Wheelchair no barrier for a fit & healthy lifestyle, here’s why

As a wheelchair user, your exercise options are many so don’t use that as an excuse to stay inactive. Here are some tips from people who use wheelchairs and are fit and healthy.

In today’s world of fast foods and long working hours, staying fit and healthy is a challenge for everyone. Gaining excess wight can happen even before you know it so it’s important to exercise good food choices and get some exercise everyday.

Exercise is especially vital for a healthy mind, believes Preetha Thonnakkal from Kerala. As a wheelchair user, she makes a conscious effort to get her body moving.

Wheelchair users are always in a sitting position. Hence chances of having low blood circulation are low. Move your body occasionally. Doing wheelchair push-ups can also help. I believe having a good mental health is the key to staying happy and healthy. – Preetha Thonnakkal, Wheelchair user

Here are some tips for wheelchair users to stay fit and healthy

• Go cardio – It is important to increase the heart rate and make sure that your heart is warm enough so you start sweating. There are many wheelchair users who hit the gym and hire personal trainers who help them do so.
• Good posture while sitting– Wheelchair becomes an integral part of your life since you are sitting on it the whole day. But at the same time, this can cause many health issues and some of the most common ones are pressure sores, scoliosis and inability to breathe. According to experts, the ideal way to sit on your wheelchair is by keeping shoulders, hips, knees and feet in a straight line.
• Stay mentally fit– There are many people who start using a wheelchair later on in life while some others might have started using it since birth. Either ways experts point out that chances of being depressed and sad are more amongst wheelchair users. Hence, it is important to have a healthy body and equally healthy mind. In case you feel like consulting an expert for opinion, ensure to speak to a psychologist or counsellor who can help you out.
• Get sleep – Getting good sleep does not really come easy. Since wheelchair users are sitting during the day, chances of feeling fatigue are low. Hence, getting sleep soon after you hit the bed can be quite impossible unless you engage in a lot of activities throughout the day. On bed, you also need to find a comfortable position. In case you are unable to sleep well, try to find out what the problem is and work towards it.

“For me, physical exercise is an integral part of my life. I engage in physiotherapy, yoga and sometimes work outs too. Most importantly, find out things that you love doing and start doing them. If you love travelling, go to places and meet new people. A healthy mind is equally important, says Veena Venugopal, a wheelchair user.

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