Using crutches while walking requires good upper body strength which is mostly in the shoulders, upper arms, and forearms plus the upper part of the trunk.
Crutches may be needed as a temporary or permanent treatment.
In this article, we shall mention the common exercises to do in order to strengthen your upper body and make the use of crutches a breeze.
Exercises to improve upper body strength
Seated press ups
How to;
Place your palms on the floor or chair you are seated on a chair. Your hands will be on either side of your body with your elbows straight. Then attempt to lift yourself from the seated position.
Bend your elbows and slowly get back down. Do 3 sets of these. Start with 5 in each set and gradually increase. During the exercise keep your core tight
The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen your shoulders, upper arms, and core.
Triceps dips
The Triceps is the large muscle that spans the back of your upper arm.
How to;
While sitting on a mat or the floor, with your arms placed beside you and palms on the floor, lift yourself up, keeping your legs straight. Hold for 3 seconds and then return down. Do 10 of these with 3 repetitions.
Push-ups
The push-up, when done right will tone and strengthen your upper arm muscles plus your pectoral (pecs)muscles (these are muscles on your chest) plus the upper back muscles.
How to;
You can start off by doing them on your knees and later when you get a hang of it you can do a full pull on your feet.
Lay on your tummy. Keep your elbows straight and stay completely off the ground, then slowly start to lower yourself down till your elbows graze your chest, hold for 3 seconds then get back up. Repeat 10 of these and do 3 sets.
Biceps curls
Do biceps curls with dumbbells. Start with small weights and increase gradually.
Biceps curls strengthen your biceps which is the muscle at the front of your upper arm.
How to;
Hold a dumbbell or water bottle in each hand and have them face forward. Have your arm plastered to your chest and slowly lower your forearm and then raise it back up.
Refrain from randomly swinging your arms. Movement should only be at your elbow joint.
Pull-ups
This is an advanced exercise and needs to be done when you have developed adequate strength in your arms.
Don’t do this by yourself in the start as you may need someone to help you onto your feet.
How to;
Wrap your fingers around a firm, safe overhead bar. Now pull yourself up till your chin is level with the bar then lower yourself back down. Do as many as you can depending on your fitness level.
Wrist and forearm exercises
This will strengthen the wrists and forearm and prevent buckling while holding the crutches. Most of the exercises previously mentioned do strengthen the forearms as well although they may not be the primary target.
Hand exercises
Gripping exercises
Do gripping exercises to strengthen the hand muscles.
How to;
Squeeze a soft elastic ball between your fingers. You can get a squeaky one just for fun! This will strengthen your hand muscles. Repeat this as many times during the day as your can.
In conclusion, upper body strength is vital to the smooth use of crutches. Therefore, exercises that strengthen your upper body, your forearm, and wrist are some of those that you will need to do.
