Managing a physical long-term condition can be tough, especially as we get older and good advice can be hard to come by. But doing some simple exercises on daily basis can make more of impact than you realise. So we’ve put together five simple exercises that you can either do in a morning or at night.
Ab Crunches
Ab crunches might seem like an obvious one but having a strong core is so important. It will improve your posture and make you feel more stable. Start with your back flat on the floor then tense your stomach. It doesn’t matter if you lift your shoulders off the floor but you should feel tension in your stomach. Aim for about 5 – 10 at once.
Lateral Raises
Lateral raises help loosen your lower back and ease those little aches and pains. Start with your body flat on floor and gently raise your body off the floor with your arms. Try to ensure that your pelvis stays as close to the floor as possible. Count to 10 slowly then go back down to the floor. Do this 3 times.
Hip Pulls
If your have condition that affects your mobility, hip pulls are great exercise! Hip flexors, the muscles right at the top of the hip can easily get very tight and painful if you sit a lot. Especially if you use a wheelchair or scooter. But there is an easy fix. Lay on your back and pull your knee into your chest for 10-15 seconds – rest for a minute and repeat 3 times.
The Superman
Have problems with your shoulders? Do they get tight right somewhere in the middle? The Superman will help with that. Lay flat on the floor and lift your arms off the floor (it doesn’t matter how far) and push them out in front of you. You should feel a pinch in the middle of your shoulders. Count to 5 slowly and then release.
Arm Raise
Arm raises help loosen those muscles right at the top of the shoulders and they simple to do. Sit in a chair and hold one side and then raise the other arm in the air. Count to 5 slowly then release. Do this on both sides.
A mix of these exercises on a daily basis can really help you avoid those aches and pains that dog your every day. They don’t cost anything, you don’t need any special equipment and there is no right way to do them. It is about what you can do and developing the range that you can achieve.
Consider downloading this exercise plan to support this site. Get it here.
Travelling on a train as a disabled passenger can seem off putting. From worrying about getting the right help to local stations being inaccessible, there can seem like a lot of barriers for the disabled train passengers.
We’re pretty experienced disabled train passengers though, so we have put together some helpful tips and advice for you.
There are 2 types of trains, local and mainline. Local trains are a bit like buses on wheels and have clear spaces for wheelchair users and adaptive buggies.
Mainline trains such as East Coast or Cross Country have specific carriages in both standard and first class. For East Coast, it is F in standard and L in First Class. The same generally applies to Cross Country
Getting Assistance as Disabled Train Passengers
Local Trains –
- At local stations, guards have wheelchair ramps on board and can help wheelchair passengers on and off.
- Always check the accessibility of local stations because some can lack ramps or safe walk ways for visually impaired.
- If a local station is inaccessible – go to a main station and ask them to provide accessible transport to that station.
- There should not be luggage, bikes or people obstructing the accessible spaces, and you can ask a guard to move them.
Mainline Trains –
- Ideally it is better to book assistance in advance, either in the station or by phone on – http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/disabled_passengers.aspx
- However, you have no obligation to pre-book and staff at stations have to do their best to accommodate you.
- If there is reason why a carriage cannot properly accommodate you such as lack of toilet or train fault, then the operate has to move you free of charge.
- In the event that you miss your train and the operator or station staff are to blame, such as not providing assistance, then they are duty bound to provide you with an accessible alternative such as a taxi.
- In the event of rail replacement service (where a bus replaces a train), mobility and visually impaired passengers are entitled to an accessible alternative.
Pro Tip – if you are disabled train passenger in a hurry, and unable to purchase a ticket for a legitimate reason (such as organising assistance), then you can board a train without a ticket. On-board, you can then purchase a ticket a discounted rate.
Pro Tip – if you problems with planning a journey or getting around an unfamiliar location, then you can have some guide you around the station.
Pro Tip – you don’t need a disabled person railcard to get a discount. If you remain in your wheelchair, you can get 34% off as single ticket using the code D34 and 50% off a return using the code D50.