Tag: Sport

Hobbies and Sport, Sport and Fitness

How to Stabilise The Wrist When Swimming

Hope Amos

Swimming is a great, low-impact form of exercise that gives a full-body workout. I knew that if I could stabilise my wrist enough, swimming would help me to build up strength in my arm that is still weakened after a fracture and nerve damage from a road accident. I tried several ways to stabilise the wrist, and found some great solutions.

Disclaimer: This blog post is based on my experiences. I am not a medical professional so always check with your doctor before trying new things that could aggravate your medical condition.

Support Tape (Lightweight Support)

Physio tape/ kinesiology tape/ sports tape is adhesive and slightly stretchy. It can be applied in different ways to best support muscles or joints during exercise. A waterproof tape should last for at least one swim session. Because this tape is designed to provide support without restricting movement, it’s on the lightweight side. Personally, several layers of tape wrapped around my wrist and crossing my palm were not enough to prevent my wrist subluxing when swimming.

If you have sensitive skin, tape might not be suitable for you.

Box of Rock Tape kinesiology tape. Photo of a woman on the box with tape applied to her upper arm and upper leg
Kinesiology tape

Neoprene Splint (Medium-High Support)

Neoprene splints are a comfortable support that can easily be removed and reused. Neoprene is slightly buoyant in water, and heavier when saturated when lifted out of water. For this reason, wearing a splint on just one wrist gives a slightly lopsided feel, especially when swimming frontcrawl, butterfly or backstroke. It feels less odd in breaststroke and is otherwise quite easy to adjust to.

Neoprene wrist splint secured across the back of the hand and wrist by velcro straps
Side view of neoprene wrist splint

Using a neoprene splint with a metal insert will restrict wrist movement the most, giving the most support. A metal insert will lock the wrist so that the back of the hand is slightly drawn backwards towards the wrist. Although possible to swim in this position, if you don’t require so much support, using a wrist wrap or splint without a metal insert will allow the wrist to move into a more streamlined swimming position. Click here for my reviews of different types of wrist splints. You could also combine a splint with support tape underneath.

Chlorine will damage the elasticity of the neoprene splint over time so it is important to rinse well after every use.

Forearm Fulcrums and Bolster Paddles (High Support)

Forearm fulcrums and bolster paddles are swimming aids designed to lock the hand and wrist in the optimum position for swimming (early vertical forearm position, or EVF). As well as supporting your wrist, they will improve your technique! All main strokes (breaststroke, frontcrawl/freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly) are possible using these swim aids. Because they alter your swimming style, it is recommended to try them out over short distances at first.

I use the FINIS Forearm Fulcrums which pass over the back of the forearm, under the wrist, and across the back of the hand in a figure 8 loop to lock the wrist in position. Rubber at the inside of the wrist and back of hand and arm prevents the Forearm Fulcrum from slipping. Because there is no fabric involved, they are very easy to care for. They come in two sizes: Junior for teens and petite adults, and Senior. I tried both sizes and although both worked for me, the Junior size was a better fit and didn’t require so much tension to hold the fulcrum in place when swimming.

  • FINIS Forearm Fulcrum Pair in Package
  • FINIS Forearm Fulcrum Junior on Right Arm

I have palmar mid-carpal wrist instability and can happily swim using these without any subluxations or dislocations as my wrist is unable to move up or down when they are in place. I also have a partially-trapped median nerve, and preventing my hand from moving also helps to reduce nerve irritation and pain. The FINIS forearm fulcrums enabled me from not being able to use my right arm at all, to swimming 500m using both arms the first time I used them.

The FINIS Bolster Paddles are designed with the same goal of stabilising the wrist in the EVF position with a solid hand paddle to increase water resistance. The plastic paddle is secured around the forearm with two velcro straps, and the fingers are held in place by a rubber strap. I haven’t had the chance to try them yet so please leave a comment if you have/haven’t found them useful.

Amy is smiling into the camera, she has brown hair with a fringe and is wearing glasses.
Lifestyle

‘How I’m Handling It’: Amy Hetherington, Journalist

Hope Amos

I chat to journalist Amy Hetherington about growing up with hemiplegia, access to music at school, her career path, and one-handed horse riding

I reached out to Amy whilst researching the feasibility of finding an instrument to play one-handed. Currently I can only play the piano in short bursts due to nerve pain and have mostly given up playing the clarinet, but would love to get back into music somehow. I found the website for the One-Handed Musical Instruments Trust (OHMI) and saw Amy’s blog there. I was so grateful to talk to someone else with an upper limb disability who had experience of music (but not at an elite and unrelatable level). We branched out into other topics because I haven’t had much chance to speak to other disabled people lately and I wanted advice on more than just music, so I’ve split the article I was planning to write on OHMI and the Accessible Instruments Showcase into a separate post (coming soon).

