The topic of inclusivity (whether it’s race, gender, physical ability, etc.) has become increasingly more talked about in today’s society – which we love!
The health and fitness realm has also made more effort to create fitness apps for wheelchair users looking to maintain or improve their overall health.
As a healthcare provider myself, I often treat patients who use a wheelchair. This could be a permanent fixture in their life or a temporary modification as they recover from an injury or illness.
The idea of being able to suggest fitness apps for wheelchair users that have their unique needs in mind is a massive plus in my world.
To continue promoting inclusivity, we wanted to create an article highlighting the 4 best fitness apps for wheelchair users today.
Contents
Suggested readings
- 14 of the best wearables and services for seniors and elderly folks
- Monitor your injury recovery and mobility using your iPhone
- 5 best apps for older adults with osteoporosis or osteopenia
- Best free exercise apps to strengthen and help relieve pain
4 best fitness apps for wheelchair users: The quick list
1. Wheel With Me Fitness: Best option with the most variety of exercises
2. Wheel Fit: The best option for customizations and diet planning
3. Wheelchair Exercise (BitGym) App by Invictus Active: The best option for tracking fitness metrics with a trainer
4. Chair Yoga: The best option for those needing gentle workouts
4 best fitness apps for wheelchair users
Look no further if you’re searching for a fitness app (or two or three) that emphasizes health and fitness for wheelchair users!
We’ll give you the details of our 4 favorite picks here.
1. Wheel With Me Fitness
Wheelchair users designed this app for wheelchair users. Gone are the days of adapting able-bodied fitness apps or resorting to workouts built for seniors.
Many young, healthy individuals are wheelchair users and should have access to a fitness community that is explicitly designed for them.
That’s where Wheel With Me Fitness comes in. Wheelchair users lead all workouts and examples.
The app itself is so well-rounded, with a large variety of different types of workouts. Using this app, one can expect workout options ranging from functional mobility to resistance bands, floor/bed workouts, strength training, and even cardio.
Plus, you’ll get to engage in monthly challenges with other users within the app. Wheel With Me Fitness has fostered a community of like-minded individuals that goes far beyond just the app itself.
The app is free to download, but there are in-app purchases. It is compatible with both iOS and Android users.
2. Wheel Fit
This app is designed for wheelchair users to get fit right in their own homes. Most of Wheel Fit’s exercise routines require minimal to no equipment.
If you want to burn fat and get stronger, this app has been built with those goals. They also have workouts that can cater to all users – whether you’re a beginner or a professional para-athlete.
They offer an extensive library of wheelchair-based exercises that all include instructional animations, so you’re never left guessing.
Some of their workout routines include warm-ups, mobility, endurance, strength training, high-intensity interval training, and much more!
You can also build your workouts and routines, making the app super customizable.
Another feature that distinguishes Wheel Fit is its impressive nutrition planning tool.
You’ll have access to their different diet plans (e.g., Keto, Paleo, high-protein, vegan, etc.) and their online calorie calculator.
If you want to lose fat and build muscle, your nutrition will go hand in hand with your workouts.
This is one reason we love this app and feel that it is one of the best fitness apps for wheelchair users that also emphasizes the importance of nutrition.
Wheel Fit is free but is currently only offered to Android users.
3. Wheelchair Exercise (BitGym) App by Invictus Active
Invictus Active’s Wheelchair Exercise app could be an excellent option if you are serious about improving your fitness.
Invictus Active uses the BitGym app, which claims to be the #1 interactive cardio app on the market.
What is unique about Invictus Active is this app is paired with their wheelchair-based trainer that can record your speed, distance, heart rate, and calories burned!
It’s essentially a treadmill for your wheelchair and offers killer cardio workouts.
The trainer easily connects to the app via Bluetooth, so there’s no hassle setting it up. The app is pretty clean and simplistic because it focuses on showcasing your fitness metrics clearly and clearly.
However, you can also use it to display over 100 courses or scenic routes to roll along when getting in your cardio workout for the day.
The app and the workouts are suitable for anyone of any age or fitness level. But if you’re serious about getting strong and fast, Invictus Active offers a fantastic fitness platform.
The wheelchair trainer is a bit of an investment costing you around $799.00. Think of it this way – you likely won’t find a treadmill for less than that.
You could also easily spend that amount on buying a smart trainer for your bike. So it isn’t unreasonable if a trainer is your ideal way to work out.
The BitGym app, Invictus Active, works with iOS and Android devices.
4. Chair Yoga
Chair yoga, in general, is a gentler approach to working out. This type of yoga supports all fitness levels and abilities and is also very inclusive of wheelchair users.
The yoga poses are based on using a chair (or wheelchair) to support the body and modify more challenging yoga poses.
Wheelchair users can often become more stiff and prone to specific muscle groups getting tighter. Yoga is an excellent option to promote stretching, increased mobility within joints and muscles, and overall relaxation.
The Chair Yoga app offers guided yoga sessions using real people and animations to simulate each move.
You’ll have a handful of different options to choose from regarding different lengths of classes, types of classes, and goals of certain classes.
I love how the app also incorporates posts about why chair yoga is helpful and what the many benefits of yoga are.
It’s an all-encompassing mind-body-soul practice, and this app really reinforces that.
This app is free, but it offers in-app purchases. This particular chair yoga app is only available for Android users, but an iOS version is in the works.
Final thoughts on our favorite fitness apps for wheelchair users
More and more apps are being developed to highlight the importance of creating workout routines for people of differing abilities – including wheelchair users!
Though this niche is still relatively small, it’s exciting to see new apps being developed for this market.
We hope you found these four fitness apps for wheelchair users insightful, and we look forward to seeing what new apps will be developed and released to the public in the future.
