We all understand the importance of exercise and the role that it plays in helping us to remain healthy and mobile for as long as possible. Unfortunately for those who have a disability, are injured, have weight issues or any other form of issue that can limit their mobility, exercising can be difficult. But whilst more traditional forms of exercise may not be possible, chair-based exercise offers a way in which you can still be active without allowing limited mobility to become an obstacle.
Why is exercise so important?
There are many health benefits to be gained from exercise. These include boosting your mood, reliving stress and anxiety, easing depression and boosting self-esteem. During exercise, the body releases endorphins that can energise your mood and help you to feel more upbeat. Not exercising can actually cause your energy levels and your mood to slump.
Unfortunately, when you have been injured or you have low mobility issues it can be hard to find an exercise regime to follow that doesn’t exacerbate your injury further or that you can actually do. Whilst chair based exercise may seem like something to do with the elderly and not really an exercise at all, it can, in fact, have some significant health benefits. These are well worth exploring.
What type of exercises work best?
If you have a live in carer, then they may already be familiar with a number of different exercises that are suitable for those who have low mobility in addition to char-based exercise in addition to chair-based exercise. It can be well worth asking for help. Remember to do a short warm up before you start any workout.
Some of the chair-based exercise that you might like to try include:
- Seated knee extensions
- Seated pillow squeezes
- Seated clamshells
- Ankle pumps with straight knees
- Marching or chair aerobics
You could also incorporate small hand weights into your chair-based workout. Remember to choose a small weight that you are comfortable holding. The key here is to pick something that works for you. Exercises you could try from your chair include:
- Dumbbell curls
- Dumbbell overhead press
- Side bend holds
If you are able to stand then you may want to consider exercises that begin in the chair and then allow you to use the chair as a support. These may be exercises that you are able to do with the assistance of the person who provides care in your home. It is a good idea to build up to these exercises rather than adding them to your routine to begin with.
You should never push your body to do exercises that you are not comfortable with. It can take time, particularly when you struggle with low mobility to add new exercises or even more of the same exercises to your routine. The key is to do things slowly and steadily. Doing just a few simple chair based exercises every day should really help to improve your mood, and also relieve any stress you might be struggling with.
