Infographic. Field-based methods for assessing exercise intensity in adults with spinal cord injury

Physical inactivity is recognised to be an important determinant of increased cardiometabolic risk and cardiovascular disease in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Normal everyday activities are not enough to maintain cardiovascular fitness and exercise should include aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility. To promote health, adults with SCI are encouraged to exercise at a ‘moderate to vigorous intensity’. Exercise can be in the form of cardiovascular exercise at home or in a gym (eg, arm ergometry), or playing a sport such as wheelchair basketball. Whatever is chosen, it is important that the individual be guided by a method that is suited to the level and completeness of SCI, which can greatly influence the physiological response to exercise. Here, we reflect on several community accepted norms that typically inform the exercise guidelines in the general community, and their appropriateness for application in individuals with SCI.