Amy and music

Amy grew up with her ability to use one hand affected by hemiplegia. Her early memory of music at school was feeling upset to be left out and bored in group music classes, particularly when learning the recorder, a rite of passage for many children. Instead, she took up the trumpet, but found it heavy and difficult to play using only one hand. Although trumpets appear one-handed by design, with the right hand operating three valves on the top of the instrument, the left hand helps to support the weight of the (heavy) solid metal instrument. At a professional level, some trumpets also have a fourth valve to extend the range which complicates matters further. Amy settled on singing, where the problem of a heavy choir score book was more easily solved by using a conventional music stand.

The OHMI trust

Amy highlighted the problem of a lack of accessible musical instruments to her father Dr Stephen Hetherington, who founded OHMI with the goal of making one-handed instruments more accessible. The initial problem was that only a few expensive instruments. For this reason, OHMI holds a yearly competition to design a one-handed instrument, equipment to adapt or support an existing instrument, or a concept to help solve issues with design or supply. Over the last 9 years, winners have created a 3D printed one-handed recorder, stands to support brass instruments, and a one-handed clarinet amongst others. Although OHMI has a strong focus on providing options to increase inclusion of disabled children in music at school, adults can also rent or buy instruments through the trust.

One-handed horse riding?!

Amy’s other hobbies include horse riding, which she says is great for core strength. One-handed horse riding sounds terrifying, but Amy talks about it in a very nonchalant way. To make it work, she uses adapted reins and a mounting block. Then once in the saddle, the technique is not much different from riding in the standard way; it sounds like horses are able to adapt to humans as much as the other way around, as riding the same horse frequently allows them to learn how to respond to a rider’s particular movements and even voice commands.

Any one-handed tips?

When I ask Amy about any adaptations or tips for living one-handed, she replies that growing up with a disability means she’s trained one very dextrous hand which allows her to do most things. Because she’s adapted her own ways to do things, Amy finds some adaptations even make things more difficult.  She prefers one-handed typing on a small keyboard over using voice recognition software (which I agree is very temperamental) and tying shoelaces rather than using pull-elastic ones which are tricky to get tight enough.

Archaeology and Journalism

Amy recalls being a storyteller from childhood and writing from an early age. She discovered a passion for History at school which led her to study archaeology at university. After trying out both the excavation and admin side of things, Amy decided to return to writing which she describes as ‘a long love that was sadly forgotten’. She is currently working as a freelance journalist and writes the blog for OHMI.

Links (open in a new tab)

Amy’s website

The OHMI Trust website

colourful fitness equipment, stretch bands and weights
Hobbies and Sport, Sport and Fitness

Sport and Fitness- Feel Confident Trying Something New

Hope Amos

Fitness classes and sports clubs are great for getting into a routine, motivation, providing instruction, and socialising. After I became unable to swim and cycle easily I went on a bit of a quest to find something fun that would keep me fit. I tried lots of different classes and sports including salsa, Zumba, yoga, squash (really not good for weak wrists), pilates, jogging and going to the gym. Trying new things with a disability or injury can be a bit daunting, so whether you are thinking of going to an in person class, or following one online, here are my tips for getting started:

1. If you have a disability, injury or illness and the exercise is something new to you, remember to speak to your doctor about it first. If you join a gym or sign up for classes they will ask you to fill out some medical forms so being informed is key.
2. I really recommend turning up early to speak to the instructor before in person sessions. Rather than just naming your condition, let the instructor know specifically if there’s any movements you can’t do, if you don’t want to be pushed hard, or if you might have to take a break during the session. This might also help if you’re feeling self-conscious about not fitting in exactly with what everyone else is doing.
3. If you’re feeling anxious about getting started, see if you can persuade someone to come with you for moral support, even if it’s just for the first session.
4. Before committing to a long-term gym or classes subscription, look for offers or ask if you can try the first session for free. That way if you’re not enjoying it, you’re free to try something else.
5. Think outside the box if traditional classes aren’t your style. Think swing dance, hillwalking, archery or canoeing!
6. If you can afford it, a one-to-one session can help you to work out the best way to modify exercises for you. This might be to find alternative exercises which accommodate your disability, working on improving skills, or finding out how to play to your strengths. You might also get more personalised suggestions for improvement in a smaller group.
7. Online classes and videos are great for fitting around any schedule and trying things out on your own. Follow the links on the Resources page for free classes, including specialised classes for managing arthritis pain, and post-stroke exercises.
8. Don’t forget any splints, braces or tape that you use to support joints and muscles.
9. Make sure to warm up/cool down, rehydrate and stretch properly before and after the class. For me, this means paying special attention to my wrists.
10. Finally, don’t worry about what anyone else is doing! Take breaks as you need, listen to your body and don’t be afraid to call it a day if it’s really not for you.

“Pre-lockdown I used to enjoy going to Zumba because it’s great cardio and everyone leaves smiling. I would go at the back so I wouldn’t feel self-conscious or worry that I was confusing anyone when freestyling over the moves I couldn’t do. Now I follow online and it’s still a way to improve my agility and coordination in a way that’s more fun for me than going to the gym.”