This 10-Minute High-Intensity Workout For People in a Wheelchair Uses Light Dumbbells

Published on 2/5/2021 at 6:30 PM

Courtesy of Kenzie Greer

Sonja Ast, an ACE-certified personal trainer and certified inclusive fitness trainer (CIFT) with the Lakeshore Foundation, always wanted a career supporting people with disabilities. Ast, who uses a wheelchair herself, told POPSUGAR that she felt called to help others.

Ast's CIFT certification was created in collaboration between the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Note: NCHPAD is hosting a two-day virtual workshop about inclusive fitness training in March to help trainers gain knowledge about serving clients who have a disability.

Kelly Bonner, associate director at NCHPAD who is also an ACE-certified trainer and CIFT, told POPSUGAR that having this certification makes for a safer training atmosphere simply due to the specific knowledge of working with those who have disabilities. Though Ast trains people with and without disabilities, when developing exercise routines for those who use wheelchairs, she carefully assesses their muscle function and ability levels. She put together the following 10-minute workout for people who use wheelchairs.

10-Minute Workout For People Who Use a Wheelchair

Equipment needed: two light dumbbells (Ast uses a set of five-pound weights) or household items you can lift with.

Directions: Warm up for a few minutes with exercises such as neck circles, arm circles, wrist circles, and trunk twists. The workout is broken up into three parts: two Tabatas and one separate cardio round. For each Tabata, you'll do 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeating the moves two times through. For the cardio round, you'll do two exercises for one minute each. There are no breaks other than the 10-second rests programmed in the Tabatas, though you can take longer breaks in between rounds if needed. (Keep reading for specific instructions on how to do these exercises.) Ast recommends cooling down by stretching your wrists, arms, neck, and back.

Tabata 1: 2 Rounds

Bicep curl to overhead press: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest
Crunch: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest
Row to triceps extension: 20 seconds (10 seconds on each arm) followed by 10 seconds of rest
Crossover crunch: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest

Straight Cardio: 1 Round

Punch: one minute
Four leaf clover: one minute (30 seconds in each direction)

Tabata 2: 2 Rounds

Ski erg: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest
Hip hinge: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest
Triceps dip: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest
Russian twist: 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest

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Tabata 1, Exercise 1: Bicep Curl to Overhead Press

Sit in an upright position. Hold two dumbbells down by your sides with your palms facing away from you.
Bend your elbows to raise the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. This is a bicep curl.
Rotate your palms to face away from the body.
Lift your arms above you, extending your elbows into an overhead press.
Bring the weights back down to your shoulders, rotate your palms to face you, and return back to your starting position with your arms by your sides.
This is one rep. Repeat for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

Tabata 1, Exercise 2: Crunch

Start by sitting in an upright position with your hands on your lap.
Round your upper back, and pull your belly button into your spine, crunching forward.
Return to your starting upright position.
This is one rep. Repeat for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

Tabata 1, Exercise 3: Row to Triceps Extension

Lean forward with one arm over your lap for support. Have your other arm extended down toward the ground, a dumbbell in hand.
Bend your elbow to pull the extended arm up to your chest. Squeezing your shoulder blade. Your arm should make a 90-degree angle.
Straighten your arm behind you with your palm facing in. Your arm should be parallel to the floor. Squeeze your tricep.
Bend your elbow back to 90 degrees, then extend the arm down toward the ground to reach your starting position.
Do 10 seconds on each side, then take a 10-second break.

Tabata 1, Exercise 4: Crossover Crunch

Start by sitting in an upright position with your hands slightly above your shoulders.
Leading with your left elbow, twist your torso to the right side so that your elbow reaches toward the right knee.
Return to your starting position.
Repeat this twist in the opposite direction.
This counts as one rep. Keep alternating for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

Repeat this four-move Tabata one more time through.

Cardio, Move 1: Punch

Start by sitting in an upright position. With your fists at chest height, twist to the left and extend your right fist out in a punch.
Come back to center, then twist to the right and extend your left fist out in a punch.
Repeat for one full minute while keeping your core tight.

Cardio, Move 2: Four Leaf Clover

Start by sitting in an upright position with your hands on your wheels.
Pull your chair backwards, and turn to the right as you pull back. Stop after one push.
Then, give one push forward while turning to the left. Stop after one push. You should be facing the opposite direction from where you started.
Then, pull the chair backwards, turning the chair to the right. Stop after one push.
Push forward, and turn to the left. Stop after one push. You should be back to where you started facing forward.
Repeat this for 30 seconds in one direction before switching to the opposite direction for 30 seconds.

Tabata 2, Exercise 1: Ski Erg

Start by sitting in an upright position with your arms down by your sides.
Extend one arm back behind you, parallel to the floor. Bring the other arm forward in front of your body, parallel to the floor. Keep your arms as straight as possible.
Alternate moving your arms simultaneously in front of and behind the body, tensing the arm muscles at the top of each movement.
Repeat for 20 seconds total, then rest for 10 seconds.

Tabata 2, Exercise 2: Hip Hinge

Start by sitting upright in your chair with your hands down by your sides or resting on your lap.
Lean forward at the hips, keeping your back as straight as possible and your belly button pulled in toward your spine.
Pull yourself up to turn to your starting position in your chair.
This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 seconds, then take a 10-second break.

Tabata 2, Exercise 3: Triceps Dip

Place your hands firmly on the locked wheels of your chair.
Lift your bottom up off the chair, and straighten your arms as much as possible.
Keeping your core tight, lower yourself down toward the chair without your bottom touching the seat, bending at your elbows.
Straighten your arms to lift back up.
This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 seconds, then take a 10-second rest.

Tabata 2, Exercise 4: Russian Twist

Start sitting upright in your chair with your elbows bent and your hands at chest or shoulder height.
Rotate your core from side to side, twisting with your torso.
Grab onto the chair if need be.
Repeat this for 20 seconds total, then rest for 10 seconds.

Repeat this four-move Tabata one more time through.