TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Activity And Disability: The Right Workout Is Out There

ADVERTISEMENT

By VICKIE BECK

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 14, 2008

Maintaining health and fitness is difficult enough for the average person. Casual conversations with friends and co-workers, as well as a weekly glance at the pages here in 4you, are proof that it's difficult to lose weight, maintain an exercise program and develop better health habits - especially as adults. It takes a lot of motivation, determination and information.

While having a disability and being healthy are not mutually exclusive, it does make maintaining a successful personal fitness program even more difficult.

Disability directly affects at least 20 percent of our population, and it indirectly affects all of us - as family, friends, co-workers or taxpayers. It's important to include this population in any discussion of health and fitness. This column is the first in a series that will speak to the issue of health, fitness and disability.

Many in the health care field who advise people to exercise and eat right, including primary care providers, insurance company wellness advisers, and even fitness instructors at gyms and health care facilities, don't seem to know what sort of advice to give their patients with disabilities. Everyone says lose weight and exercise. But if you can't move much or stand or walk, what should your daily caloric intake be? Is a typical frozen diet dinner still too much? What's a reasonable diet and exercise program for people who use wheelchairs and really want or need to lose weight? Who knows?

And, though some gyms may have some adaptive equipment, many do not, or do not have a full range. City and county recreation facilities also may have some adaptive programs, but they are likely not comparable to the full range of activities and times available for people without disabilities.

To complicate matters, the word "disability" has many definitions, ranging from social generalities to personal perceptions, or from clinically efficient medical terms to legal criteria necessary to generate financial benefits and other assistance. The reality, however, is that disability - its effects, limitations, challenges, barriers, even benefits - is completely individual. Though the basic advice about choosing a diet and exercise program - consult your physician first - still holds, the refinements and specifics may require a little extra perseverance, experimentation, patience and ingenuity.

The Internet is one place to start. Google "disability exercise" and more than 6,000 possibilities pop up, including information, advice, products, testimonials, adaptive sports opportunities and even a few exercise routines. The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability ( www.ncpad.org) provides a wealth of general material, including a list of guidelines with information on exercise benefits, safety considerations and types of exercise, with suggestions for each type.

While on the Internet, check out your city and county recreation facilities and departments, and see what's available.

Some hospital-based wellness programs and private gymnasiums have programs and staff with some knowledge about the health-related aspects of disability. Again, it's a matter of research and persistently searching for what suits you.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT