20 Habits to Improve Mobility

Living with disabilities or mobility issues can present unique challenges, but it doesn’t mean you can’t strive for improved mobility and quality of life. Whether you use a wheelchair, walker, or cane, or have limited mobility for other reasons, cultivating healthy habits can significantly enhance your mobility and overall well-being. 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 20 habits specifically tailored to individuals with disabilities and mobility issues. However, embarking on this journey requires more than just a list of habits – it demands a proactive approach and a commitment to creating sustainable daily routines that prioritize your well-being. 

Before diving into the specifics of these habits, let’s explore the techniques and strategies that can help you establish and maintain daily mobility improvement habits. Laying this groundwork will help you be better equipped to navigate the challenges ahead and to enhance your mobility and a more fulfilling life.

Getting Started: Creating Daily Habits for Improved Mobility

Creating a daily habit to improve mobility can be both empowering and rewarding. However, getting started and staying consistent can sometimes feel daunting. Here are some practical steps to help you establish and maintain daily habits for improved mobility:

  • Set Clear Goals: Begin by defining specific, achievable goals related to improving your mobility. Whether it’s increasing flexibility, enhancing balance, or reducing joint pain, having clear objectives will give your daily habits purpose and direction. Start Small: Break down your larger mobility goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Begin with simple habits that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine, such as stretching for 10 minutes each morning or taking short walks around your home.
  • Create a Routine: Consistency is key when it comes to building habits. Establish a daily routine that includes dedicated time for mobility-enhancing activities. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, during breaks throughout the day, or before bedtime, find a time that works best for you and stick to it.
  • Use Reminders: Set reminders or alarms on your phone or calendar to prompt you to engage in your mobility habits. These reminders can help reinforce your commitment and prevent you from forgetting to prioritize your mobility goals amidst a busy schedule.
  • Start Slowly and Progress Gradually: Avoid the temptation to dive into intense workouts or lengthy exercise sessions right away, especially if you’re just starting or have mobility limitations. Begin with gentle movements and gradually increase intensity or duration as your strength and confidence grow.
  • Track Your Progress: Keep track of your daily habits and progress toward your mobility goals. Whether it’s using a journal, mobile app, or calendar, documenting your efforts and accomplishments can provide motivation and accountability.
  • Stay Flexible: Be prepared to adapt your routine and habits as needed based on your evolving needs and circumstances. If certain activities become too challenging or need modification, don’t hesitate to adjust your approach or seek guidance from a healthcare professional.
  • Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to enlist the support of family members, friends, or healthcare professionals in your journey toward improved mobility. Having a support system can provide encouragement, motivation, and practical assistance when needed.
  • Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Whether it’s mastering a new exercise, increasing your flexibility, or experiencing reduced pain, every milestone is a testament to your dedication and progress.
  • Stay Patient and Persistent: Building new habits takes time and patience, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Stay committed to your goals, stay patient with yourself, and remain persistent in your efforts to improve your mobility and overall well-being.

By following these steps and a proactive mindset, you can lay the foundation for daily habits that support and enhance your mobility, independence, and overall quality of life. Remember that every small step forward is a step in the right direction toward achieving your mobility goals.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Habits to Improve Mobility

Stay Active Within Your Abilities

Regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining mobility and preventing muscle atrophy. Consult with a physical therapist or healthcare provider to identify safe exercises that align with your abilities. Even simple movements like stretching, seated exercises, or wheelchair-friendly workouts can make a significant difference.

Practice Proper Posture

Good posture is essential for optimizing mobility and reducing the risk of strain or injury. Whether you’re sitting or standing, focus on aligning your spine, shoulders, and hips. Utilize supportive cushions or adaptive equipment to maintain proper posture throughout the day.

Utilize Assistive Devices

Using tools like wheelchairs, walkers, canes, or scooters can really help you move around better and do things on your own. It’s important to make sure these tools fit you well and are in good condition so they can work their best. Taking care of your assistive devices can make a big difference in how much they help you get around and do things independently.

Engage in Regular Stretching

Incorporate daily stretching routines to improve flexibility and range of motion. Focus on stretching major muscle groups, joints, and areas prone to stiffness. Stretching can alleviate discomfort and enhance mobility over time.

Strengthen Core Muscles

A strong core is the foundation for stability and mobility. Include exercises that target core muscles, such as abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles. Strengthening your core can improve balance and support proper posture.

