Static back wheel balance in your wheelchair

This guide is all about static back wheel balance. That’s holding the chair in position on two wheels safely and in control. 

Balancing your wheelchair on its back wheels is a foundational skill that will help you improve confidence and control your chair. Once you’ve mastered it, you should find it easier to  move over obstacles and kerbs, and a whole host of other things.

This guide contains some exercises that you can do to build up your skills. You should always practice on a flat surface and ideally with a helper or trainer nearby.

What you’ll learn:

• How to prepare for back wheel balance safely
• Lifting the front castors smoothly
• Find and hold the balance point
• Returning to a stable position in control

What you need to know about static balance in your wheelchair

Back wheel balance is a key skill for wheelchair users. Controlling the back wheels on your chair has several benefits, including:

• Improving your control and awareness of movement
• Building upper body strength and coordination
• Preparing you for advanced skills like going up and down kerbs and coping with obstacles

Like all wheelchair skills, it’s important to start slowly and build up. That’s especially true of back wheel skills which can be physically demanding.

Always practice back wheel balance skills in a safe and controlled environment. You’ll understand how your chair responds to small shifts in weight and motion. It’ll help to develop your confidence without exposing yourself to risks.

Manual wheelchair: Static balance

Before you start to put the skills into practice, you’ll need to get yourself in the right position to control the chair:

Step 1: Preparing your position

1. Sit upright and hold both push-rims firmly
2. Ask your spotter to hold the back handles securely
3. Keep your eyes forward and shoulders relaxed

Step 2: Lifting the front castors

1. Give a short, firm push on the push-rims while leaning slightly backwards. Your front castors should lift just a few centimetres off the ground
2. Hold the position for a few seconds, then allow the chair to roll forward so the castors fall back to the floor
3. Repeat this movement as many times as you need to until it feels comfortable 

It’s a lot of fun as you pick up the skills. Focus on timing and control, not about how high you can lift up the casters. You want movements to become automatic, not conscious.

Step 3: Finding your balance point

1. When the castors are in the air, use small and controlled rim movements to hold your position
2. Try to keep your arms relaxed and try to avoid sudden and panicked pushes
3. Look forward, not down to help you stay centred
4. Breathe evenly and focus on gentle adjustments

Finding the balance point can be tricky and there’s always a risk you could fall backwards, which is why we recommend having a spotter behind you, at least in the beginning.

Step 4: Returning to the ground

1. Let the push-rims roll slowly forward
2. Control the descent so the front castors touch down smoothly (not with a bang!)
3. Avoid letting the chair ‘slam’ forward

When returning to ground, aim to be slow, steady and controlled. It’s a good idea to pause before repeating the exercise as it can be quite physically taxing.

Back wheel skills: Building confidence through experience

Perfect practice will help you perfect the skills, so follow these tips:

• Increase your hold time gradually
• Focus on smooth movements rather than trying to increase height
• Work towards being able to balance for several seconds without any help
• Always reset between lifts to maintain control
• Take regular breaks to avoid getting tired