By skyforbes 
Regular exercise is important at any age, however it is even more important in older adults. Exercises for elderly in wheelchairs are safe and effective in improving overall quality of life and physical health.
A common misconception is that wheelchair users can’t participate in an exercise program. This could not be further from the truth! This article includes 27 best exercises for the elderly in wheelchairs to stay fit.
Regular Physical Activity
According to the CDC people should participate in at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. This should include moderate intensity exercise and at least 2 days of strength training. This guideline is true even for people in wheelchairs.
Moderate intensity exercise is when the heart rate is 50-70% of max heart rate. The easiest way to calculate this is 220-age (.50). For example, if you are 60 your target heart rate would be 220-60(.50) and 220-60(.70) so the target heart rate for a 60 year old would be 80-105 beats per minute. Please be mindful that this is only an estimate to calculate target heart rate.
Benefits of Exercise
There are many benefits of exercise even for those who have limited mobility in a wheelchair. These include:
- Decreases blood pressure and cholesterol
- Improves mood
- Decreases anxiety and depression
- Improves blood flow
- Improves muscle strength
- Decreases fat
What Exercises Can You Do In a Wheelchair?
It is possible to perform many types of exercises in a wheelchair including strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises, resistance band exercises and even cardiovascular exercises. Cardiovascular exercise is important in cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular exercise for wheelchair users can be something as simple as wheelchair propelling or using an arm bike.
How Can I Strengthen My Legs In a Wheelchair?
There are many simple exercises that can be performed in a wheelchair to strengthen the legs. These include long arc quads, straight leg raises and clamshells. To further increase strength building, you can also use resistance bands and ankle weights.
As always you should see your doctor prior to starting a new exercise routine. A physical therapist will be able to prescribe the right exercises for you and guide you on how to properly perform each exercise.
How Do You Strengthen Your Core In a Wheelchair?
Believe it or not it is possible to strengthen your core in a wheelchair. The abdominal muscles can be strengthened without crunches! The best exercises to improve core strength are seated abdominal twists and anterior/ posterior weight shifting. Each of these exercises includes a picture and description of how to perform each exercise at the bottom of the page.
Fun Wheelchair Exercises
These 27 exercises for elderly in wheelchairs are great senior exercises for a full body workout. All of these exercises can be performed in a wheelchair.
Lower Body Exercises
The wheelchair lower body exercises include 1. Knee Lifts 2. Leg Lifts 3. Toe Raises 4. Heel Raises 5. Seated Hip ER and 6. Long Arc Quad (LAQ). Each of these wheelchair exercises can be modified to fit your skill level.
1. Knee Lifts
- Start in a seated position and lift one foot off the ground like a seated march.
- Bring the leg back down to the ground and then lift the other leg up.
- Another name for this exercise is hip flexion.
2. Leg Lifts (Straight Leg Raise)
- Start by sitting at the edge of a chair with one leg straight out in front of you.
- Now lift your entire leg up.
3. Toe Raises
- Sit in a chair and lift your toes off the ground and then slowly bring them back to the ground.
4. Heel Raises
- Sit in a chair and lift your heels off the ground by pushing into your toes and then slowly lower your heels back to the ground
5. Seated Hip ER
- Sit in a chair with your knees bent and push your legs outwards.
- This exercise works the hip muscles.
- If this is too easy you can place a resistance band above your knees and focus on pushing your knees outwards into the band.
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6. Long Arc Quad (LAQ)
- This is a great exercise to improve leg strength, more specifically the quadriceps muscles.
- Start by sitting in a chair and then slowly kick one of your legs up until your leg is completely straight.
- You should aim to perform this exercise with your full range of motion.
- Try not to stop before your leg is straight.
- Now slowly lower your leg back to the starting position.
- You can find more variations of this exercise at How To Do Short Vs Long Arc Quad Exercise With Variations.
- For added difficulty, you can add an ankle weight or resistance band around your ankles.
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Upper Body Exercises
The wheelchair upper body exercises include 7. Shoulder Rolls and 8. Shoulder Retractions.
7. Shoulder Rolls
- Roll your shoulders backwards in a circular motion.
8. Shoulder Retractions
- Sit upright in your chair and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Hold this position for 3 seconds and then relax.
Upper Body Resistance Exercises
The wheelchair upper body resistance exercises include 9. Bicep Curls 10. Shoulder Flexion 11. Horizontal Shoulder Abduction 12. Shoulder ER 13. Shoulder Press 14. Seated Rows.
