As the pools reopen and group activities kick off in the coming weeks, we want to help our swimmers and volunteers to go back to swimming safely. We’ve compiled a series of gentle exercises to help improve your mobility and prevent any injury. Don’t worry if you haven’t done much exercise for a while, take it easy and at your own pace: you can build up slowly and aim to gradually increase the repetitions of each exercise over time. Simply wear loose, comfortable clothing and drink some water to keep your body hydrated.
Last week, we talked about multiple sclerosis and how it can impact people’s mobility so we’ve especially targeted seated exercises that are accessible for wheelchair users, but bear in mind those exercises are also useful if you work from home and spend most of your day sitting at your desk in front of a laptop. If you use a chair, make sure the chair you’re using is stable and solid.
Let’s start with a 2-minute warm-up to get your heart rate up and loosen your muscles.
Spending time sitting can affect your back and make your muscles stiff. Sit straight on your chair and try those exercises. Go slowly and breathe while doing those, it’s important to be relaxed when stretching. Hold the position for a few seconds before letting go and repeating a few times, including with the opposite side.
You can see images of those exercises below.
If you like yoga, you can try this 8-minute adaptive chair yoga session. If you want specific breathing exercises to do at home, check out our previous blog.
As the restrictions are being progressively lifted and the spring has arrived, you may want to enjoy a bit of sunshine and fresh air by exercising outdoors. If you’re lucky to have a park nearby with accessible outdoor gym equipment like in the picture below, you can exercise your arms and back thanks to machines like chest press, pull down or arm bike. Make sure to follow the government’s guidance to be safe when using the equipment.
Are you ready to go swimming? Start working on your technique with those home exercises. We look forward to seeing you soon at the swimming sessions.
