Ways to stay active in hospital

When in hospital, it is very easy to be inactive. However, when we are inactive, we very quickly lose our muscle mass, confidence and independence. There are a few things you can do to retain these things while in hospital.  

1. Sit in the chair for all meals, and longer if you can. Staying in bed means our core muscles do not have to work as hard. This can lead to them becoming weaker, meaning we find it much harder to sit, walk, and be independent in the future.  

2. Use the toilet whenever you need to. Try not to use a commode or bedpan. This little bit of activity when needed can help you maintain your strength.   

3. Get dressed into normal clothes each day, complete with shoes. Wearing normal clothes gives us more motivation to get up and walk about during the day. If you don’t have any with you, please ask family or friends to bring some in.  

4. Engage with the nursing staff when you are being washed and dressed. In hospital, it is very easy to let the nurses do everything for you. If you play an active role in getting washed and dressed, you will retain your independence and not lose these skills. 

5. Where you can, keep active. We will be seeing you as often as we can to help you become more mobile, however, rehab takes place over 24 hours a day, and is mainly an independent task. This means completing your prescribed exercises independently, as well as being generally active throughout the day, and resting at night.  

6. Family and friends can help! When your loved ones come to visit you, they may try to do things for you, or help you to complete tasks. Where possible, try to do things independently as much as you can, maybe showing them this booklet to explain why it is important.