Prioritize Balance Training

Balance exercises are crucial for preventing falls and maintaining mobility. Practice standing on one leg, heel-to-toe walking, or utilizing balance boards under the guidance of a physical therapist. Incorporate balance training into your routine to enhance stability and confidence.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excess weight can exacerbate mobility issues and strain joints. Focus on maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise. You can consult with a nutritionist or dietitian to develop a personalized meal plan that supports your mobility goals.

Image by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash.

Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is essential for overall health and mobility. Aim to drink an adequate amount of water throughout the day, especially if you’re engaging in physical activity. Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps and fatigue, hindering mobility.

Get Sufficient Sleep

Quality sleep is vital for muscle recovery and overall well-being. Aim for 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night to support mobility and cognitive function. Check with your professional healthcare provider how many hours of sleep you aim for depending on your mobility. You can also create a relaxing bedtime routine and optimize your sleep environment for comfort.

Practice Mindful Movement

Practicing mindfulness means paying attention to how your body feels and moving in a way that helps you feel calm and relaxed. You can try activities like tai chi, yoga, or meditation to help you become more aware of your body and reduce stress. These practices can also help you feel more relaxed, which can make it easier to move around and do things without feeling tense or uncomfortable.

Use Proper Body Mechanics

Pay attention to your body mechanics when performing daily tasks to prevent strain or injury. Lift heavy objects using your legs, maintain a neutral spine when sitting or standing, and avoid overexertion. Utilize adaptive equipment or ask for assistance when needed.

Take Regular Breaks

Prolonged periods of sitting or standing can contribute to stiff muscles and decreased mobility. Take regular breaks to stretch, change positions, or engage in gentle movement throughout the day. You can set reminders if necessary to encourage breaks.

Incorporate Mobility Aids

Explore the use of mobility aids such as ramps, handrails, and grab bars to enhance accessibility in your home and community. Modifying your environment can facilitate safer and more independent mobility.

Stay Consistent with Therapy

If you’re undergoing physical therapy or rehabilitation, consistency is key to achieving optimal results. Attend therapy sessions regularly, follow prescribed exercises, and communicate any concerns or progress with your therapist.

Practice Joint Protection Techniques

Protect your joints from unnecessary strain by practicing joint protection techniques. Avoid repetitive motions, use ergonomic tools and assistive devices, and distribute tasks evenly to minimize stress on your joints.

Invest in Supportive Footwear

Proper footwear can significantly impact mobility and reduce the risk of falls. Choose shoes with adequate support, cushioning, and stability to accommodate your specific needs. Consider custom orthotics or shoe modifications for additional comfort and support.

Stay Mindful of Environmental Hazards

Be aware of potential hazards in your home and community environment that may impede mobility, such as uneven surfaces, cluttered walkways, or slippery floors. Take proactive measures to address these hazards and ensure a safe and accessible environment.

Stay Socially Active

Spend time with people you like and do things you enjoy. Being around friends, family, and others in your community can make you feel happier and more connected. So, try to stay involved in activities and spend time with people who make you feel good. This can help you feel like you belong and have people who support you, which is good for your mood and can also help you move around better.

Practice Relaxation Techniques

When you feel stressed or tense, it can make it harder to move around and make your muscles feel even tighter. But there are ways to help your body relax and feel better. Try doing things like taking deep breaths, slowly relaxing each part of your body, or imagining yourself in a calm and peaceful place. These relaxation techniques can help your muscles loosen up and feel less tight, so you can move around more easily and comfortably.

Set Realistic Goals

Establish achievable goals related to mobility and track your progress over time. Celebrate small victories and adapt your habits as needed to continue progressing toward your mobility goals. Remember that improvement takes time and consistency. 

A technique that can help you set clear goals is the SMART framework: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Specificity ensures clarity in what you aim to achieve, measurability allows for tracking progress, achievability keeps goals realistic, relevance ties them to your overall objectives, and setting deadlines provides accountability and motivation. For example: a SMART goal could be to increase walking distance by 25% within three months. This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound as it focuses on enhancing mobility through a quantifiable increase in walking ability within a set timeframe. By tracking progress and gradually increasing distance, this goal provides a clear target for improving mobility and overall well-being.

Achieve Greater Mobility with These Habits

Improving mobility with disabilities or mobility issues requires dedication, patience, and a proactive approach to self-care. By cultivating these 20 healthy habits tailored to individuals with disabilities and mobility issues, you can experience greater independence, strength, and mobility. Before diving into the 20 habits outlined in this guide, it’s essential to establish a foundation for success by creating daily habits for improved mobility. 

