Before working out an exercise program I need to know, when and where you had polio.  Did you have body, leg or arm weakness? This may have resolved subsequently but may have left you with weakness you are not aware of.  If you did have limb or trunk weakness - it will show up as muscles getting tired more quickly in those areas when you use them, particularly as you get older.

Any training can only be done if the muscles are strong enough for the activity.  Trunk weakness is a major factor when determining what exercises to do because to pull strong weights, you need strong stomach muscles.

There are 2 types of muscle training - for strength and for stamina.  Low weights and high repetitions are essential for stamina.  High weights and low repetitions are essential for muscle building and power ie this is speed of movement.

You should train with weights on alternate days and never when you are tired.  Try to do weight-training on days when you are not doing other exhausting activities, like sporting-type - swimming, bike, golf or shopping, working etc.

Swimming and bike riding will train for stamina but if the polio leg tires, then it will weaken it, even if the polio limb does not power the movement.
Polio affected limbs are deemed tired, when the quality of your performance starts to fall away, and you are having to think about keeping  the limb moving well.  It is not when you feel tired.

The key to maintaining independence is conserving your energy so that you can remain independent for longer. Be sensible and use a wheelchair if you need to.  Do not let others dictate the speed with which you have to move.  Make them push your wheelchair.  If it is a manual chair, this will slow them down.

I have supported the use of scooters, so that you can keep up with your social crowd and not wear yourselves out.  This way you will still have the energy to walk around the house.

Shopping is another place where a wheelchair or scooter is useful - if only to stop people bumping into you.  If you can lean on a trolley and walk and not get tired - this is also a sensible move.

In patients with paralytic polio - "use it or loose it" is only true with qualifications.  If you do not do any activity , the limb will get weak.  But if you do activity to the point of tiring out the muscle and muscle fatigue sets in, then the limb will also get weak.  The key is pacing yourself to your activities.

Pacing is going at your own speed; having frequent rest breaks to recover.  When quality of movement control starts to falter - stop and recover completely before you continue.

EXERCISE REGIME (suggestions)

1.  Find the maximum amount of exercise that makes you fatigued and record the time it takes.

2.  Confine yourself to exercising for only 50% of that time and stop for constant rest periods with several minutes in between.  Stop at once if fatiguing.

3.  Start Day 1 with 5 small sessions spread out over the day.  The next time make it 6 repeats,  then 7 etc.

4.  After 3 increases (to 8) then start at 60% with 5 repeats and so on.  Stop increasing if you fatigue, go back and work more slowly forward again.