launching myself on my crutches between the living room couch, the bathroom and the kitchen and dining room table. No more bear crawls for me, but they are a wonderful exercise.
Goid luck,
Ira
------------------------------
Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 06-22-2020 07:24
From: Anne Birdsong
Subject: Hot weather and exercise post-OHS
Thank you Ira. Wow, it sounds like you are doing great!
PS: What is a bear crawl? Just curious.
------------------------------
Anne Birdsong
Occupational Therapist
Rural
Original Message:
Sent: 06-22-2020 02:52
From: Ira Reid
Subject: Hot weather and exercise post-OHS
Anne, as a former year round long distance runner in the NY metro area, I always moderated my outdoor running based in weather conditions. During the long hot summer days, I would be out the door for my hour run during the cool pre-dawn and get home around sunrise. I'd also cut back in my distance during severe heat and humidity.
After my heart attack and surgery, I just naturally applied the same lessons to walking and other exercise outdoors. Now, 2 1//2 years post-surgery, and with all gyms in my part if the country still closed because of the virus, I'm still doing the same thing.
During the current heat wave, I've shortened my one hour walks aling the waterfront, where there is very little shade, to thirty minute walks through tree shaded streets. I've also been doing pushup variations, dips, bodyweight squats and pullups in the air conditioned comfort of home, instead of outdoors in the park. During the worst days if the pandemic, and in order to avoid contact with other people, I was walking 40-50 flights of stairs indoors every day, which was incredibly boring but effective. In the days before developing episodic sciatica, I also used to do "bear crawls" indoors during bad weather, which provide a very concentrated combined aerobic and strength workout. Caution: Do not even attempt bear crawls (or any upper body exercise) until your sternum is fully healed and you are cleared by your cardiologist.
In short, what you can do for exercise can and should be moderated by the weather, but the possibilities are limited inly by one's imagination.
All the best,
Ira
------------------------------
Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
Original Message:
Sent: 06-21-2020 18:17
From: Anne Birdsong
Subject: Hot weather and exercise post-OHS
My OHS was a month ago. I've been following my recommended exercise protocol, and I'm up to the end goal of 40 minutes. Today the humidity was pretty high, and I noticed my heart rate and O2 sat rate were all over the place (I walk with a pulse ox and check it throughout the walk). Was anyone given exercise recommendations for when the heat index is high? I'll see my surgeon for a follow up on Tuesday and will check with him, just thought I'd check in here while I wait to see him. TIA!
------------------------------
Anne Birdsong
Occupational Therapist
Rural
------------------------------