Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I am a person with T-12 incomplete Paraplegia. I'm interested in learning about some decent ab workouts (including obliques) that I could do at the gym or at home. Just to provide you with a little more information, my T-12 vertebrae are connected by rods. I'd really appreciate some guidance. Thanks! Jon

A. Hello Jon, What a wonderful question! I really feel there's a gaping hole in the fitness industry which needs to address fitness training for people dealing with injuries and/or disabilities. You are the perfect example of that. A guy who's had a spinal injury, but still strives for better fitness beyond rehab facilities. I love it. I also love the spinal cord, and appreciate the sensitivity of it. Long ago, while I was earning my Master's Degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of Florida, I took a magnificent course on the spine from a brilliant woman, Dr. Christine Stopka, Professor of Adapted Physical Activity & Medical Terminology. She taught me to respect the spine first, and then went on from there. A major aspect of the course focused on educating her students about the things people with disabilities could do. She spent far more time on the could dos than the can't dos. That's one of the most important things I took away with me. I thought your question deserved the most expert advice, so I passed it on to her.

Dr. Stopka's input is that, with your lesion level, you should have full upper and middle abs, as well as some lower abs. The rods just mean that your back/spine will be straight for the vertebrae that are fused where the rods are. You can contract isometrically and even partially/mostly isotonically from your neck down to T-10 if you are fused only from T-10 to T-12. So basically, you can do anything almost everyone else can do for ab work. Dr. Stopka says the fact that your hip flexors won't be used is a good thing; people without disabilities struggle to keep the hip flexors from engaging while training the abdominals. You won't have to worry about that and all of your ab work will legitimately be only ab work! Never thought you'd hear that, huh?

For starters, Dr. Stopka recommends lying in a supine position and doing pelvic tilts by contracting the abs. From there, you can lift your head and shoulders and hold for 10-20 second increments. Isometrics are great! You can do this with your arms forward (pointing to where the ceiling meets the wall) or with your hands at your side like an airplane. For even more resistance, lift the head and shoulders with your hands behind your head (without pulling on it). To work your obliques, lie on your back with your right arm up towards the ceiling. Lift your head and right shoulder off the ground while reaching toward the sky with that right hand. Rotate that shoulder towards your left hip. Then repeat on the left side.

Jon, it seems to me like you might give a basic Pilate's class a try. The vertebrae-by-vertebrae roll-ups might be perfect for you. Of course, you won't be able to do everything the teacher suggests, but everyone in a group exercise class should modify exercises to their personal needs. You won't be the only one doing your own thing.

Most importantly, both Dr. Stopka and I insist that you run all of this past your Physical Therapist who is more familiar with your specific functions and individual needs. It could be detrimental to do anything contraindicated for your specific situation.

Jon, I deal with people and their injuries all the time. Yours of course is very serious, but my feeling is the same ... injuries don't have to sideline us completely, they just force us to be creative. I LOVE that you are not allowing your disability to get the best of you. I can't wait to hear how you're progressing. Please keep in touch! Fitz

Q. Hi Fitz. I want to lose 46 pounds, and am interested in joining Weight Watchers. What do you think about it? Is Weight Watchers any good? Maryanne

A. Heck yes, Maryanne! I feel very strongly about Weight Watchers, and think WW offers a fantastic program. The reason I like WW, is because it is a program and not a diet. Unless you're dealing with an acute, life threatening health issue because of your weight, I don't believe in diets because temporary actions will lead only to temporary results. Phooey on that!

Weight Watchers offers a decent education on the value of healthy food, a simple method to managing it, and weekly accountability. I know lots of people who have been wildly successful utilizing the Weight Watchers program. There is one caveat to the results page, and this is it. If you are going to join Weight Watchers, plan to attend for a very long time. Many people lose tons of weight on WW, get comfy with the program and then get cocky. DO NOT! I repeat, DO NOT GET COCKY! Once you achieve your goal weight, which you probably will if you stick with the program, put your dang ego aside and continue attending the meetings.

I don't care if you think you 'know it all already' or think you're 'too busy'. If you were a person with great discipline, you would have never gained the 46 extra pounds in the first place. Don't kid yourself when you get where you want to be. If and when you lose all that weight, commit to at least one to two more years of attending meetings. That accountability and encouragement is priceless. If you love your new skinny jeans, stick with the meetings. If you love all the compliments you're getting, stick with the meetings. Weight Watchers not only offers the know-how to losing weight, it offers you the obligation of getting on a scale in front of someone else each week. That alone will keep you on your toes. So, yes Maryanne. You have my blessing to join. Let me know both when you've lost those 46 pounds, and when you've kept them off for a year!

Punches & Kicks,

Fitz

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**Thanks again to the brilliant Dr. Christine B. Stopka, Ph.D., ATC, LAT, CSCS, CAPE, MTAA.

Note: The content presented in this Q. & A section is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as medical advice or substitute for professional medical care.