For Those Without Mobility, Wheelchair Exercises Help Maintain Physical And Mental Strength

By Karen Sullivan


People with limited mobility have all kinds of special challenges. Unless they take aggressive measures, their muscles will begin to atrophy and make them increasingly weak and dependent on others. That is why doctors and physical therapists are so adamant that their patients adhere to an appropriate exercise regimen. Routines are created to specifically address the affected individual's condition. Wheelchair exercises have both physical and mental benefits that are important for overall health.

It's not hard to get depressed when you are bound to a chair every day. In order to improve your circumstances, setting goals and making concrete plans to achieve them may help. Family and friends can often be enlisted to encourage and keep you on track with your exercise regimen. If you set aside a specific time each day for some sort of exercise, it will soon become a habit.

It may help to remind yourself of the benefits you receive when you make the effort to do some sort of exercising every day. Exercise has some obvious physical benefits that include improving blood circulation, posture, and spinal stability. It tones muscles, increases flexibility, and keeps you from gaining weight. In addition to the physical benefits, exercise reduces stress and generates endorphins, which are powerful anti-depressants.

It's always important to warm up before starting any exercise routine. Your doctor may recommend push ups to strengthen your upper body. Overhead stretches with free weights are great for your back and arms. In order to do these kinds of exercises, it is important to make sure your chair brakes are in place.

Arm and leg extensions can be accomplished with the use of resistance bands. These can be tied to a door handle or some other stable object to stabilize them. Resistance bands are good choices for people at all strength levels. Many purchase and use bands of varying strengths depending on the type of exercising they are doing.

One way to get great exercise, and interact with other individuals in similar circumstances, is to find a team sport for people in motorized chairs. You can choose from basketball, soccer, football, skiing, golf, table tennis and more. The vigorous exercising these sports require is excellent for your lungs and heart. You will burn calories and increase your energy levels as well.

While exercising is very important for individuals with limited mobility, taking care to prevent common injuries is also important. Injuries to the upper body are the most common ailments wheelchair bound people complain of. They use their upper bodies to maneuver their chairs, get in and out of them, and perform other daily activities. Shoulder strains and carpal tunnel disorders make up the majority of upper body injuries sustained by those in chairs.

Whether you are permanently disabled or are in a wheelchair temporarily, it is important to keep your muscles strong and functioning well. Exercising is critical to maximize physical health and improves an individual's mental state. The stronger you are, the more independent you will be.




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