Some components of the exercise program can be incorporated into a home program, while others may necessitate special equipment or supervision. It may also be difficult to find a facility with the support and equipment necessary to carry out an effective exercise program. Cardiovascular conditioning is essential to maintaining a healthy heart muscle and to having the endurance to meet our daily activity needs. Often people will make the mistake of trying too quickly to reach recommended intensities and duration of continuous aerobic exercise. Again, functional ability may dictate level of participation.
Circuit training involves cycling through weight lifting and aerobic exercise.
With spinal cord injured populations, a program alternating between stations of a multi-station weight machine and arm ergometer can successfully sustain heart rate and blood pressure so that an aerobic benefit can be achieved. Cross training, across one or all of the above-mentioned pieces of equipment, allows for a variety of muscle groups to be utilized, thus avoiding overuse injuries. It also reduces the risk of boredom by providing a more stimulating environment. Muscular strength and endurance are also important aspects of fitness. Depending on the level and severity of injury, adaptations may be made to the design of program and equipment utilized.