9. Bicep Curls
- Start with your arms relaxed. Now bend your elbows up towards your body.
- For added difficulty you can use a resistance band like shown in this picture or a small dumbbell weight.
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10. Shoulder Flexion
- Raise your arms above your head keeping your arms straight the entire time.
- For added difficulty you can use a resistance band as seen in the picture or a small dumbbell.
11. Horizontal Shoulder Abduction
- Start with your arms straight out in front of you.
- Now bring your arms out to the side.
- You can perform this exercise with or without a resistance band.
12. Shoulder ER
- Start with your elbows bent to 90 degrees and your palms facing the ceiling.
- Now keep your elbows at 90 degrees and slowly pull your hands outwards.
- This exercise can be performed with or without a resistance band.
- If you do use a resistance band make sure to slowly control the resistance band when bringing your arms back in.
13. Shoulder Press
- Start with your elbow bent to 90 degrees above your head.
- Now straighten your arm and push upwards towards the ceiling.
- This exercise can be performed with no weight, a resistance band or a small dumbbell.
14. Seated Rows
- Hold a resistance band in your hands with your arms straight out in front of you.
- Now squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the resistance band towards you.
- Be sure to not allow your shoulders to rise while performing this exercise.
Exercises For Chest Muscles
The best wheelchair exercises for chest muscles are 15. Chest Squeeze Medicine Ball and 16. Chest Press.
15. Chest Squeeze Medicine Ball
- Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell in front of you and squeeze it with both hands.
- You should feel your chest muscles working.
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16. Chest Press
- Hold a medicine ballot dumbbell and push it out in front of you until your arms are straight.
- Now bring it back to your chest in the starting position.
- If you do not have a dumbbell or medicine ball, or they are too heavy you can use a broom and hold it horizontally.
Exercises for Core Strength
The best wheelchair exercises for core strength are the 17. Side Twist and 18. Anterior And Posterior Weight Shift.
17. Side Twist or Abdominal Twist
- Start with your arms straight out in front of you. Now slowly twist all the way to the right side and then twist all the way to the left side.
- Keep your back unsupported throughout the entire exercise.
18. Anterior And Posterior Weight Shift
- Start by sitting in your chair and then slowly shift your weight forward.
- Try to perform this exercise without using your arms to pull yourself forward.
- Now slowly and controlled shift your weight backwards to the starting position.
Flexibility Exercises
The best flexibility exercises and flexibility activities that you can perform in a wheelchair are 19. Tai Chi 20. Chair Yoga 21. Side Bend Stretch 22. Glute Stretch 23. Neck Rolls 24. Upper Trap Stretch and 25. Seated Hamstring Stretch.
19. Tai Chi
20. Chair Yoga
- You can find a variety of chair yoga poses here.
- Keep in mind that some chair yoga poses are more challenging than others.
- Only perform the poses that are safe for you and your fitness and balance level.
21. Side Bend Stretch
- Raise one arm above your head and slowly lean to the opposite side.
22. Glute Stretch
- Sit with your foot resting on your opposite knee.
- Now allow gravity to bring your leg down. Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds.
23. Neck Rolls
- Roll your head in circles in the clockwise direction and then switch and roll your head in the counter clockwise direction.
24. Upper Trap Stretch
- Place your hand on the opposite side of your head and gently pull down towards your armpit.
- Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds.
25. Seated Hamstring Stretch
- Sit in a chair with the leg that you want to stretch straight out in front of you.
- Now lean forward and reach for your toes while keeping your leg straight.
- Only perform this exercise if you have good sitting balance. Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Exercises For Back Muscles
The best wheelchair exercises for back muscles are 26. Lat Pull Down and 27. Back Extensions.
26. Lat Pull Down
- This exercise is great for the lower back muscles.
- Start with a resistance band secured above your head and keep your arms straight and above your head.
- Now slowly pull your arms down next to you.
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27. Back Extensions
- This exercise helps to stretch the back muscles. Place your hands behind your back and arch your back backwards.
- You should feel a nice stretch in the upper part of your back.
Summary
These exercises are a great way for wheelchair users to strengthen all muscle groups and improve overall quality of life. If you are looking for more seniors exercises you can find them at The Guide To In Home Physical Therapy For Seniors With Exercises.