Having limited mobility does not mean that you can’t exercise and stay healthy. There are lots of exercises that you can adapt to suit your own ability.
Low-impact exercises
Circumstances when high-impact exercise isn’t advisable include:
- If you're pregnant
- If you have injured your joints, bones or connective tissue injuries
- If you have chronic problems, such as arthritis, osteoporosis or stress fractures
- If you're very overweight
- If you’re new to exercise
- If you have certain physical disabilities
Low-impact exercises can improve your health and fitness without harming weight-bearing joints. Research suggests that moderate intensity, low-impact activity is just as effective as high-impact activity in lowering the risk of heart disease.
Walking
Walking is by far the most popular low-impact exercise to work the cardiovascular system and burn calories. To get your heart rate up, aim to walk faster than a stroll. Picking up the pace can help you increase the intensity of your workouts. Add short bursts of speed or an occasional steep hill to your walking workouts.
Cross-country ski machines
These machines, found mostly in gyms, provide excellent aerobic conditioning and can improve muscle strength. They use most of the muscles of the body and help you to burn many calories. Ski machines are also low impact, so you don't put strain on specific joints. They're great for all-round fitness.
Rowing machines
Rowing offers a complete low-impact body workout. It’s a great aerobic alternative to cycling and running, provided you have the correct posture. Done correctly, rowing elevates the cardiovascular system and works the abdomen, back and upper body. A rowing machine can also be used to warm up for other activities.
Swimming and aqua aerobics
Swimming works the whole body and is a great way to tone up and get trim. A few lengths involve most of the muscle groups and, if you increase the pace, you’ll get a brilliant aerobic workout too. Swimming can also help you lose weight if you swim at a steady and continuous pace throughout your session. It is also a great stress reliever and provides buoyancy and freedom to people who may otherwise have restricted mobility.
Aqua-aerobic workouts use a variety of techniques taken from studio aerobics, including walking or running backwards and forwards, jumping jacks, various arm movements, and moves from cross-country skiing.
Pilates, Yoga and Tai chi
Pilates focuses on re-balancing the body and improving posture through slow, controlled movements and exercises. You always keep one foot on the ground when you're doing Pilates, so it's good for people who cannot, or must not, move around too much or jump about. It's also good for people who are overweight.
Yoga can improve both your physical fitness and your general wellbeing, through a series of postures and breathing exercises. Regular yoga practice helps to keep your body fit, control cholesterol levels, reduce weight, manage stress, normalise blood pressure and improve heart performance.
Tai chi can harmonise the mind, body and spirit, promoting both mental and physical well being. Movements are slow and controlled so you won't improve your cardiovascular fitness or get a calorie-burning workout. However, it helps to improve strength, flexibility and balance.
Exercises for older people
The recommendations for adults also apply to older people. The elderly should take particular care to keep moving and retain their mobility through daily activity. Activities to improve strength, co-ordination, balance and endurance are of particular benefit.
Take all small opportunities to be active, such as taking the stairs or doing manual tasks. On weekends, consider longer walks, biking or swimming.
Stretching
Stretching helps to lengthen the muscles and tendons, making them more flexible. As you get older, regular stretching may help to keep you mobile. Stretching increases physical and mental relaxation and reduces the risk of joint sprain, muscle strain or back problems.
Age UK Dudley
Age UK Dudley is a registered Charity working to ensure that older people in the borough of Dudley get the information, encouragement and support they need to make later life as fulfilling and rewarding as possible. To find out more, or to get involved, visit: http://www.ageukdudley.org.uk.
Exercising with a disability
Exercises for wheelchair users
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is critical when you are a wheelchair user. Exercising the upper body is just as important to maintain the stamina necessary to operate a wheelchair especially if you regularly use wheelchair ramps for your house or if you have a wheelchair van with a ramp.
Exercise also helps build body strength, gives you energy, relieves stress and can help reduce fatigue. The key is to find the right kind of exercise for your situation.
Generally, wheelchair users can focus on resistance exercises to improve upper body strength and help reduce chances of injury. (You should always talk to your doctor or physical therapist to get clearance and guidance for your best options.)
Upper body
Regardless of your mobility, you can still use some machines at the gym. If you’re in a wheelchair, try doing some weights or using the weight lifting machines.
Here are some simple exercises to try:
- Lift your arms straight out in front of you, hold for a few seconds, and lower. Repeat 15-20 times as your stamina allows. As your strength increases, add hand weights.
- Lift your arms out to the sides (stopping at shoulder level), hold, then lower. Repeat 15-20 times as your stamina allows. This exercise can be done with weights as well as your strength increases.
- Using hand weights or any household alternative, do 15-20 repetitions of shrugging your shoulders.
- Using weights or alternative, lift both arms straight above your head fully extending your arms.
- Holding the weights in your hand, palm up, bend at the elbow towards your shoulder.
- Raise one arm bent at the elbow, behind your head. Using weights do 15-20 repetitions of fully extending your arm.
These are stretching exercises you can do while leaning against the headboard of a bed, leaning against a piece of furniture that will not move, or sitting in your wheelchair.
- Hook your left wrist under your left knee. Pull your left knee toward the chest. Hold to a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.
- Sit with your left knee bent toward your chest. Use your left wrist and forearm to push the outside of your left knee toward your right leg. Do not force. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.
- Sit with your left knee bent up. Slowly lower it out to the side toward the bed or wheelchair. Use your left wrist and forearm to push gently down against the inside of the left knee. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat 5 times.
- Facing a bed or chair, place one of your legs straight out on the bed or chair and hold the knee straight. Do not lean forward as this will stretch you too much. Hold for 3-5 minutes per leg.
Outdoor gym equipment
Some of Dudley's Healthy Towns gym equipment is suitable for people with limited mobility and wheelchair users.
Wheelchair sports
If you're competitive, another option is to try organised sports. Wheelchair Sports can help you find events near you that include basketball, archery, fencing and more.
Back to all activities
