Having limited mobility shouldn’t mean that you must forego a fitness regimen entirely. You can be happy and healthy even when using a wheelchair regularly. Let’s see some great exercising ideas you can apply even with limited mobility.
Chest squeezes
The first thing you should aim for is building up more strength. And the natural way to do it for someone with limited mobility is to start with upper body exercises. That is why the first exercise recommended here is this.
Sit up straight in your wheelchair so that your core muscles are engaged. You will need their support for this exercise. Use a medicine ball or even a balloon to nail it. Squeeze the ball between your hands so that your chest muscles start to contract.
Push the ball forward in slow motion. Repeat at least a few times. In case you don’t have a medicine ball at your disposal, pressing your palms together is a version to consider.
Shoulder retractions
Another exercise for building up upper body strength when you’re in a wheelchair involves the shoulders and the arms. Just as recommended earlier, sit straight so that your muscles are engaged.
With the arms stretched to the sides parallel to the floor, begin the exercise. Flex your fingers in loose fists and push your arms forward, doing it as much as possible with feeling discomfort.
Then pull your arms back, flexing the elbows, until they go a little over an invisible line that would go through your chest from side to side. This is a great exercise to increase your mobility.
Knee lifts
If possible, consider exercising your legs, as well. One simple exercise you can try goes like this. Sit up straight in your wheelchair, until you feel your core muscles adequately engaged. At the beginning of your training, your feet should stay flat on the ground.
Then, start to lift one leg until it is parallel to the ground. Do not overexert yourself, and let the leg return to its initial position in slow motion. Perform a few repetitions for each leg. This exercise will help you with building more muscles in your legs.
Torso rotations
It can be challenging to perform plenty of activities when you’re limited in your movement, but there are also many others you can accomplish. For instance, you can increase your range of motion by doing torso rotations.
From the initial position that is as described earlier, lift your arms so that they are parallel to the ground, while the elbows are flexed to create a 90-degree angle with the forearms. Keep them like this, and rotate to one side.
Make sure that you perform the move slowly so that you can twist as much as possible. All the time, remember to keep your abs engaged, as this is an excellent exercise for strengthening your core, too. Also, bear in mind that the lower part of your body should remain unmoved.
Last words
Don’t consider yourself stuck in a wheelchair. Exercise to the best of your abilities, and travel to change the scenery and see new places. Consider a wheelchair for travelling, if your current one is not a good fit, and don’t let limited mobility keep you down.