Using techniques such as setting clear goals with the SMART framework, starting small, establishing a routine, using reminders, progressing gradually, tracking progress, staying flexible, seeking support, celebrating successes, and remaining patient and persistent, you can lay the groundwork for lasting positive change. Whether it’s increasing flexibility, enhancing balance, or reducing joint pain, these habits offer a comprehensive approach to improving mobility and overall well-being. Remember, every small step forward is a significant achievement on your journey toward improved mobility and independence.

Remember to always consult with healthcare professionals, therapists, and mobility specialists as needed to tailor these habits to your specific needs and abilities. 

Need more information on overcoming challenges? From tips for independent mobility to supporting loved ones with mobility challenges, we offer a useful bank of detailed topics on the Dr Handicap blog. Check it out today!

Featured image by Drew Beamer on Unsplash.

What Is Defensive Driving And How Can It Help Disabled Drivers?

Safety should be the number one priority for all disabled drivers. The unfortunate truth is that when traveling by road, there is always a risk of getting into a crash. Injury or even death are always possibilities when we travel in a vehicle, particularly if that vehicle is driven in an unsafe manner. But if we practice sensible, defensive driving, we can improve our chances of staying safe on the roads.

Tragically, over 38,000 people die in accidents on American roads each year. It is important to be aware of this grim statistic. By remaining fully cognizant of the dangers we face when driving, we can take the necessary precautions to mitigate those dangers.

Many of the crashes, injuries, and deaths that happen each year on American roads could be avoided if more people practiced safe, defensive driving. Far too many road accidents are caused by human error, negligence, a lack of concentration, tiredness, or aggressive driving.

Unfortunately, there will probably always be dangerous drivers who pose a threat to themselves and others. The best thing responsible drivers can focus on is reducing their vulnerability by driving safely and practicing defensive driving. Today, we will discuss defensive driving and how it can help disabled drivers.

What Is Defensive Driving?

Defensive driving is a type of driving intended as a defense against the dangerous actions of other road users and other hazards on the road such as bad weather. It is a driving style that is cautious and sensible, and that puts safety first.

Defensive driving involves a set of driving practices that are effective at defending the driver and their passengers from the dangers of road travel.

Dr Handicap - disabled drivers
Image by Free-Photos on Pixabay: How does defensive driving help disabled drivers?

Why Is Defensive Driving Important?

How can defensive driving benefit you and others, and why is it important? Simply, it is important because it keeps people safe. Road travel can be risky because other drivers often make mistakes and drive responsibly. Hazards such as bad weather and slippery surfaces can also make road travel dangerous. Defensive driving protects against these hazards.

What Are The Principles Of Defensive Driving?

So, how do you practice defensive driving? The main principles of defensive driving are:

  • Always sit high and alert behind the wheel, and keep your eyes on the road
  • Maintain full concentration
  • Minimize distractions
  • Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles
  • Slow down at all intersections and junctions
  • Be aware of any blind spots
  • Make sure other drivers can see you
  • Always assume other drivers may make mistakes

What Are The Benefits Of Defensive Driving?

So, how can defensive driving help disabled drivers? There are a lot of benefits to defensive driving. The main benefits are that it:

  • Keeps you safe
  • Keeps other drivers and pedestrians safe
  • Reduces costs of vehicle repair and insurance
  • Makes you a good example to other road users
  • Lowers your stress levels

What Are Some Examples Of Defensive Driving?

Some examples of defensive driving include:

  • Keeping a safe distance from other vehicles
  • Driving at a sensible speed and not going above the legal speed limit
  • Maintaining full concentration
  • Constantly checking your mirrors to be aware of your surroundings
  • Avoiding distractions from other passengers, loud music, podcasts, etc.
driver wearing seatbelt in car
Image by freestocks-photos on Pixabay: Practicing defensive driving benefits all road-users.

How Can You Get a Disabled Parking Permit?

If you have a disability but you have not yet gotten a disabled parking permit, it is a simple and quick process. The best way to get a disabled parking permit is to arrange a telemedicine consultation with a medical practitioner in your state through the Dr Handicap online clinic.

