WHEELCHAIR EXERCISES FOR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS

Keeping your body moving when you're in a wheelchair can seem to be a daunting challenge, but it isn't impossible. Regular exercise, even though you're in a wheelchair, can help improve your strength, range of motion and cardiovascular health. Check with your doctor to ensure that these exercises are right for you.

Biceps Curl

This exercise is designed to help strengthen your arms using a resistance band, pair of dumbbells, a can of food or just your body weight. Hold the weights, resistance band or your arms with your palms facing away from your body with your arms resting by your sides. Use the muscles of your upper arms to lift the weights against the force of gravity by bending both elbows at the same time and bringing the weights up to your chest level. Hold this contraction for a second and then return to the starting position using a slow and controlled motion. Repeat.


Leg Extensions

If you still have mobility in your legs, you will find that this exercise helps strengthen the large muscles on the front of your thighs. Sit in your chair with the footrests down and lift one leg off the footrest and straighten your leg. When your leg is as straight as possible, tighten the muscles on the front of your thigh as much as possible by pretending you're pressing on a gas pedal. Hold this contraction for a second and relax. Bend your leg to return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. Be sure that you perform an equal number of repetitions with each leg.

Shoulder Rolls

Sit straight in your chair with your hips directly under your shoulders and your back as straight as possible. Lift your right shoulder and roll it in a circular motion using the muscles of your back, shoulders and neck. This motion should be repeated rolling your shoulder to the front and to the back. Repeat four times with each shoulder.

Hand Grip

This exercise is designed to help improve your grip strength. Hold a tennis ball or other small, soft ball in each hand. Squeeze the ball with as much force as you can muster with your hands. Hold each squeeze for three to five seconds and then relax. Repeat 10 to 15 times with each hand daily.

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