Having limited mobility can feel frustrating and discouraging, especially if your movements are restricted due to an illness or injury. But even with limited mobility, there are still ways to enjoy the benefits of exercise and promote general wellness.
Why You Should Still Exercise with Limited Mobility
No matter your level of mobility, you should try to exercise and stay active. Exercise offers benefits that include relieving stress and anxiety and reducing depression.
When you exercise, you trigger your body to release feel-good hormones like endorphins. Endorphins help energize you and boost your mood.
Aside from the mental health benefits, exercise also has physical benefits, which might include:
Increased bone density
Better sleep
Lower blood pressure
Better cardiovascular health
Increased blood flow
Reduced pain
The positive physical effects of exercise can help alleviate pain in many people. Because of these many benefits, it’s worth learning how to exercise with limited mobility.
Exercises for Limited Upper Body Mobility
If you have limited upper body mobility, you can try activities like these:
Walking
Jogging
Swimming
Biking
Using an elliptical machine
These exercises will help you get stronger as you keep your body moving.
Exercises for Limited Lower Body Mobility
If you have limited lower body mobility or are in a wheelchair, practice these upper body exercises:
Chair aerobics
Air punches (with or without weights)
Swimming
Weightlifting
Some upper-body weightlifting exercises try to include bicep curls, shoulder presses, and triceps extensions.
Finally, look into whether any gyms in your area offer wheelchair training machines.
Starting Your Exercise Routine
When starting your new exercise routine while living with limited mobility, just remember to start small and slow, do a little every day, and expect a nonlinear journey.
You will have ups and downs, and some days will feel easier than others. This is normal and okay! What matters is not giving up.
Chronic pain can make even the simplest daily tasks feel impossible. However, exercise can help you manage some of your symptoms by providing pain relief and boosting mobility. Try some of these exercises to gain control over your chronic pain and enjoy a better quality of life.
Stretches
Stretching allows your muscles to relax and relieves painful tension that accumulates over time.
If you suffer from lower back pain, try the following stretch:
Lie down on the floor on your back
Raise both knees toward your chest
Wrap your arms around your knees to pull them in closer
Feel the stretch in your lower back muscles as you rock back and forth with your knees near your chest
Set one foot on the floor and move your other foot so that your ankle is resting near your knee
Pull on the back of your leg that has your foot resting on the floor
This action stretches your glutes and lower back, and it can reduce stiffness and pain when practiced regularly.
Outdoor Walking
Walking can reduce chronic pain by exercising your leg muscles and improving circulation. And being surrounded by nature can offer additional physical and mental health benefits.
Take a walk outdoors once a day to relieve some of your pain. You will benefit from sun exposure as well as the low-intensity movement that comes with walking.
If you are unable to walk outdoors, you can use an indoor treadmill to boost your blood flow and get moving each day.
Swimming
Swimming is a popular low-impact exercise for many people who struggle with chronic pain. When you swim, your joints can remain comfortable as you move fluidly through the water.
Low-impact cardio exercises like swimming get your blood pumping and your muscles moving with less strain on your body. Take a dip in the water next time you feel like exercising.
Relieve Pain Naturally with Daily Exercises
If you practice these techniques daily or weekly, you may see great relief from your symptoms. Chronic pain can be debilitating, but with regular exercise, you can start healing from the inside out.
Your bones are essential for providing your body with support and stability, especially as you age. When you get older, you are more susceptible to conditions that can weaken bones and make them more prone to breakage.
Keeping your bones healthy throughout your life will strengthen them in old age and make you less likely to develop conditions like osteoporosis. Take a look at these tips for healthier bones.
Increase Calcium Intake
One of the best ways to strengthen your bones is to increase your calcium intake. Many people are deficient in calcium, and it puts them at a higher risk of osteoporosis and other conditions that weaken bones. You can increase your calcium intake by adding more whole milk, yogurt, and calcium supplements to your diet.
Stay Active
You don’t need to perform strenuous exercises or intense workouts. A daily walk, swimming, or even playing golf are all good ways to remain physically active.
People who lead a sedentary lifestyle tend to have weaker bones than those who get regular exercise. To strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, you should strive to stay active throughout your whole life.
Quit Smoking
Research has suggested that smoking cigarettes can increase your risk of bone breakage or developing osteoporosis. To help yourself maintain strong, healthy bones, it’s better to quit smoking as soon as possible.
Decrease Alcohol Consumption
In addition to tobacco products, alcohol can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. For stronger, healthier bones, you should try to keep your drinking to a minimum.
