Weight Loss Help for the Disabled


Losing weight and maintaining it to an ideal level is difficult for a normal person. If you are disabled, it becomes more of a challenge. Having a disability, a person losses much of his physical abilities, which creates an obstacle to having the right amount of exercise in order to maintain an ideal weight. Most people who are disabled have low levels of activity and are consuming less calories than what is normal for normal persons of the same age and sex. With such handicap, it is very difficult to undergo any diet program and still get the nutrients that are necessary for maintaining optimum health. Thus, help for the disabled is necessary in order to give them a chance to succeed in their pursuit to shed off unwanted pounds.

Because of the increasing public awareness on the welfare of handicapped persons, you can now find disability help from more quarters. If you are a disabled, you can choose which program is most suitable for your particular condition. However, be sure to consult with your doctor about an exercise therapy or diet program that you are considering. It is essential that your heart, kidney, liver and lungs are strong enough to withstand the rigours of new regimen.

Weight loss happens when the calories you ingest are reduced or your physical activities increased. Most weight loss regimens that are successful combine both factors to achieve success. For people who are disabled, the two factors become more essential. You need to have reduced diet that can still give your daily nutritional requirements and an exercise regimen that will burn extra calories while taking your physical limitations into consideration at the same time.

There are various upper body exercises that are great help for the disabled and you can get them in a number of methods. Many of them can be extremely enjoyable for you, and they can easily be adapted for various levels of ability. In your search for a suitable diet and exercise regimen, always remember that you do not have to do something rigorous to shed off unwanted pounds. The key to losing weight is to burn off more calories that your body consumes. It can be accomplished by eating the right kind of food and doing a little more activities than you normally do.

One of the most versatile exercise regimens that are good help for the disabled is water therapy. Most swimming pools understand this and thus give special privileges to people with disabilities. Difficulties on the joints are decreased while in water and you can do strengthening exercises with less risk of damaging delicate tissues. It is also possible to adjust your activities in the water so that they can meet particular requirements of your body. The workout can be concentrated on the upper or lower part of the body depending on the disability.

For those who find it difficult to leave the house, there are several ways to increase physical activity indoors. An example would be dance therapy, which is something that almost any disabled person can do. Just play your favorite tune and dance to the beat. Even if you can only do it with your upper body, there will be an increase in your activity level and once started, you might find the activity to be so enjoyable that you would not want to stop.

What makes dance therapy a particularly good help for the disabled is that the body seems to adapt naturally to your varying needs. If you do not feel so good, shuffling and a little shaking for 15 minutes may be all that you can accomplish. However, if you are in the mood, you may dance to your favorite music for hours. This may be because dance and music are primordial behaviors that seem to be inborn to humans.

Yoga is another exercise that is a good help for the disabled. Many of the forms required by yoga can be done while sitting. The exercise is also inexpensive. With just a good yoga book and a mat, you can already choose exercises that you think are excellent help for the disabled and form your own program that is specific to your needs.


More topics regarding disabled:

- The Athlete.org