Strength exercise is critical for promoting and maintaining bone, lipid, and functional health in children with disabilities. The primary goal of strength exercise will depend on the individual needs of the child. To improve functional independence and improve performance of activities of daily living, some children with disabilities may require muscular endurance (high sets/reps) to prevent fatigue, while others may need to increase skeletal muscle strength (moderate sets/reps). To enhance motivation and adherence, strength exercises should be performed in fun and diverse environments, such as gymnastics or in a swimming pool. However, if weight lifting is performed, as a general recommendation an individual should aim to achieve two to three sets of 10 repetitions. Exercises should be adapted as necessary to achieve these goals. Examples of adapted strength exercises for children with disabilities include:
- resistance bands
- concentric-only exercise (e.x. hydraulic exercise machines)
- manual resistance exercise
- aquatic exercise
- wheelchair-accessible exercise machines.
Strength exercise should be performed three times per week (60 minutes per day), and is best combined with aerobic exercise. A longer warm-up may be required for children with disabilities before strength exercises. In this case, cardiovascular exercise or light passive/active stretching may be performed prior.
Below are video examples of strength exercises:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dkJCwqxtos&list=PL9B250E76183D2937&index=12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFH_sK-dqzk&list=PL9B250E76183D2937&index=14