Are Power Chair Sports Really Exercise?

by Kathy Wechsler

Many kids have tried power soccer or power hockey at MDA summer camp and loved it.

Everyone agrees that these sports designed for power wheelchair users are a lot of fun — but are they also exercise? Absolutely, say the experts. And playing once a year may not be enough time to reap all the benefits power chair sports have to offer.

What’s the game?

Power soccer and hockey are similar to the traditional versions of the sports. Players are males and females of all ages. Any child who can safely operate a power

wheelchair should be able to play, says Greg Carter, who co-directs the MDA/ALS Center at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.

Both sports are played on a regulationsize basketball court by two teams of four. Power soccer players use foot guard attachments to kick a 13-inch ball into a net, while power hockey players hit a small plastic ball with hockey sticks, which sometimes are mounted on their chairs.

A heart-y workout

While playing power soccer or hockey isn’t a “locomotor” activity, such as walking, running or swimming, it still puts an aerobic

stress on the heart, says J.P. Barfield, assistant professor of fitness and wellness at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.

“One of the ways that we quantify physical activity is by examining or documenting that increase in heart rate,” says Barfield, who participated in studies in which power soccer players’ heart rates were measured before and after a game. Heart rates increased during games to meet the players’ energy demand.

Aerobic activity (which increases heart rate) may reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. It also can stimulate metabolism, burn calories, and improve mood and appetite.

Because the heart is stressed during