Staying Active When You Can't Walk - Adaptive Exercises

Staying Active When You Cant Walk

Walking is one of the simplest yet most beneficial forms of exercise. It builds endurance, strengthens muscles, improves cardiovascular health, and boosts mood. But injury, illness, surgery or disability doesnt mean you have to forego physical activity altogether. There are many productive and fun things to do when you cant walk.

Causes of Losing the Ability to Walk

A wide variety of medical conditions can make walking difficult, painful or impossible. These include:

• Arthritis in the knees, hips or ankles
• Broken bones in the legs or feet
• Spinal cord injuries
• Neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Peripheral arterial disease that causes cramping while walking

Surgeries like hip or knee replacement also involve recovery periods with restricted mobility. And health events like heart attack, stroke or accidents can leave someone unable to walk temporarily.

Benefits of Remaining Active

Its understandable to want to rest and recover when dealing with illness or injury affecting your ability to walk. But too much inactivity causes physical deconditioning - muscle loss and declines in stamina or coordination that make mobility even harder.

Staying active delivers physical and mental health perks like:

• Preventing falls or repeat injuries
• Speeding recovery to regain strength for walking
• Controlling diseases like diabetes or heart disease
• Relieving stress, anxiety and depression
• Avoiding weight gain

Checking with your healthcare provider is wise to ensure activities match current health status and physical limitations.

Everyday Activities to Keep Moving

Look for opportunities to avoid long sedentary periods. Interject small bursts of activity between periods of rest. Options might include:

• Standing or taking a few steps every 20-30 minutes
• Changing body position from sitting to reclining frequently
• Lifting arm or leg weights while seated
• Stretching arms, shoulders and back

Simple housework like folding laundry, washing dishes or dusting provides mobility. Reach items from high shelves or clean lower ones to practice balancing.

Move safely at your own pace but avoid long spells stuck in a chair or bed. This intermittent activity makes a difference until you regain strength.

Water Workouts

Aquatic exercise allows movement with very little weight or joint strain. Water supports 90% of body weight, releasing pressure on areas like knees or hips. Water resistance also strengthens muscles.

Pool mobility workouts improve flexibility, balance, coordination, strength and cardio stamina. Gentle range of motion arm and leg movements increase blood flow. Deep breathing techniques enhance lung capacity.

Most community fitness centers offer specialty water classes for all abilities. Or create your own pool workout tailored to current health status.

Adaptive Sports

Recreational sports leagues for people with disabilities allow participation in favorite games with adaptive equipment. These might include:

• Wheelchair basketball, rugby, tennis or racing
• Sled hockey
• Para-equestrian riding

Many communities have local adaptive teams. Or travel sports opportunities allow meeting peers and having fun staying active through national organizations.

Seated Cardio Workouts

Cardiovascular exercise is important for heart health. It doesnt require walking or even standing up. Examples of seated cardio options include:

• Arm ergometer (hand cycle)
• Rowing machine
• Functional electrical stimulation (FES) stationary bikes
• Recumbent stepper machines

These adaptations allow someone with limited mobility to still train endurance, burn calories, elevate heart rate and mood.

Physical Therapy Exercises

A tailored home strengthening and mobility program from a physical therapist targets specific limitations. They provide techniques to improve balance, core stability, range of motion and prevent unsafe movements.

PTs also show proper ways to transition between positions like getting in and out of bed. They provide assistive walking devices as ability improves over time.

The Takeaway

An injury, surgery or medical condition may hamper walking temporarily or long-term. But that doesnt mean giving up strengthening activity. Safe options to stay active despite mobility limitations aid both physical and mental well-being.

Explore pool workouts, household chores, adaptive sports, cardio machines and physical therapy exercises. Clear chosen options with your healthcare providers and pace activity appropriately for your situation.

Remaining reasonably active - even without walking - speeds recovery to the greatest degree of mobility possible over time.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.