Choosing a manual wheelchair to support you with better mobility and independence is never a wrong choice. Even though a manual wheelchair is the most basic type out of all wheelchair types, it can still help you lessen the need to rely on your caregiver. Interestingly, a manual wheelchair is built differently with a particular goal of allowing users, like you, to incorporate physical exercises while staying on it. The physical activity starts when you push yourself in a manual wheelchair. Thus, you are required to have enough upper body strength.
Technically, a manual wheelchair is also popularly referred to as a self-propelled wheelchair. Hence, it explains why you must utilize upper-body aerobic exercise to propel this mobility device. With that being said, it is significantly different from a power wheelchair that takes advantage of modern technology in the power and battery. Now, to self-propel or push yourself in the manual wheelchair, you must secure your hands with the hand rims on the wheels.
When feeling tired from pushing yourself, you can ask for a little assistance from your caregiver because there are some high-quality handles designed on the back of each manual wheelchair. There’s no doubt that you can push yourself in a manual wheelchair safely with the right practice to handle efficient maneuvering. Hence, grab this chance to learn some helpful tips on using a manual wheelchair below.
Let’s find them out.
Best tips on using a manual wheelchair
Suppose it is your first time using a manual wheelchair. In that case, it is a common scenario that you wonder how you can safely go around with the best manual wheelchair with ease. Of course, we can help you with the best tips on using a manual wheelchair guide. Explore them below:
- Gripping the wheels
Surely, one of the most crucial things that you need to be efficiently familiarized with using a manual wheelchair is gripping the wheels. With this, you need to securely position your hands on the hand rims on the back wheels. When you want to push yourself without any help, you must operate the manual wheelchair’s hand rims for steering and movements.
Fundamentally, you need to position your left hand on the left rim while you must place your right hand on the right rim. Before maneuvering, you need to ensure a steady grip on the hand rims to remain stable and safe throughout the propelling process. At first, it might be challenging, but you’ll truly get the hang of the entire process with constant practice.
Moreover, some recommendations include wearing fingerless gloves to prevent calluses, wheel burn, and blisters. Apart from that, it is also better to keep your fingernails short to avoid daily tears. Also, you can ask for specially built hand rims when you have a low grip strength. Best of all, you can utilize the best wheelchair accessories to be more comfortable with sitting on your manual wheelchair.
- Going forward
When using a manual wheelchair, the most common practice you must complete is going forward. With this, you need to reach backward and safely grip the wheels as far back as possible in your capacity. After securing that, you can now push the manual wheelchair forward by keeping an equal hold of the hand rims and securely moving them in a forward direction. Next, you need to let go of the hand rims safely.
After letting go of the hand rims, you need to move back your hands to the starting position. Repeat the steps during the entire process to keep self-propelling going forward without any issue. During this maneuvering, just keep calm and make yourself comfortable. It is noteworthy that lightweight manual wheelchairs are the easiest type of manual wheelchairs to push and control. They are not exhausting to maneuver when with less strength and grip.
- Going backward
When going backward, you need to be careful with the little wheels at the front as they need to swivel around. At the same time, it is better to go slower than when pushing forward because you need to pay extra attention to what is behind you. While doing that, you need to reach forward, grip the hand rims, and push them slightly backward.
- Turning left and right
Basically, your destination is not about going forward. Hence, you also need to practice how to propel in turning left and right safely. When turning left, you need to hold the left hand rim steadily while pushing the right hand rim forward. Make sure to keep a good grip on the hand rims for safe and comfortable turning.
When turning right, you just need to do the opposite: hold the right hand rim sufficiently while pushing the left hand rim to go forward. When turning, you need to keep a proper posture and not lean because you might lose balance. Interestingly, securing the best wheelchair cushion can add better comfort and security.
- Going up and down ramps
When going up and down ramps, you need to remember that it is better to lean slightly forward and operate the manual wheelchair with quick, short pushes. The need to lean forward is necessary to prevent tipping over. In addition, when you are going down the ramp, you also need to control your speed to avoid any chance of an accident.
Final Thoughts
In reality, there is more to know about having a manual wheelchair besides discovering if you can push yourself in a manual wheelchair. As a matter of fact, when buying one, you need to learn the different types of manual wheelchairs and other significant factors to guarantee an informed buying decision with almost no chance of any regret.
Lucky you, AvaCare Medical can help you with everything you need, even with professional advice. We have more than high-quality manual wheelchairs and other medical products because we offer the best and unmatched discounts and deals. When it comes to our wheelchairs, we provide a fast and free shipping process— explore more of the amazing information by messaging us directly at info@avacaremedical.com or speak to us by calling 1-877-813-7799.