The Physically Challenged Can Exercise Too

Scientific research has shown that exercise is good for our health and through research it has also been discovered that a person’s overall health is not just linked to the physical fitness of our bodies but is also linked to our emotional and spiritual fitness as well. Exercise can improve and sustain all three of the areas involved in overall health: the health of the body, mind, and inner spirit.

Exercise can provide the benefits for overall health to everyone, regardless of the limitations a person may have due to age, morbid obesity, or physical disabilities. There are exercise programs that have been developed specifically for older adults as well as programs that can help those who are severely overweight to begin exercising to lose that excess weight and become fit and healthy. Modified exercise programs for the physically disabled are especially important in the prevention of muscle atrophy and further physical disability and also for the emotional well being of those facing sudden and long term physical disabilities.

Fear, sadness, anger, and a feeling of helplessness are understandable when someone experiences a serious injury or illness that causes a physical disability. When your world has suddenly been changed by an accident or a life altering illness and may never be quite the same as it was before, creating a new life that is limited in some way can be very challenging.

However, that does not mean that good things will never happen for you again or that you should give up on life. You are not powerless, even though you may have initially felt as if you were when you were injured or became ill. You must take charge of your health and that begins with finding a knowledgeable fitness trainer who can help modify any number of exercises to be included in your daily fitness program.

If you need a little inspiration to get you started on taking control of your health, consider those who were born with physical disabilities or who suffered severe debilitating injuries and yet never gave up on themselves, such as Stephen Hawking or Christopher Reeve. These inspirational people, young and old have changed the way physical disabilities and those coping with them are viewed today.

Although some do not have the use of their legs they permit a physical therapist to move the legs through several exercises to prevent atrophy and disfigurement. They also concentrate on building upper body strength which allows them more independence to get out of bed and into a wheelchair or standing chair and the ability and independence to enjoy life.

Others whose physical disability involves the upper body concentrate on strengthening the lower body to gain more independence. You will find these confident, independent, and awe inspiring people attending college, working in an office or running a business, and even competing in professional level sports for the physically challenged like basketball, track and field because of the independence gained through exercise.

Anyone can become overwhelmed by negative emotions whether they have a physical disability or not. Exercise acts as a counterweight to those negative emotions before they can become life altering; it also causes the body to produce natural chemicals that regulate the emotions, as well as positive feelings. Exercise can also help you get in touch with your inner self for a more fulfilling life.

Remember that emotional and inner spiritual health are just as important as the highest degree of physical fitness you can achieve, despite any sort of mental or physical disability. Those of us who are not faced with a physical disability should take a lesson from those who are and find ways to exercise for better overall health, adopting “never give up” attitudes and accomplishing more than a good number of physically able people ever do.