Decreased mobility or being bound to a wheelchair can mean you spend a lot of time sitting down. This can lead to more difficulty moving as well as weight gain, which in turn can damage vital organs such as your heart. Discover 4 more exercises for those with decreased mobility…
So, what exercises should you be doing to help your mobility around the home and keep your overall health in tip top shape?
Aerobic
Resistance bands can be a real asset when it comes to aerobic exercise. Pulling up on them in repetitions of 50 can really aid both your legs or arms, depending on what position you choose to do the repetitions in.
You can attach the band underneath your seat or chair for arm exercises. Wrap it around an adjacent post or object in order to work on your back or leg muscles.
Strength
Building the strength in your muscles is a great way to ensure that your mobility remains high. This can be especially important if you rely on your upper body strength for mobility, it may help increase your mobility time before becoming tired. Dumbbells are a cheap and cheerful way to achieve this strength. As little as 10 to 15 repetitions in each session can help you to increase your arm strength over a number of weeks, depending on the weight of the bell that you use.
Swimming
For those with decreased mobility, swimming can be one of the best and easiest exercises to help limbs achieve better movement. The only important thing to remember is that you should always swim with a partner to ensure your safety at all times. When leg mobility is difficult, having your partner suspend your legs whilst you attempt to kick can help increase strength.
Become a Boxing Champ
For an activity with a little more fun involved, you could always attempt to become a boxing pro from the comfort of your own home. There is no equipment needed for this particular training method. But, if you want to get something to actually punch then small and reachable punching bags are available in many high street stores.
However, it is as easy as making a fist and punching the air for those who don’t want to invest in equipment. Doing for an hour can help you to burn off at least a meal’s worth of calories. For a more interactive experience, you could always go head to head with one of your friends and relatives in a just-for-fun match! Just be sure to pull your punches.
Here at UK Stairlifts, we know how important it is to help mobility remain as high as possible and maintain a sense of independence. If you would like to find out more about having a new stairlift, reconditioned stairlift or heavy duty stairlift installed in yours or your loved ones’ home, get in touch with a friendly member of our team who is always happy to help.