Last updated: December 5, 2024

Spinal cord injury (SCI) refers to damage to the spinal cord resulting from traumatic or non-traumatic causes. Examples of traumatic and non-traumatic causes are falls and tumors, respectively. The extent of a SCI depends on the severity and location of the injury in the spinal cord. SCI results in physical, emotional and/or social challenges that can greatly impact quality of life.

Physical activity and SCI

Research shows that regular physical activity is safe and beneficial for people with SCI. It helps to improve health, functional abilities and quality of life. Physical activity recommendations for people with SCI are as follows.

To improve physical fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength:

• Aim to do 20 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities two days per week. Activities could include arm cycling, swimming or wheeling in a manual wheelchair.
• Aim to do strength exercises for each major muscle group, designed with your healthcare provider, two days per week. In addition, aim for three sets of each exercise at moderate- to vigorous-intensity.

To improve cardiometabolic health, aim to do 30 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities three days per week. Cardiometabolic health is a term that includes cardiovascular diseases (such as coronary artery disease) and metabolic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes). Cardiovascular disease and metabolic disease share several risk factors, and decreasing the risk of one of these can decrease the risk of the other.

Useful resources

Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI Action Canada, Canada) 
Developed by an international team, these guidelines offer two levels of physical activity recommendations: a starting level for beginners and an advanced level for those more experienced. They include aerobic and strength training activities and emphasize these activities be performed at moderate- to vigorous-intensity to enhance physical fitness, decrease risk of chronic conditions and improve quality of life.

Active Homes (SCI Action Canada, Canada) 
This webpage provides strength training guides and exercise videos for people with paraplegia and tetraplegia which align with physical activity guidelines for SCI. The resources include resistance band exercises, free weight exercises and stretches to support home-based strength training.

Fitness and Exercise Database (Spinal Cord Injury BC, Canada) 
This webpage provides a variety of physical activity resources for people with disabilities, including strength training guides, accessible facilities and programs and online stores for adaptive equipment.

Exercise After Spinal Cord Injury (SCIRE, Canada) 
A series of videos in which experts and people with SCI describe the importance of physical activity and provide guidance on how to be active, avoid complications and adapt equipment.

Physical Activity Research Centre (ICORD, Canada) 
This webpage provides links to videos featuring accessible exercise workouts and information on how to access remote personal training sessions and online exercise classes for people with SCI.

Spinal Cord Injury: Flexibility Exercises (HealthLink BC, Canada) 
This webpage provides information on flexibility exercises for SCI and describes a few exercises. Flexibility exercises help maintain range of motion for people with SCI, with some stretches done independently and others requiring assistance.

Physical Activity Resources for Physical Disabilities (University of British Columbia, Canada) 
This document provides information on organizations that offer inclusive programs and resources for people with disabilities. It includes the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability and Canadian Disability Participation Project which provide free physical activity support and Power to Be which provides subsidized adaptive recreation programs.