The best workouts for people in a wheelchair

There are many reasons for being in a wheelchair: due to a sudden event, such as a spinal cord injury, stroke, or amputation of a limb, or as a result of the progression of a serious disease, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or osteoarthritis. However, contrary to a common misconception, people with disabilities are not only allowed, but highly recommended to engage in various physical exercises – from fitness to bodybuilding.

Why do people with disabilities play sports?

Limited mobility often causes complications in the form of obesity, shortness of breath, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis. With age, these diseases are even more aggravated.

Performing physical exercises can increase endurance, improve posture and coordination, strengthen muscles and improve joint mobility. Sports help to get rid of disorders in the digestive system, improve the functioning of the heart and lungs, strengthen the immune system, and even prevent brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

It has been proven that during exercise in the human body, the amount of the hormone endorphin increases. ^[1]. This substance is responsible for a good mood, helps to resist stress, relieves pain and increases self-esteem, which in most cases is extremely necessary for people who, for some reason, have lost the ability to move actively.

How to choose the right exercises

Many of the exercises that can be easily performed by healthy people are not suitable for people with disabilities. But this is not a reason to refuse to engage in the sport you like. Especially for such cases, there are adapted exercise options.

For people using a manual wheelchair, it is important to include exercises for the large muscles of the body, as well as stretching the muscles of the shoulders and chest, in the training program. Most wheelchair users put excessive strain on their upper body, especially their triceps and shoulders, while operating them. Therefore, in order to avoid improper distribution of the load, injury to muscles and ligaments, training for wheelchair users should be structured in such a way as to strengthen the muscles of the back and at the same time relax the muscles of the chest.

All exercises for people with limited mobility can be divided into 3 groups.

1. Cardio training. This is a set of exercises that increase endurance, tone the heart muscle, improve blood circulation. Many people think that cardio is just running, walking, cycling or dancing, which are understandably not suitable for people with disabilities. But many people with limited mobility master tennis and aqua training. The latter are also useful in that water supports the body and thereby relieves stress on the joints and muscles.
2. Power training. This is a set of exercises using special equipment to build muscle mass, strengthen bone tissue and improve balance. Most upper body strength exercises are suitable for wheelchair users.
3. Flexibility exercises. These exercises are important because they help increase range of motion, prevent injury and joint stiffness, and relieve pain. It can be classic stretching exercises or yoga classes. By the way, exercises from this group are not only suitable, but also very important for people with limited motor activity, as they help prevent or slow down muscle atrophy, improve posture, and reduce back pain.

Since people with disabilities lead a less active lifestyle, regular exercise is very important for them. Experts advise wheelchair users to allocate 150 minutes per week for moderate cardio or 75 minutes for more intense cardiovascular exercises. In addition, at least 2 times a week, you should devote time to strength training. ^[2].

Where to begin

The first thing to do before going in for sports is to consult your doctor or physiotherapist. The specialist will help you choose the most appropriate type of training, its intensity, and also advise which exercises should be avoided, taking into account the characteristics of the body.

Any sports should be started from the easiest level and do those exercises that a person likes. This will allow you to quickly achieve your first goals, gain confidence in your abilities and stay motivated. Over time, it will be possible to move on to more complex workouts. But we must be prepared in advance for the fact that in any sport there are ups and downs, and even if something does not work out, this is not a reason to lose heart and stop practicing. To avoid disappointment, you should initially set realistic goals. To achieve positive results, sports should become part of the daily life of a person with disabilities.

During any training, it is very important to observe safety precautions. Do not continue an activity if it causes pain, chest discomfort, dizziness, nausea, palpitations, shortness of breath, or excessive sweating ^[3]. It is important to listen carefully to all the signals of your body. If a 15-minute workout causes discomfort, then it should be reduced to 10 or even 5 minutes. To avoid injury, you should choose exercises with minimal risk to muscles and joints, and at least at the initial stage, train under the supervision of an experienced instructor or physiotherapist.

Cardio for wheelchair users

The main task of the exercises from this group is to speed up the heart rate and improve blood circulation, that is, to prevent stagnation in the vessels.

For the elderly, as well as people with disabilities, there is a special cardio program – the so-called aerobics on a chair. The program consists of a set of exercises for the upper body, which must be repeated several times at a fairly fast pace. By the way, the exercises from this program not only strengthen the heart, but also improve the functionality of the joints.

One of the popular exercises is using fitness rubber bands with little resistance. The elastic is passed under the chair on which the person is sitting, so that one of its edges is in the right hand, the other in the left. While holding sports equipment, it is necessary to raise your hands at a fast pace 20-30 times, pulling the elastic band. The number of repetitions can be increased over time. The main thing in the exercise is to keep pace.

The second exercise from the cardio group that is useful for wheelchair users is boxing while sitting on a chair. During its execution, it is necessary to make intense swings with your hands, imitating the movements of boxers. This is a great workout for the heart, arms and back.

Some pools have wheelchair accessible activities. Aqua aerobics is also a beneficial sport for such individuals. In addition, there are wheelchair-friendly programs for basketball, volleyball, athletics or weightlifting. By the way, psychologists advise such people to choose team games as a cardio workout, such as basketball or wheelchair dancing. They allow not only to keep the cardiovascular system in good shape, but also to stay in society.

Flexibility and stretching exercises

For people who spend most of their time in a chair, stretching can help relieve pain and tension in the muscles. Stretching exercises can be done while lying in bed. In addition, there is an adapted version of yoga, which can be practiced in a chair. There are special exercises for persons with reduced mobility in Pilates.

One of the simplest, but very useful for wheelchair users, is stretching the muscles of the shoulders and chest. They also improve joint mobility, which helps prevent injury and relieve pain. As an inventory for classes, you can use any stick or even a broom. The essence of the exercise: take a stick, holding your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, raise your outstretched arms above your head and try to bring them as far as possible behind your head. Hold this position for 5 seconds and return your hands to their original position. Repeat 10 times a day. During this exercise, the muscles of the chest, back and deltoid muscle are included in the work.

Power training

While engaging in muscle strengthening exercises, wheelchair users should pay special attention to certain muscle groups. Proper training should consist of exercises to develop the smaller and weaker muscles of the shoulders and chest. The development of this muscle group will help to properly distribute the load during the movement of the stroller. It is also important to include in the work the muscles of the back, which almost never work in wheelchairs. Such exercises will help to avoid atrophy of the spinal muscles. Pull-ups are a good exercise for this muscle group.

Many of the classic upper body exercises are well suited to seated athletes. As equipment, you can use dumbbells, kettlebells, high-resistance fitness bands, and even regular water bottles. There are also a number of exercise machines for people with disabilities that are suitable for home use. You need to start training with a light weight dumbbell. At the initial stage, it is important to strengthen the muscles, and not build up a large muscle mass. At first, you can perform 2-3 sets of exercises, repeating each 8-12 times. As muscle strength increases, you can change the amount of exercise and the weight of the weights.

If an injury or illness limits a person’s mobility, this is not a reason to completely refuse to physical activity. After all, sport helps to improve well-being, cheer up, get rid of depression. ^[4], stress and anxiety, it promotes self-esteem and changes the outlook on life. The main thing is to choose the most appropriate type of exercise together with your doctor.

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