Handicap Mobility and Sports

For most individuals, losing the independence associated with your freedom of movement is extremely debilitating and can be severely depressing. Thankfully, technologies and tools have evolved to such a point that handicap mobility options help to open up the world and let you rediscover the independence that you used to love. Even further to that effect, many paralyzed individuals enjoy the experience of team and individual sports within their own sporting leagues and on teams with other handicapped individuals.

Handicap mobility allows men, women and children to do the things they love to do. In the 1940’s, the paralyzed veterans within a hospital ward started to toss around a basketball while in their wheelchairs. Shortly after that, the first National Wheelchair Games was recognized as an official sport and held in New York City in 1957. Wheelchair sports continue to explode in popularity across the country and around the world. Thousands of athletes participate every year and the exciting opportunities for disables athletes continues to grow exponentially.

Even if you did not consider yourself to be a tremendous athlete before you became disabled, handicap mobility can open up doors you previously believed to be closed. No matter your age or status in life, exercise is important and exercising with others or within a competitive individual sport is good for your health. Studies have shown that the benefits of exercise extend beyond your fitness and body shape. Exercise and team sports affect your mind and mental well-being. This is especially important for people who have limited independence without handicap mobility devices.

Individuals that are paralyzed and rely on wheelchairs for mobility are shown to carry a lot more weight than their non-handicapped counterparts. This is because the metabolism slows and the muscle mass decreases in the paralyzed muscle groups. In turn, a lower activity level may seem obvious, but it is not necessarily true that handicapped individuals should exercise or move around less than their mobile friends and family.

All of these are reasons to take up a team or individual sport from the comfort of your wheelchair. There are a number of organizations in your local area that you can contact for more information. Head out to watch a few events if you are still unsure, but you can bet the effort will be worth the mental and physical improvements in health in the long run.