Retro and Awesome Wheelchair Exercise Videos

Getting in shape and staying that way is one of the hardest things to do when you can’t walk. Diet modification can only do so much. We can try…eating low-cal foods, swearing off regular soda, no more eating past 8am, but that can only do so much.

If you’re really serious about really getting in shape, adding a workout regimen to your weekly schedule is key, but sometimes…….it can be hard figuring out what to do. That’s where the videos below come in. Read on for three intense videos of wheelchair exercises created by tough-willed people with a spinal cord injury.

For the young kiddos out there, i.e., anyone under 25, chances are you’ve never had a chance to see Lisa Ericson’s amazing seated workout video before, and if you haven’t – boy are you missing out. In 1992, Lisa, who was injured 7 years prior, released, “Seated Aerobics,” as well as an included booklet that outlines 100 moves.

What’s really cool is that Lisa was an aerobics instructor before she was injured. Adapting aerobics for people who use wheelchairs was her fate. And even though the video is 1980’s retro big time, watching the adapted aerobics routine in action is worth it alone. She developed an award-winning S.M.A.R.T workout, that uses music with 200 beats per minute to get our heart rates up. Watch a clip of Seated Aerobics

When it comes to building muscles from a wheelchair, Nick Scott, a paraplegic, is the beefiest guy you’ll ever meet. Known as simply “The Beast,” Nick is no one you want to mess with. After his car accident in HS that left him a paraplegic, Nick gained over 100lbs, but he lost the weight in his twenties and hasn’t looked back. He’s won several bodybuilding titles since, including placing several times in the IFBB Pro Wheelchair Championships. He also has made videos and offers tips on wc-fitness on his website.

In one of his videos recorded at his hometown gym, Nick shows how he targets his back area; an area that is not easy to reach when you’re sitting down. He transfers onto the bench and goes over a handful of important moves as he works out using the pull-down bar above. Watch Nick in his workout glory

And Simon Marcus, an adorable C6 quad looking to get his heart rate up, has developed an awesome home-based aerobic workout. It’s just him in his powerchair in his bedroom, with two 5lb wrist weights tied on, and a laptop blaring out workout tunes courtesy of Daft Punk. He shows his entire workout from start to finish, even throwing in some cute as heck dancing in the end. Watch him workout and bust a move

I know it’s not easy finding the energy to exercise, especially on bad days, but video encouragement can be just the thing to inspire you. I cannot say enough about how good it feels to get your body and heart going, no matter how you make it happen. So strap that retro sweatband on and start crackin’.

Do you work out? What kinds of wheelchair exercises do you do?

– Visit Lisa Ericson’s site: Seated Aerobics

– Visit Nick Scott’s site: Nick Fitness

Watch the videos!

– Retro wheelchair aerobics workout video of wheelchair exercises with Lisa Ericson, a paraplegic

– Award winning paraplegic weightlifter Nick Scott shows intense wheelchair exercises

– Simon Marcus, a C6 quad, shows his home workout of wheelchair exercises using 5 lb wrist weights and Daft Punk to get him movin’