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Before starting any type of exercise program please consult your medical professional. Basic Set Up. Place the Viscus in front of your most comfortable chair. A chair which can be reclined is better and usually more comfortable. You can also sit on a recliner chair or chesterfield to lean back even more to reduce the amount of bending required in the hip. This is especially useful following hip replacement surgery. Typically, the leg should be able to extend almost all the way on the pedal stroke. How close or how far away you place the Viscus will affect this. Those with restriction in knee bending will be able to use the Viscus with only 75 degrees of flexion. The Viscus is equipped with very short pedal crank arm to minimize the amount of flexion required to get the pedal around. This is very useful in the early stages following total knee replacement. As your range of motion improves, you can place the machine closer to you to increase the degree of bending. Pedal fast or slow but don't push hard and don't try to stop suddenly . If you push to hard, you will feel the slip of the clutch, a sensation you should try to avoid. There is a significant therapeutic advantage to pedal at different speeds. As you progress, change the tempo of the pedalling motion. Start slowly and progress gradually . You must first be able to pedal a full circle without significant discomfort. As a rule of thumb, you should have less pain and discomfort after pedalling than before you began. We suggest that you do not pedal for more than 5 minutes for the first few sessions and increase gradually as tolerated. The ultimate goal is to be able to pedal as long as you feel like it. It is not unusual for many of our patients to pedal continuously for 2-3 hours while watching television. Pedal forward or backwards. This is possible with the fixed drive and gives you a change which some people find comfortable. The Viscus can also be pedalled from the front or back. Placing the machine backwards (computer facing away from you) gives you more room and is useful if you have short legs. Advantages:
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