Maintaining core strength and stability is important for wheelchair users. Routine core work may help promote trunk stability, reduce pain, and increase mobility.

Your core is the cylinder of muscles at the center of your body that includes the abdominal muscles in the front and the paraspinal muscles in the back.

It plays a key role in posture and balance and supports a range of functional movements in the body.

In this article, we offer a range of seated exercises to help wheelchair users maintain core strength and mobility.

There are roughly 1 million wheelchair users in the United States ages 65 years and older. The majority of these individuals use manual wheelchairs, such as push-rim models.

For many older adults, wheelchairs are a key to maintaining independence. But propelling a manual wheelchair can be physically tiring. In some cases, it can lead to overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, or pain.

This is particularly true if your chair doesn’t fit properly, you lack fitness, or you’re using improper technique.

While propelling a manual wheelchair is itself a form of exercise and will help users build endurance, performing dedicated exercises to support wheelchair use can help prevent injury and keep you moving well.

Research indicates that resistance training may improve functional independence of wheelchair users and have positive effects on quality of life.

Potential benefits of increased core strength include better posture, improved transfers, and enhanced wheelchair propulsion.

The exercises below are designed to be adaptable, meaning you can perform them with or without weights to modify the difficulty to meet your personal fitness needs.

They’re also designed to be performed while seated.

If you’re starting a new exercise program, it may be best to speak with a trainer or physical therapist for advice on form and for a personalized exercise plan.

Tips

Consider the following factors when performing core or other wheelchair exercises. Doing so can help prevent overtraining:

  • Listen to your body and take rest days as necessary.
  • Use a workout journal to record sessions, including the exercises, sets/reps, weights, and difficulty.
  • Ensure adequate recovery between sessions.
  • Stay hydrated and fueled.

Seated forward reach

Here’s how to do it:

  • Sit tall toward the front of your chair with your back away from the backrest.
  • Reach both arms straight out in front of you.
  • Keeping the arms parallel with the floor, hinge at the hips and lean forward as far as your range of motion allows. Do not let your back start rounding — keep your spine in a neutral position.
  • Reverse the movement until you’re back in the starting position, and return your hands to your lap.
  • This is one rep.

Perform 2 sets of 10 reps. To increase the difficulty, hold a dumbbell in each hand, or use both hands to hold a plate or medicine ball. When adding weight, always start low and increase gradually.

Seated side bend

Here’s how to do it:

  • Sit tall toward the front of your chair with your back away from the backrest.
  • Place your left hand on the chair by your side, and raise the right hand straight up into the air.
  • Take a deep breath in, keeping your right arm raised, and exhale as you lean your upper body to the left.
  • You should feel a stretch in the oblique muscles along the right side of your core as well as in your lats.
  • Pause for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.
  • This is one rep.

Perform 2 sets of 10 reps on each side.

Seated trunk rotation

Here’s how to do it:

  • Sit tall toward the front of your chair with your back away from the backrest.
  • Place your palms together in front of your chest in a prayer-like position.
  • Maintaining that tall posture, rotate your body all the way to the left.
  • Then, rotate all the way to the right, and return to the center.
  • This is one rep.

Perform 2 sets of 10 reps. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, you may hold a weight at your chest while performing the rotations. Alternatively, hold the weight straight out away from your body while performing the rotations.

Wheelchair push-ups

This upper-body exercise involves engaging your core while using your arms to lift yourself off the chair.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Sit tall toward the front of your chair with your back away from the backrest.
  • Place your hands on the arms of the chair.
  • Lean forward, engage your core, and press your hands into the chair to lift yourself off the seat.
  • Then, return to the seat to complete one rep.

Perform 2 sets of 10 reps.

The muscles of the core play a key role trunk stability and posture, which are important for individuals who use wheelchairs.

A weak core can lead to issues like back pain and discomfort. To prevent this, wheelchair users can perform seated core exercises that engage these muscles, promoting strength and flexibility.

When beginning a new exercise program, you may wish to speak with a healthcare professional or personal trainer for personalized advice.