Benefits of aerobic exercise for the paraplegic: a brief review

The importance of exercise for the general population is emphasized widely; therefore, it must be even more important for paralegics who are already threatened with poor health due to the sedentary nature of their lifestyle. The effects of functional degeneration are vast and greatly reduce the overall health of paraplegics, particularly within the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, thereby increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease. Recent investigations suggest that this process may be reversible through exercise training and that paraplegics respond to exercise training in essentially the same manner as the non-handicapped individual. In addition, exercise training has been reported to decrease the resorptive process of the skeleton by decreasing bone and collagen catabolism and possibly aiding in new bone formation. This review attempts to summarize the available literature on the effects of exercise on the paraplegic and will hopefully provide some direction not only for further research but also recommendations for practitioners working in the field.