Physical Activities for Individuals With Disabilities

According to the U.S. Department of Health, there is evidence to show that regular physical activities provide important health benefits for people with disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, stoke victims, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. There is a range of exercises based on the specific nature of the disability and how the individual's muscles are affected.

Adaptive Aerobic Exercise

• The aerobics exercise has to be structured around the abilities of the disabled person.

  Aerobic exercise is a good form of exercise for everyone, including people with disabilities. In the case of people with disabilities, Adaptive aerobics exercise refers to exercise for disabled individuals with reduced usable and trainable muscle mass and with compromised autonomic or cardiovascular functions or those who are on drugs that could alter their normal physiologic response to exercise. As such, the aerobic exercise has to be adapted to suit the needs of the disabled person.

Strengthening

• For people who use wheelchairs, strengthening the muscles used for transferring and balance is particularly important because repetitive transfers often result in a situation where there is an uneven muscular development. A strength training program that is balanced and involves the stretching of the shoulder muscles can help individuals relieve muscle spasms and prevent injury. People with disabilities, like those who have paraplegia (paralysis of the lower extremities), multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, can also benefit from strengthening exercises. A typical strengthening technique would involve positioning the individual on a weight bench and then stabilizing their trunks and other lower extremities. This procedure may require the use of a stabilizing belt. From this position, the individual can practice the rules of safe lifting, which include stretching before lifting and the use of smooth movements.

Flexibility and Endurance

• Flexibility exercises can benefit people with contracture, a muscle imbalance that is due to paralysis or permanent muscular shortening due to a chronic spasm or fibrosis. These individuals have a limited range of motion and exercises involving lying on the back or stomach can help relax certain muscles. Endurance exercises can help people who have quadriplegia (paralysis of the legs and arms). Such exercises include arm bicycling (depending on the severity of the paralysis), swimming and other aerobic exercises performed while sitting in a pool. In order to help them grasp the handle of exercise equipment, they may need to be equipped with grip gloves or cuffs. Trunk-stabilizing belts can be used on endurance training equipment.