Accessible fitness equipment for wheelchair users generally falls into one of two categories: devices that elevate heart rate with minimal resistance, or strength-focused tools that build muscle without delivering meaningful cardiovascular benefit.
The challenge is that wheelchair users need both. Upper-body strength supports transfers, propulsion, and daily reach, while cardiovascular endurance helps reduce sedentary health risks. Yet truly integrated seated solutions remain difficult to find.
Light arm cycling may raise heart rate briefly, but without progressive resistance it does little to build functional strength. On the other end of the spectrum, resistance-only tools can strengthen muscles but often fail to sustain the intensity needed for cardiovascular conditioning.
This is the gap VitaGlide® was designed to address. By combining continuous upper-body resistance with sustained, rhythmic movement, VitaGlide supports both cardiovascular effort and functional strength in a single seated workout—eliminating the need to choose one benefit over the other.
Research consistently shows that combining resistance and cardiovascular exercise leads to better long-term outcomes. For seated users, that means equipment must engage multiple muscle groups while maintaining sufficient intensity—something most traditional seated machines simply weren’t built to do.
