For many individuals, finding a way of increasing one’s aerobic fitness level can be a challenge. This difficulty can be compounded for certain individuals, namely the wheelchair bound or individuals with leg injuries. For those individuals, achieving the heart rate necessary to break a sweat and increase cardiovascular fitness can be a seemingly impossible challenge. However, there are a few ways one can break a sweat without heavily utilizing one’s legs.
Swimming can be an excellent cardiovascular workout which makes use of the entire body. For individuals with leg injuries (shin splints, pulled muscles, etc.), swimming can provide varying degrees of leg use which the swimmer can dictate. In addition, activities such as running in a pool can increase the heart rate without putting excess pressure on the leg muscles and ligaments, making this the ideal workout if you are recovering from a running-related workout and still want to do cardio.
Shadow Boxing: If use of the legs is minimal or nonexistent, shadow boxing can also be a great way to get the heart rate pumping and build up upper body strength. Shadow boxing involves going through basic strike forms (jab, cross, hook, uppercut, etc) free hand (no weights), with weighted gloves, or with a dumbbell in each hand. Fast movement raises the heart rate and added resistance can assist in both increasing speed and strength in the biceps and forearms.
Hand Bike/hand cycles– Some gyms have a hand bike for individuals who do not have use of their legs. This piece of equipment is essentially a stationary bike that one can operate using their hands. This apparatus can provide a great upper body workout and, as with the other workouts, can help an individual achieve a heart rate which may go a long way in increasing one’s overall aerobic fitness level.
As with any workout, you should first consult a doctor to make sure that other underlying health issues (hypertension, etc) will not prevent you from engaging in vigorous, cardiovascular exercise.