Exercise for bed bound patients is great option when you’re stuck in bed due to illness, injury or recovery it can be hard and frustrating. Your body can become weaker and your overall health can decline. But even in this situation, there are exercises you can do to keep your body active and promote better well-being. This article outlines 11 simple exercises for patients who are confined to bed. These exercises target different muscle groups and can be done with the help of a caregiver or healthcare provider. By doing these exercises for bed bound patients every day bed-bound patients can maintain muscle strength, improve circulation and enhance their physical and mental well-being.
Exercises for Hands Shoulders and Arms for Bed Bound Patients
Shrugging Shoulders
Here’s a simple yet effective exercise for bed bound patients to enhance your posture and strengthen your upper back and shoulder muscles. It can be performed effortlessly while sitting in bed. All you need to do is to follow
- Raise your shoulders towards your ears
- Hold for a few seconds before relaxing
- Repeat this motion for about 5 to 10 times every day
This exercise is commonly referred to as shoulder shrugging and it has been proven to alleviate muscle tension.
Palm Stretching
For those seeking to enhance their hand flexibility and mobility consider palm stretching. It is a gentle exercise for bed bound patients that involves
- Extending your fingers as far as possible to experience a stretch in your palm.
- Touch each finger individually with your thumb
- Same these motions for both hands
This exercise can prevent stiffness and preserve hand dexterity.
Arm Raises
To engage your arm and shoulder muscles effectively try doing arm raises.
- Begin by lifting your left arm as high as you can
- Then Lowering the arm back down
- Do this five times before switching to your right arm.
- Do this same for right arm
For a greater challenge, try raising one arm in front of you and switching between arms. This exercise for bed bound patients is beneficial for improving upper body strength and range of motion.
Arm Crosses
For greater flexibility and range of motion in your arms and shoulders try doing arm crosses.
- Start by extending your arms out to the sides
- Then bring them together in front of your body
- Crossing one arm over the other
- Repeat this movement multiple times
- Concentrating on feeling a stretch in your chest and shoulders.
It can help prevent muscle stiffness and improve your overall upper body mobility.
Neck Exercise for Bed Bound Patients
Head Rotation
Performing head rotation and head turns are excellent exercises for bed bound patients for promoting flexibility and relieving tension in the neck muscles.
To do head rotation
- Slowly turn your head to one side while sitting or lying down
- then gradually rotate it in a full circle repeating in both directions
This exercise helps improve blood circulation in the neck area and can alleviate stiffness and discomfort.
Head Turns
For head turns gently turn your head from one side to the other, feeling a stretch in the neck muscles.
The aim is to gradually increase the number of repetitions over time, which can help improve neck mobility and reduce muscle tension.
Legs, Ankles and Feet Exercise for Bed Bound Patients
Leg Rotations
Here is some helpful information about exercises for bed bound patients that can improve circulation and prevent stiffness in the lower body.
- Leg rotations are a great option.
- While lying down
- keep one leg still rotate the other leg outward and then back to the starting position
- Repeat this movement for the same leg several times before switching to the other leg.
This exercise can help you maintain joint flexibility and improve blood flow to the legs.
Ankle Rotation
Another beneficial exercise for bed bound patients is ankle rotations. This exercise can increase ankle mobility and prevent joint stiffness.
- Sit or lie down
- Extend your legs
- Raise one leg slightly off the surface
- Now rotate your ankle clockwise and anticlockwise.
- Perform this exercise at least 5 times for each leg.
Ankle rotations can help improve blood circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs.
Toe Bends
The first exercise is called toe bends, which can be done while lying down. To perform this exercise
- When you are lying down
- Point and flex your toes
- Stretch them outwards then towards yourself
- Simply flex your toes away from your body
- Then bring them back towards yourself.
- Repeat this movement several times, focusing on the sensation of stretching and strengthening the muscles in your feet.
Ankle Bends
Ankle bends which are also easy to perform.
To do this exercise
- You can either lie down or sit
- Point your toes towards the ceiling
- Then flex them backward
- You can do this exercise also with your legs
- Repeat ankle bends for both legs
As this exercise helps increase blood flow and maintain joint flexibility. You can maintain healthy and flexible feet and ankle through these exercises.
Full Body Exercises for Bed Bound Patients
Hip Raises
If you’re looking for a challenging exercise for bed bound patients that targets your glutes and improves your core stability hip raises are a little difficult but not impossible for patients.
These are the steps of the hip raises exercise for bed bound patients
- On your back and lift your hips off the ground
- Holding the position for a few seconds before bringing down back
- As you get stronger target to hold the position for longer periods of time.
By regularly incorporating hip raises into your workout routine you can activate your gluteal muscles and improve your overall stability.
Exercise Equipment for Bed Bound Patients
Regular gym equipment isn’t suitable for those confined to their beds, but there’s a wide variety of specialized exercise for bed bound patients gear designed for individuals with limited mobility and strength.
Exercise putty also known as elastic or therapeutic hand putty, is a soft, pliable substance with enough elasticity to resist easy deformation and breakage. It’s often used to provide resistance for patients performing exercises to improve or maintain grip and hand strength.
Sponge balls It is a small balls used similarly to exercise putty, are helpful for hand and arm exercises aimed at enhancing strength, range of motion, and coordination.
Resistance bands essentially large elastic bands, can be used to add resistance to the exercises for bed bound patients mentioned earlier. When anchored, they create resistance for muscles to work against. Resistance bands are cost-effective and versatile enough to replace traditional weights in many situations.
Ankle and wrist weights are bands with added weight that patients can wear on their ankles or wrists to increase resistance during exercises like arm and leg lifts.
If you or someone you know will be bed bound patients for extended periods a well-designed exercise program can help maintain fitness and strength. Remember to consult your physiotherapist or doctor before attempting any of the exercises mentioned here.
Conclusion
It is important for bed-bound patients to stay active and maintain muscle strength. This article outlines exercise for bed bound patients that target different muscle groups and promote overall well-being. Prior to starting any exercise routine, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional particularly if you have any medical conditions or concerns. By including these exercises in your daily routine and with the aid of a caregiver or healthcare professional you can remain active improve blood flow and enhance your physical and mental well-being, even if you are confined to bed.
