Join WheelPower and Nina every Wednesday to enjoy an hour of seated yoga direct into your living room!
Introduction
Nina Boswell-Brown (owner of www.sittingfityoga.com) will be your yoga instructor for this class from WheelPower.
During this online class Nina will be taking us through an hour long session that includes breathing exercises and relaxation time.
No experience is necessary, and everyone is welcome. Members of your household can join in too!
Provisional programme
11:00 to 11:05 – Welcome and introduction
11:05 to 11:55 – Yoga Stretches and relaxation
11:55 to 12:00 – Q & A opportunity / WheelPower programmes
Location
In your home or garden!
Equipment
A laptop/computer or phone to access the class.
A bottle of water.
"Yoga focuses the mind and brings a sense of well-being while nourishing the body. It is a safe and effective way to increase strength, flexibility and your balance that can lead to improvements in both your physical and mental wellbeing." - Nina
I am paraplegic and use a wheelchair full-time following a car accident 33 years ago. I have always tried to look after my health and keep as independent and mobile as possible. Time has inevitable effects on all of our bodies however and as we age it is increasingly important to spend a little more time looking after ourselves.
I began experiencing pain and weakness in my shoulder a few years ago and through gentle stretching I managed to eliminate the pain and bring back strength in that shoulder. That is when I realised that regular yoga is a great way to maintain flexibility that has such an impact on our posture, strength and the health of our joints. As wheelchair users we of course tend to overwork our shoulders and arms which also impacts our neck and back, and due to sitting our joints in the lower body such as hips and knees can get very tight. Yoga is a fantastic way to address our posture, flexibility, strength and general well-being.
I have completed the Advanced Chair Yoga Teacher Training Programme with Yoga Vista Academy and a training course with Accessible Yoga. Now an Accessible Yoga Ambassador, I am grateful to be able to share the many benefits of yoga with other wheelchair users and those with mobility disabilities.
Yoga is a safe and effective way to increase strength, flexibility and your balance that can lead to improvements in both your physical and mental wellbeing. At WheelPower we believe that lives can be transformed through sport and physical activity and today we are launching a series of Adaptive Yoga videos to encourage wheelchair users to exercise from the comfort of their homes.
Nina Boswell Brown, from sittingfityoga.com will be your instructor as she demonstrates, explains and guides you through a gentle warm up, before showing you how to complete the yoga poses in a safe and effective way. These videos last approximately 30 minutes, so make sure it’s nice and quiet for relaxation. Put on some comfortable clothing that allow for movement, find yourselves a small space within your home and away you go.
The Benefits
As a wheelchair user the benefits of Yoga can be seen in your mind, body and spirit. Some of these benefits include:
Increased flexibility & coordination
Improving muscle strength, tone and balance.
Minimises the chance of injury.
Reduces stress
Feel healthier and more energised.
Please remember: Always seek advice from your GP, Physio or a trained exercise professional regarding the type and amount of physical activity and exercise you should be doing. We hope these videos demonstrate that being healthy and feeling fitter doesn’t always have to mean taking part in sport or going to the gym, and that regular low impact exercise such as Adaptive Yoga can be hugely beneficial for your mental and physical wellbeing.
Adaptive Yoga – Class 1
The first video focuses on some gentle stretching for the neck, shoulders and arms for wheelchair users. These movements should help you to feel freed up in the upper body, which can get tight and inflexible from repetitive motions or misalignment in movement and posture. Nina will demonstrate how props can be used to modify a stretch or enhance posture when balance or movement is limited. And you’ll be guided on the use of breath during Yoga asanas and movement. Nina also discuss the importance of alignment of joints for good posture, reflected in the sequences of this video.
Adaptive Yoga – Class 2
The second video focuses on some movements for the spine. Our spine can move in five directions so you’ll be introduced to stretches to keep your spine flexible. Some people may have restrictions in their spine from injury and subsequent vulnerability or fixtures that limit the movements of the spine to some extent. In these cases, it is important to move very gently and not over-extend. Flexion of the spine (bending forward) should be avoided for those with slipped or herniated discs for example. This video also shows an example of warm-up movements you can do before stretching and finishes off with Sun Salutations which is a sequence of movements, incorporating some of those you have been introduced to.
Adaptive Yoga – Class 3
This video demonstrates yoga practiced out of the wheelchair and mainly incorporates stretches for the lower body with the addition of some movement for the upper body and trunk. It is very easy for tightness to develop in the lower body when using a wheelchair long-term so maintaining range of movement is important. These stretches can be practised on a bed and you will need a pillow or two plus a strap if you have one available (a thin towel could be used instead).
"I have limited mobility, fatigue & pain and I was finding it tough that my going out has now stopped. Due to 12 weeks “shielding” because of Covid-19 I thought I’d give this a try and it’s better than I thought. I need to keep stiffness & pain at bay! Thank you for doing this." - YouTube User
"My wife and I just did this workout together. Her in her wheelchair, and me on a kitchen chair. It’s great to find an exercise routine we can do together." - Trevor
"These classes are brilliant, very instructive and rewarding. Each yoga pose is very well explained and easy to follow in time with the video." - Jeremy
"A little bit of sanity for wheelchair users. Relaxing and a workout. Thanks Nina!" - Tim
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