If you use a wheelchair, regular exercise can help you increase your strength and flexibility, and stretching exercises can reduce spasticity and alleviate pain. And just as if does for non-wheelchair users, exercise lowers your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers; burns calories so that it's easier to control your weight; and can help you sleep better and boost your mood. You can use special equipment to make some exercises easier, or employ standard dumbbells and exercise bands.
Stretching
Stretching loosens tight muscles and warms up your body to get ready for more intense exercise, and stretching after more strenuous exercise can decrease soreness. Simple neck rolls, shoulder rolls and wrist stretches are a good way to start. Reach over your head and stretch your arms. Arching your back helps stretch your spine, or roll your wheelchair backward to stretch muscles in your arms and shoulders. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Don't bounce and don't force the stretch past what is comfortable.
Strength Training
Lifting weights makes you stronger, shapes muscles to improve your appearance and helps build strong bones. You can use dumbbells, elastic bands or weight machines to perform shoulder presses, hammer curls, biceps curls and other exercises for the upper body. For an exercise you can do without special equipment, grasp the sides of the seat of your wheelchair and raise yourself up a few inches. You're using your own body as a weight. Regular weight workouts can make it easier for you to maneuver in and out of your chair, or to propel your chair up inclines.
Aerobics
Aerobic exercise increases your heart and breathing rates, helping your body take in more oxygen, builds stamina and is a good stress reliever. Any exercise that uses large muscle groups can be aerobic. Try using a hand cycle, wheeling yourself at a brisk pace along a track or on hilly terrain, participating in a seated aerobics class, or playing wheelchair basketball. Find an activity you enjoy. Start with a few minutes a day and gradually increase your time until you can exercise 30 to 45 minutes for three or four days a week.
Precautions
Consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. Start slowly and increase your exercise as you develop stamina. Exercising too hard or too long could cause overuse injuries to joints or muscles. Stabilize yourself in your chair and set the brake on the chair before you begin stationary exercises so that you don't roll forward or backward and to lessen the chance of falling out of your chair or tipping over. When lifting heavy weights, ask another person to spot you in case you need assistance.
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