During a video consultation (which can be undertaken from the comfort of your own home) the medical practitioner will verify your disability. The qualifying conditions for a disabled parking permit include:

  • An inability to walk 200 feet without needing to stop to rest
  • Not being able to walk without aid from an assistive device
  • Heart disease
  • Lung disease
  • Any condition that necessitates the use of portable oxygen
  • Legal blindness
  • An arthritic, orthopedic, or neurological condition that hampers mobility

Once your disability has been verified, the medical practitioner will fill in the relevant sections of a disabled parking permit application form and email it directly to you. All you need to do is fill in the remaining sections and submit it to your local disabled parking authorities.

Featured image by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash

6 Good Driving Habits That Every Driver Should Develop

How can you stay safe on the road? To drive safely, it helps to develop good driving habits each time you get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get into bad habits while driving – but this can put the safety of yourself, your passengers, and other drivers at risk.

So what are good driving habits, exactly? Simply, these are actions, thoughts, or procedures that you follow each time you drive a car, with the aim of making your driving safe. It’s generally thought that new habits take about a month to form, so if you make an effort to practice good driving habits each day, they’ll soon become second nature.

Read on for six good driving habits that every driver should develop – plus a few that you should always avoid.

1. Focus on the Road

Wondering “How can I make my driving better?” Well, our most important driving tip is to always stay highly focused on the road. Distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents, due to drivers paying attention to something else other than the road and what’s happening on it.

Always remain focused when behind the wheel. This means never texting or making calls while driving, listening to the radio at an appropriate volume, and keeping an eye on your mirrors and rear window, so you have a full picture of your surroundings.

If passengers, children, or pets are fussing or making noise in the car, pull over and handle the situation – but never try to calm your children or animals while still driving.

man sitting in car
Image by Fortune Vieyra on Unsplash: Checking your mirrors frequently is a good driving habit to pick up.

2. Check Your Mirrors

Your rearview and side mirrors are there to help you drive safely, so use them to your advantage. Whenever you get into the car, check your mirrors to see if their positioning is correct; they can easily get bumped, and you don’t want to have to adjust them while driving.

When you’re driving, especially when switching lanes, always check your mirrors first to make sure it’s safe. Keep in mind that all cars have a blind spot (an area you can’t see in your mirrors), so turn your head as well to make sure it’s absolutely safe before turning or merging.

3. Look After Your Car

Your car is a complex and expensive machine, so make sure it’s always running its best with regular serving and oil changes.

You might want to learn some driving basics to make things easier in an emergency. So what basic skills should all drivers have? To start, it can be helpful to know how to change a tire, how to set up flares, and how to call for help in an emergency. Otherwise, always make sure you have a roadside assistance membership so you can call for help at any time.

4. Take Frequent Breaks

Heading out on a long road trip? If so, remember to take frequent breaks. Driving when tired can lead to accidents, so stay fresh by stopping for a stretch and some fresh air every two hours or so.

Breaks can be a good opportunity to look at your map, work out where you’re going, and think about the parking situation at your destination. If you qualify for a disabled parking permit, make sure you always have it with you so it’s easy to access parking.

5. Use Your Turn Signals

It seems obvious, but many drivers neglect to use their turn signals. If you don’t use your signals before turning left or right or changing lanes, other drivers on the road don’t know what you’re planning.

This can be incredibly dangerous, so always get into the habit of indicating well before you plan to turn.

6. Slow Down

Speed can be a killer on the roads. Even if you’re running late, always drive the speed limit. If the roads are wet or visibility is poor, it’s a good idea to slow down even more.

Going the speed limit means you’ll not only avoid getting a ticket, but you’ll arrive safely at your destination.

man showing bad driving habits using phone while driving
Image by Alexandre Boucher on Unsplash: What are some bad driving habits? Texting and driving is one of the worst.

Bad Habits to Avoid

Now that you know how to drive safely, what are some bad driving habits to avoid? Firstly, to stay safe, never text or browse on your phone while driving – it can quickly cause a crash.

You’ll also want to avoid driving while angry. If you’re already feeling mad or upset, you’re not likely to concentrate on your driving, and you might even experience aggression known as road rage. Road rage can make it easy to do something you’ll regret, such as acting negatively towards another driver or making reckless choices behind the wheel.

When driving, always avoid using alcohol, drugs, or prescription medication that you know will make you tired or groggy. If you’re in a position where you’re no longer able to drive, call a cab or rideshare service, ask a friend for a ride, or wait a few hours until it’s safe to drive.

Are you ready to improve your driving? If so, make an effort to develop good driving habits, starting with the tips outlined above. They can help you become a more confident and responsible driver, keeping you and your passengers safe, happy, and secure while on the road.

Featured image by Jan Baborak on Unsplash