“Can people exercise with a disability?”
It’s one of the questions that people who have mobility issues get asked a lot.
Many who suffer from disabilities overlook taking care of themselves physically through exercise because they can’t “exercise” like most people.
However, if the Paralympics have taught us anything, it’s that having a disability doesn’t mean that you can’t physically move your body to help keep you fit and healthy.
Even if you have to use aids to use stairs such as a bariatric stairlift, there are exercise options out there to cater for all physical abilities.
Why Should I Exercise?
Exercise isn’t only great for the body. It’s fantastic for your mental wellbeing too.
Regular aerobic exercise – the kind of exercise that gets your heart going and muscle strengthening exercise aren’t limited to physically able individuals. So there’s no reason why disabled people can’t get involved too!
Wheelchair users are especially recommended to take part in physical exercise.
How Much Exercise Should I Do?
According to the Department of Health, adults who are between 19 and 64 years old should be engaging in around 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week. Two or more days a week should be dedicated to building muscle strength.
These guidelines are for all individuals, but they do apply to disabled people too.
Phillip Gill is a specialist tutor for YMCAfit who trains fitness professionals who will go on to work with disabled people. He stated that:
“Many wheelchair users will not be doing anywhere near that volume of physical activity. If that’s you, then see these guidelines as a goal, which you should take small steps towards.”
Even a small increase in the amount of physical activity you are taking part in will benefit you. As your strength builds up, you will find that you can gradually do more and more.
Here at UK stairlifts, we want to get more people involved in becoming more active. As leading providers of curved stairlifts, we know how restricted some people can feel with a disability. But there are exercise options available.
For more information on how our services can aid you with your mobility issues, don’t delay in getting in contact with our friendly team by calling 0800 046 3438.