The mobility exerciser loosens up a tense body

The residents of Solbjerg Nursing Home improve their fitness, endurance, and mobility through daily exercise with Combi Bike Plus from Lemco Mobility.

Physiotherapist Jacob Lysdal takes good care of residents from the 39 apartments at Solbjerg Plejehjem near Aarhus, Denmark. He proposed that the nursing home’s management invest in a Combi Bike Plus, a mobility exerciser that can be used to exercise from a chair or wheelchair, at the start of 2020.

– We have many residents who are in wheelchairs, and to train and strengthen the fitness and endurance of the residents, it was the obvious choice, says Jacob Lysdal.

During the Corona shutdown, Combi Bike Plus offered critical exercise

Already in the spring of 2020, Combi Bike Plus proved its worth as a perfect training tool for residents in “isolation”. The residents had to stay in their apartments because of the danger of being infected with corona.

I rolled the exerciser back and forth between the residents. I remember one resident in particular who really benefited from her exercises, improving her circulation and keeping fit, so I rolled the Combi Bike Plus in for her to exercise. When other residents needed exercising, it was easy for me to clean the Combi Bike Plus, says Jacob Lysdal.

Today, he also takes the Combi Bike Plus to residents in their apartments, but it’s usually kept in the Physiotherapy, where it’s accompanied by a walker and a rib. If a resident is able to walk to the session by themselves using a rollator, there is a vela chair to use for exercising with Combi Bike Plus. The chair’s wheels can be locked to keep it firmly in place.

Everyone can use the mobility exerciser

Almost all residents can exercise with it, and many get extra benefit from the exercise. Exercising with Combi Bike Plus is seen as a complement to daily rehabilitation- and other training:

This is especially true for residents who have a lot of tonus, such as residents with Parkinson’s or Sclerosis. Exercising with Combi Bike Plus increases the mobility of their shoulders, hips, knees and joints. This means they don’t get stuck in the same position, says Jacob Lysdal and continues:

I think the Combi Bike Plus is amazing because it helps residents get out of the static positions that they’re more or less stuck in, being confined to a whelchair. It’s a gentle way for residents to do cardio, sitting down. Many residents are asking for this kind of gentle and effective exercise. The exercise also makes sense for many of my residents who of various reasons are in pain.

Furthermore, the residents who need rehabilitation can use the Combi Bike Plus.

I have had residents for rehabilitation after a broken hip, for example. They sit safely in their wheelchairs and benefit enormously from exercising with Combi Bike Plus. The pain gets less and less the more they use it and they increase mobility, he says.

Intuitive to use Combi Bike Plus

According to Jacob Lysdal, it is easy for residents to start exercising with Combi Bike Plus.

Residents have ridden a regular bike outdoors or perhaps used an exercise bike indoors. So when they see the pedals on the Combi Bike Plus, I imagine they think: “It’s a bike, so I’ll just ride,” says Jacob Lysdal.

The training ensures the level of function

Residents’ exercise with the Combi Bike Plus is planned individually in collaboration with the physiotherapist. The goal is often for the resident to be as self-reliant as possible – to maintain a level of function that includes being able to get out of bed in the morning and walk to the toilet without assistance. The exercise, according to Jacob Lysdal, aids in ensuring all of this. Residents typically exercise with Combi Bike Plus from ten to thirty minutes.

There is one resident who is good at exercising alone He rides for an hour at a time. He has had a stroke and has a hemiparese. Sitting and biking strengthens his muscles and mobility. He’s the kind of guy, who’s very motivated to get more mobility, says Jacob Lysdal. He trains with the resident himself twice a week, also focusing on balance and strength training. The resident goes for walks outside and exercises with Combi Bike Plus – at least three times a week.
The resident is also not as much out of breath as he was originally. His endurance has improved as a result of his exercising with Combi Bike Plus. He begins by setting the resistance level at five and gradually increases it to seven, within his 60 minutes of exercising, tells Jacob Lysdal.

Recommends Combi Bike Plus for nursing homes

Residents benefit greatly from Combi Bike Plus. I can certainly recommend it to other nursing homes. Actually, we should have two ourselves, because then you can sit next to each other and talk and have a good cup of coffee while you exercise, says Jacob Lysdal.