I want to get f it but I’m in a wheelchair

QI USE a wheelchair due to a genetic condition that affects my muscles. I eat well, my weight is fine, but I know I’m limited as to what I can do in terms of exercise (access to a hydrotherapy pool is £40 a session). My question is, do you know any good seated exercises I can do?

ATHE good news is that, yes, there are quite a few ways to work out while seated – and exercise for those with mobility needs doesn’t always have to involve a hydrotherapy pool, as great as they can be.

If you are seated for long periods, then developing strength in the shoulders, arms, lower back and abdominal muscles will provide a combination of greater mobility and better posture, plus of course the greater sense of wellbeing associated with exercise.

For the home, I would advise anyone who isn’t a gym person to invest in some exercise bands or cables with handles attached. They’re not expensive and can be picked up from under £5 from online retailers.

You can use these for seated-rowing, singlearm row and reverse fly exercises.

I would also recommend buying some dumbbells of various weights – you can get them in the high street for as little as £25.

If you don’t want to take the plunge and buy weights, you can of course use things like tins of beans and bottles of water.

Exercises include the shoulder press, lateral raises, triceps extensions and biceps curls.

On two days per week, try three to four sets of 18 to 20 reps, and on two days per week go heavier so you can only manage three to four sets of ten to 12 reps.

This will help with muscle-activation, strength and joint stability, and are 100 per cent worth doing regularly.

Abdominal strength is vital too. For those who use a wheelchair but have some mobility in the legs, it is possible to do knee tucks, in which you raise your legs off the chair and turn the pelvis up in order to engage the abdominal muscles.

Aim to do that for as many reps as possible before fatigue sets in, and repeat for three or four sets. If this isn’t an option, try a static contraction of the abdominal muscle, by tensing and holding tight for ten to 12 seconds, and repeating for five to six sets. This could possibly involve flexing the spine and doing an upright ‘crunch’ in order to get the muscle tension.

If you can access a gym – I know not all are particularly wheelchair-friendly, but they are getting better – then the ‘arm ergo’ machines, a bit like bike pedals for the arms, are terrific for cardio development.

These are fully adjustable and allow you to get a great workout for your heart and lungs.

Dumbbells and cable columns in the gym can also be used while seated to give strength to the upper body.

QI RECENTLY pulled my stomach muscle during a coughing bout, sustaining slight bruising under my rib cage. The injury has been confirmed by ultrasound examination. The advice I was given was to rest the muscle, otherwise it could take years to repair. The thing is, I play golf regularly and would like to get back playing as soon as possible. Are there exercises I can do to speed up the healing process?

ATHIS sounds like an abdominal muscle tear or an intercostal muscle tear. Either way it hurts like hell, but only when you breathe.

The bad news is that anyone suffering such an injury will have to lay off the golf for four to six weeks.

It’s tempting to start playing after a couple of weeks when the pain subsides, but (and I speak from personal experience) it takes a while to fully heal before going back to an explosive movement, or it will simply tear again and prolong the process further.

The good news is that exercise in general will speed up the healing process.

So, moderate cardiovascular exercise, whether that is hiking, cycling or slow jogging will all help.

Swimming will produce too large a movement and may tear the fibres again, and rowing has that potential too due to its high exertion level.

You can also benefit from doing strength exercises for your legs (squats, step-ups, lunges, leg press) and for your arms (avoid reaching above the head and exerting, but chest press, biceps curls, triceps extensions and seated row are all fine).

So, no need to stop exercise but just be careful for about six weeks and work on other parts of your fitness instead.