Wheelchair Exercises
Engaging in regular exercise is essential for maintaining health and well-being, even while using a wheelchair. The video I have provided below offers a comprehensive seated workout designed specifically for wheelchair users, focusing on building muscle, burning calories, and enhancing overall fitness.
Key Exercises Highlighted in My Video:
- Arm Raises: Strengthen your shoulders and arms by lifting your arms straight overhead and lowering them back down. This movement can be enhanced by holding light weights or resistance bands.
- Side Twists: Improve core flexibility and strength by sitting upright and gently twisting your torso to the left and right, holding each position briefly.
- Seated Marches: Enhance lower body circulation and coordination by lifting each knee towards your chest alternately, simulating a marching motion.
- Chest Stretch: Open up the chest muscles by extending your arms out to the sides and gently pushing them back, feeling a stretch across your chest.
- Shoulder Shrugs: Relieve tension in the upper back and neck by lifting your shoulders towards your ears and then releasing them back down.
Incorporating these exercises into your routine can lead to improved strength, flexibility, and overall health. Always ensure you perform movements within your comfort zone and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise regimen.
For a visual demonstration and to follow along with the workout, you can watch the video below:
Why Should I Exercise?
Real Life Story
In 2018, Nikki Walsh’s life took a sudden turn when she woke up in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the chest down from a car accident. Despite her challenges, a new purpose emerged from her limited mobility.
Walsh, a 33-year-old certified personal trainer with a degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Penn State University, helps people in the wheelchair community, including herself, harness the power of fitness.
A year after that near-deadly accident, Walsh decided to shift her focus from trying to walk again to rebuilding her overall strength, focusing on the muscles she uses most: her upper body and core.
Nikki Walsh
She felt nervous about going to the gym solo, a barrier faced by many wheelchair users, she says, so she asked a friend and fellow personal trainer for support. Since then, “exercise has been my saving grace,” Walsh says. “I feel like myself again.”
Stronger muscles can help you transfer in and out of your wheelchair. But exercising around people gives Walsh a sense of community and an outlet to ease stress and anxiety. “When you’re just sitting around alone thinking about your disability, you’re way more likely to be in a down mood,” she says.
Source; WebMD.com
Wheelchair Exercises by other authors.
Exercise books by people who are in a wheelchair have sadly been under appreciated, but here are a few you may want to look at.
“The Best Wheelchair Exercises for Total Fitness.“
“Zero Assistance resistance Training“
These are all on Amazon and less than $15.00, so I hope they are affordable for you.
If I can help in any way in your fitness goals, please let me know,
I am upset there are so few available and would love to know more that are available. So, if you can provide any help in where people in wheelchairs can source more information, I would be very appreciative.
My Thoughts
I am not in a wheelchair, but I do have my own challenges after several operations and bowel cancer.
I would like us all to realize that we are all the same inside and want what is best. Both for us and others.
For some it is a lot more difficult and those that help have a special gift.
So please provide support to all of us who have some “extra needs” and we will love you all the more for that.
Other Posts
You may also want to look at my post on “Breathing for better health” that can help you on your health path.
Steve
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This is such an inspiring and thoughtful post! It’s amazing to see how fitness can be empowering for everyone, no matter their mobility level. Nikki Walsh’s story is truly motivating—her resilience and dedication to strength training are incredible! The exercises you shared are simple yet effective, and I love that they focus on both physical and mental well-being. It’s frustrating that there aren’t more resources available, but highlighting books and workout ideas like this really makes a difference. Thanks for shedding light on this topic! Do you have any favorite online communities for wheelchair fitness?
Thanks for the love. And yes, there are a few communities, but not many unfortunately. The one that stands out for me is Zuk fitness and can be accessed online.
Thanks again for the support
Steve
This is such an inspiring and informative post! Nikki Walsh’s story is incredibly powerful — it really shows how fitness can be a source of strength, not just physically but emotionally too. I love how she shifted her focus to rebuilding her upper body and core, and how exercise became her “saving grace.”
I do have a couple of questions, though:
For someone just starting out with wheelchair exercises, what’s the best way to build a safe and effective routine? Should they start with a physical therapist or personal trainer first?
Are there any online communities or virtual classes specifically for wheelchair fitness that you’d recommend? It seems like having that sense of community, like Nikki mentioned, can be really motivating.
It’s also a bit disheartening to hear there are so few exercise books tailored for wheelchair users — I wonder if more people are turning to online resources instead. It would be great to see more representation and options! Let me know if you’ve come across any new resources lately — I’d love to share them.
Thanks, Charles, for your comments.
To answer your question first, I would advise you to talk to your doctor or therapist first. They will advise you if and when you can start these exercises. Also talk to people in communities that are specific to your injury. They can sometimes provide the best advice overall.
And I agree, Nikki is an inspiring human being.
Thanks for reading. I hope you can join my YouTube channel.
Steve
Hello Stephen Hey!
This is such a valuable resource for building strength and flexibility, especially for those using wheelchairs! It’s so important to highlight adaptive fitness, as staying active is key to overall health and well-being, regardless of mobility level. I love that these exercises can be done at home and are accessible to individuals who may not have access to a gym or specialized equipment as well as be something that you can do if you need to start easier even if you are not confined to a wheelchair.
It’s amazing how incorporating strength training and flexibility exercises can improve daily functionality, as well as mental health. Have you found any particular exercises to be especially effective or enjoyable for different fitness levels? It would be interesting to hear how these exercises can be adapted for someone just starting or someone with more experience. Also, do you have recommendations for incorporating these into a daily or weekly routine without feeling overwhelmed, especially if someone is new to exercising or juggling a busy schedule?
Angela M 🙂
Hi Angela,
Thanks for the great compliments. the 5 exercises that I listed after the video are great for beginners. To adjust them and make them a bit more difficult you could incorporate hand weights into the exercises. I would recommend starting with light “dumbbells” and working to more heavier weights as the routines become easier through repetition.
To start, I would recommend doing these exercises 3 days a week and when you feel comfortable add more days. I hope this helps.
Steve
Steve,
The only experience I have with exercising from a wheelchair is with my sister. She still has some use in her legs but spends most of her time in a wheelchair. I would show her different exercises to strengthen her arms and upper body. In the beginning, she complained about how difficult the exercises were. She now exercises daily, especially, after getting news from her doctor that she is improving instead of declining.
Jerry
Hi Jerry
Sorry to hear about your sister, but it is great that she is exercising. It is also great the encouragement she is getting from her doctor and obviously from yourself. Starting anything in exercise is difficult and more so from a wheelchair, so I am pleased she is now exercising daily.
Steve