Home Exercise Program Necessary to Reduce Fatigue in Manual Wheelchair User

Whether you use an electric wheelchair or a manual wheelchair, your degree of mobility is significantly altered. For many wheelchair users, there are unique health challenges that must be overcome to ensure longevity and decrease mortality risks.

Utilizing a manual wheelchair, however, may place you at greater risk for cardiovascular complications, orthopedic complications and even adverse outcomes associated with metabolic disorders. While some physicians may feel your use of a manual wheelchair promotes physical activity, when compared to an electric wheelchair, this is simply not the case. For many adults, the use of an electric wheelchair, may provide for less muscle fatigue and more interest, therefore, in participating in exercise and aerobic activity. Unfortunately, because of cost, many wheelchair users are required to use the much more cost efficient manual wheelchair.

If you are confined to a manual wheelchair, it is important to be well versed in the ways you can improve your cardiovascular health through wheelchair based aerobic activity. Using a 12 week home exercise program, you can improve your aerobic health. However, to be effective, your program must be started with proper education, assistance, be certain you have proper access to equipment and your environment is conducive to such activity. Setting the right foundation is as important as the 12 week exercise program.

When pursuing your home exercise program, ask your physician to make the appropriate referral to a physical therapist. The physical therapist should be one who specializes in the mobility and exercise needed by a wheelchair user. When visiting with your physical therapist, you can anticipate there will be two to three sessions of evaluation and education in which the therapist will engage you in practice exercise routines and education in proper technique and use of exercise equipment.