Workout Questions - Wheelchair Workouts To Burn Calories

Workout Question:
Can you tell me which muscle groups are used and how many calories are expended when I push my husband's wheelchair on fairly flat streets and sidewalks? I weigh 160 lbs, he weighs 205 lbs, the chair weighs about 45 lbs. Also, can you tell me whether this activity would promote bone-building in my spine?

Workout Answer:
You burn approximately 200 calories every 30 minutes by pushing your husband's wheel chair. This is actually a really good overall body workout which works all of these muscle groups:

• Legs
  
• Chest
  
• Biceps
  
• Triceps
  
• Shoulders

In terms of the bone-building in your spine, since this is an impact exercise (walking) you will be stimulating bone production. In a review of 24 studies examining aerobic exercise and bone mineral density in women, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston found that subjects who walked an average of 30 minutes, three times a week for at least 16 weeks experienced significant bone-mass gain. In comparison, non-exercisers experienced a bone-mass decrease of nearly 2% in that time period.

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