Keep Hormones in Check
Some instances of weak bones and osteoporosis are linked to hormone imbalances. Getting your hormone levels regularly checked and ruling out thyroid conditions can help you keep strong bones for your entire life.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 25% of all adults in the United States suffer from arthritis. Arthritis can be a debilitating condition that affects many areas of the body. One of the most common locations for arthritis, however, is the hands. If you have hand arthritis, there are some things you can do to find relief.
Medications
Many medications have been developed to reduce the symptoms of arthritis and allow you to use your hands with less pain or no pain. The right medications can help reduce swelling as well as joint discomfort.
Some common arthritis medications include:
Acetaminophen
Corticosteroids
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Immunosuppressive drugs
While medications cannot stop the progression of the disease, they can help manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, uses stem cells to promote your body’s natural healing process. These cells target the affected joints, reducing inflammation, pain, and aching. Stem cell therapy can also increase joint flexibility and help with the regeneration of new cartilage.
Management Strategies
Physical exercises for your hands can help you regain some mobility in your joints. You can also turn to hot and cold packs. Cold packs reduce swelling and pain, and hot packs protect against stiffness. You also need to consider regular rest periods since rest can help reduce swelling.
If you smoke, quitting can also help reduce the symptoms of arthritis, as can losing weight if you are overweight or have diabetes.
Arthritis Help Is Available
You do not have to suffer through painful hand arthritis when there are treatments available that do not rely only on surgical procedures. With management strategies like hand exercises, as well as with medication and emerging treatments like stem cell therapy, you can get the relief you need.
Nutritional deficiencies are a common cause of concerns like hair loss, lack of energy, and brain fog. One of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies is a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Left untreated, a B12 deficiency can lead to serious issues like anemia, neurological concerns, and psychological symptoms. To avoid these larger issues, vitamin B12 levels should be restored as soon as possible.
Learn more about a B12 deficiency and its symptoms below.
Symptoms of a B12 Deficiency
Many people are lacking in vitamin B12 and have no idea until their symptoms begin to affect everyday life. Symptoms include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Weight loss
Lack of appetite
Vision problems
Extreme lethargy
Difficulty speaking
Sore mouth or tongue
Getting easily confused
Depression and irritability
Numbness and tingling
When you start to notice symptoms of a B12 deficiency, it is important that you seek professional treatment to restore appropriate levels. The sooner you treat your deficiency, the less likely you are to develop serious concerns like neurological decline.
Treating a B12 Deficiency
A simple blood test can confirm that you are low in vitamin B12. When your B12 levels are properly assessed with a complete blood count (CBC), you can then move forward with treatment.
Your doctor will work with you to bring your B12 back up and resolve your associated symptoms. This will involve a customized treatment plan that increases the amount of vitamin B12 in your system.
The following are some of the ways that a B12 deficiency is treated:
Vitamin B12 oral medication
Intramuscular injections
B12 nasal spray
B12 nasal gel
If you are experiencing lethargy, vision problems, vomiting, or other symptoms of B12 deficiency, seek prompt medical treatment. Diagnosing and treating this deficiency will help you avoid serious conditions further down the road.
Speak with your doctor today to learn more about vitamin B12 deficiency. You can also do a comprehensive test to discover your personal blueprint of any insufficiencies and deficiencies to better optimize your daily wellness needs.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) leads to difficulty breathing, excess mucus, and chronic coughing. In addition, the feeling of being short of breath can lead to anxiety and other mental health concerns.
Engaging in breathing exercises can expand your lung capacity, allowing for more efficient, functional breathing and offering the added benefit of calming anxiety.
Deep Breathing
Taking the time to practice deep breathing can allow you to expel air from your lungs fully. Trapped air can cause shortness of breath, but completely releasing all the air from your lungs will help you take in the fresh air.
Practicing deep breathing requires a few easy steps:
Sit or stand comfortably, slightly drawing your elbows back to open your chest
Deeply inhale through your nose
Hold the air in your lungs as you count to five
Slowly exhale through your nose until you fully expel all of the air
Staying active and exercising is especially important for those with COPD. Exercise strengthens your breathing muscles, reduces the risk of COPD flare-ups, and helps you maintain healthy body weight.
Coordinated breathing can help you strengthen your breath. You can practice it during both smaller daily activities like climbing stairs and more strenuous activities like lifting weights.
To practice coordinated breathing:
Inhale before starting your movement
Exhale as you complete the movement
For example, when climbing stairs, you will inhale for a count of two to three, then exhale as you ascend two to three steps. Likewise, if you’re lifting weights, you’ll inhale as you begin and exhale as you lift.
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