Blog
Let's get moving! (Forward – Autumn 2024)
SIA’s specialist therapist Frances Moya offers some hints and tips on how to get started with, or keep motivated about, regular exercise after SCI
- Why movement and exercise is important after SCI?
People with an SCI are more likely than the general population to have health problems related to weight gain, cardiovascular disease and increased cholesterol. It is likely that this is related to reduced activity levels and so increasing movement and exercise is particularly important to maintain overall health and wellbeing.
- What benefits there are from regular movement and exercise?
- Maintaining weight
- Maintaining flexibility
- Maintaining or improving physical function
- Improved bladder and bowel drainage
- Maintaining bone density/strength
- Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease
- May help to improve sleep and pain levels.
- Improved wellbeing and emotional health
- How’s best to get started?
Start small, aim to increase your movement a couple of times a week. This could be as simple as getting out to push/walk around your local area.
If you are happier exercising at home, there are a number of online workouts you could trial. Wheelpower have online exercise classes and fitness videos which are adapted to suit different needs. Joe Wicks has recently produced some seated exercise videos and a search on YouTube can bring up some good options. The App called Accessercise has accessible workouts, links to accessible gyms and also allows you to log and track your workouts. A Fitness tracker can also be helpful to record your activity levels and give positive feedback. Or just log sessions and how you felt in a diary or calendar.
If you are happier exercising outside the home, many leisure centres and gyms are now accessible and will have a trainer that can assist you in creating a programme that will meet your needs. Wheelpower also have a directory of disabled sports clubs if you fancy trying a new sport.
- Not everyone is a Paralympian! Any tips on maintaining a good movement and exercise practice?
Habit and consistency is key. Planning and adding exercise sessions into a diary or calendar will keep you accountable. Making sure that they fit around your routine means you are more likely to stick with them.
Finding a friend or colleague to exercise with will help keep you on track and attending a weekly class may help keep you motivated!
Make sure you celebrate your wins, whether it be weight loss, feeling stronger, day to day tasks feeling easier or your head feeling clearer. Noticing these improvements will boost your motivation to keep going.
Written by Frances Moya
(This article was created for the Autumn edition of FORWARD magazine)
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