Simple Exercises For The Elderly In Wheelchairs

Being confined to a wheelchair does not preclude being physically active. Simple exercises for the elderly in wheelchairs require no special tools or equipment. Exercises can provide opportunities for strengthening, coordinating, balancing, stretching and improving your overall level of health both on a physical as well as mental level. Breathing regularly throughout the exercises helps improve blood circulation and oxygen flow to muscles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Check with your doctor first.

Ankle Flexions

Keeping the ankle joints lubricated and flexed can be a simple exercise for the elderly in wheelchairs. Sit upright in your wheelchair, with your feet on the floor. Slowly and gently unbend your knee and lift your right leg in front of you, according to the website Sit and Be Fit. Start rotating your ankle in a clockwise direction, by using your toes to make imaginary small circles. Make five small clockwise circles. Return your leg to the original position. Relax 30 seconds. Gently lift your right leg and make five small counterclockwise circles. Return your leg to the original position. Repeat this exercise with your left leg.

Gas Peddler

Strengthening your quadriceps, or thigh muscles, helps stabilize your knee joint, according to Sit and Be Fit. Strong quadriceps make everyday activities such as getting on and off the toilet and in and out of chairs less cumbersome for everyone, especially elderly individuals. Strengthen your thigh muscles by unbending your knee and straightening your right leg in front of you. Contract, or tighten, your kneecap muscles and pretend you are applying pressure to a car's gas pedal. Hold this tension for six seconds. Release the tension and relax 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise four times. Do the exercise again using your left leg.

Two-Armed Stretches

Simple exercises for the elderly in wheelchairs can provide spine stability, according to Sit and Be Fit. Sit upright in your chair. Lift your left arm toward the ceiling or sky and reach down with your right arm. Increase the stretch as far as possible without experiencing discomfort. Hold this stretch for 10 seconds. Return your arms to the original position. Repeat this exercise five times. Do the exercise again lifting your right arm and lowering your left arm.

Walking Fingers

Simple exercises for the elderly in wheelchairs can both strengthen the upper body and improve flexibility in the back, shoulders and arms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Do some finger walks; start by sitting upright in your chair, feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your right arm in front of your body. Imagine a wall directly in front of you and begin moving your fingers and arm as you walk up that wall. When your arm is lifted as high as possible, keep wiggling your fingers for 10 seconds. Slowly return your arm to the original position. Relax 20 seconds. Repeat this exercise five times. Do the exercise again using your left arm.