If you are a wheelchair user, it is still incredibly important that you keep fit and active, as many different benefits come with doing so. Regular exercise that increases your heart rate and makes you break out in a sweat will provide you with many health benefits moving forward. It doesn’t matter what your physical ability is like, there are sports and activities out there that you are going to be able to do that will help you to build on your activity levels. Here is a look at some of the activities that can help you to stay fit.
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Why Should You Stay Active?
There are a number of different reasons why you should stay fit and engage in physical activity, namely because it benefits your physical and mental wellbeing. Granted, if you use a wheelchair, then it can make exercising more difficult, but there are still means available that allow you to do it. There are also a number of helpful items out there that can help you get to different destinations where you can exercise. For instance, if you want to go to the gym, you can purchase wheelchair accessible vehicles, which will make it incredibly simple for you to travel to the gyms that cater best to those with mobility issues.
What Kind of Activities Are Available?
The kind of activity that you’re going to want to engage in is going to vary depending on what your current level of physical ability is. You might have different goals in mind depending on your current level of physical fitness, so you should be sure to consider what these are and how far away you are from achieving them depending on how you currently feel. You might want to simply get fitter to improve varying aspects of everyday life, but on the other hand you may want to improve your fitness so that you can get more involved in different sports. The different types of physical activity available include:
Cardio Exercises
There are a number of different options available to your if you want to engage in cardio exercises in a wheelchair. The aim is to raise your heart rate, so you break a sweat. After your exercises, you should be slightly out of breath, enough to the point that you can continue to hold a conversation with somebody though. Some good ideas that you can try include:
- Sitting exercises
- A wheelchair workout
- Swimming
- Wheelchair sprints
- A rowing machine
- Wheelchair sports like netball and basketball
Building Muscle
When you are building muscle, there are certain groups that you need to pay attention to. Your chest and shoulder muscles will be tighter and more prone to injury due to the strain placed on them when you repeatedly push your wheelchair. As such, you should ensure you are working on these when engaging in exercises that will build your muscle. You should also try and strengthen your back muscles for the same reasons.
