Weak Fitness

More fitness options than ever are available for people with disabilities. For example, there are groups for participating in everything from hang-gliding to wheelchair football!

If you’re interested in these and other pursuits, opportunities exist worldwide. Plus, getting involved in new activities may open doors you never imagined.

Before beginning an fitness program, it is critical to get the go-ahead from a healthcare provider. If you’re taking any medications, ask your provider how they might affect your body’s responses.

For example, some drugs reduce sweat rate, so you may overheat more easily than the next person.

Getting involved in regular exercise is an important factor in reaching your weight control goal and improves health in a lot of ways. Picking activities that you like will help keep you excited to stick with your fitness program.

Pick options that burn calories in addition to maintain or increase muscle mass. What you are able to do or start out with will be based on your range of motion.

Depending on your abilities, engaging in weight training for the upper body is important.

This will help build lean muscle mass, expend more calories, and condition so that you are able to participate in other sports. to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness, a number of options exist.

Tabletop hand bicycles, which have pedals for the arms, could be used indoors, and enhance the upper body, too.

Outdoor hand bicycles (the wheelchair kind that is used by people who do not have lower body mobility) –  you might recall seeing them in various competitions –  are also used by many physically challenged athletes.

Depending on your physical ability, you could also find swimming to be a great workout, both for building upper body strength in addition to for burning calories.

Make sure to check your local “Y,” fitness club, or recreation center for exercise classes or instruction in your area.

Since it is often easier to workout with others, consider the Achilles Track Club International, which offers support and training buddies in many locations. Visit their web site for a chapter in your area.

Consulting with a personal trainer experienced in working with individuals with disabilities to help come up with an individualized program is a good idea.