When inflicted with limited mobility, it can become incredibly difficult to move around enough to get a sufficient amount of exercise. However, limited mobility or not, exercise is crucial for your internal health, as it gets your blood pumping, helps you to burn off fats and keeps your organs as healthy as possible. No matter what the cause for your limited mobility, we have five useful tips to stay active. So, even if used mobility scooters are your default method of movement, we still have ways to keep you in healthy shape.
- Attempt Flexibility Exercises
Some people strongly believe that cardio exercises are the only ones that can effectively burn calories, but this isn’t at all true. In fact, when you have reduced mobility, flexibility exercises can be just as effective. If you’re able to manoeuvre outside of your mobility scooter, why not try some yoga exercises? Depending on how confident you feel, you can either start at a miniscule level or attempt some of the more challenging poses! Even if you’re not able to move yourself out of your mobility scooter or wheelchair without aid, simple yoga stretches whilst sat can still help you to keep some pounds off if done regularly.
- Start Slow
Having reduced mobility can be frustrating, especially if you suffer due to a life-changing injury. Due to this frustration, it can be easy to throw yourself into intense workouts, but this could actually hinder your health rather than improve it. Therefore, when considering exercise, always start slow. If you’ve never attempted exercise with reduced mobility, it can be difficult to understand your strong and weak areas, so by working slow you can gain an understanding of your body’s capabilities and limits. After all, you don’t want to strain yourself and make the entire situation worse!
- Do a Little Every Day
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to complete lengthy exercises if you have limited mobility, as even the simplest of workouts can really take the energy out of you. Instead of getting carried away and scheduling hours long sessions every day, it’s important to try to do just a little every day. With toning exercises, you’re essentially damaging your muscles so that they can repair themselves stronger. With reduced mobility, this might not be the most practical, so by participating in small amounts each day, you can build up your health and strength gradually.
- Focus on Mental Health As Well
The importance of mental health is frequently overlooked, but particularly for individuals suffering with reduced mobility, it needs to be made a priority. Having a mobility impairment can make you feel deflated, defeated and full of despair, but simple mental health exercises can really help you get your mojo back. Why not try meditating before bed each day, thinking about the good things that have happened that day and releasing the bad? In addition to this, you should also try to receive the right amount of sleep every day, as this can really brighten your perspective for the day ahead.
- Focus More on a Balanced Diet
Even participating in small, frequent exercises won’t send you straight to good health, so keeping a balanced diet is more important than ever if you’re struggling with daily movements. If snacking, you must ensure that it’s fruit instead of crisps or cake. Plus, when sitting down for dinner, try to incorporate vegetables into every meal, as these will provide you with the extra nutrients and minerals that you need to stay healthy with limited mobility.
