Blog written by McKenna Strange
Staying active can be difficult for anyone, yet it’s undeniably important for all of us. However, there are added difficulties for individuals with disabilities. Having a disability can make it difficult to find ways to stay active that also work with your physical ability & comfort level. It could be hard to find classes or workouts that have modifications to fit your needs, or visual elements to help with understanding a task or exercise.
These kinds of obstacles can be discouraging, but there are ways to make staying active easier & more enjoyable. In this post, we’ll explore why it’s important to stay active and realistic. Plus, we’ll look at some fun ways to inject more activity into your daily life.
Benefits for Your Physical Health
For individuals with disabilities, staying active provides many benefits & is essential to maintaining overall health. The CDC website lists several benefits to consistent exercise, including:
- Managing weight
- Improving mental health
- Lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Reducing heart disease
- Averting certain cancers
Individuals with disabilities can also have secondary health conditions—also known as co-morbidities—so incorporating movement into everyday routine is essential to remain healthy.
A further benefit of remaining active is increased independence. Consistent activity can increase strength, endurance & mobility. For example, daily walks around the neighborhood can improve your endurance for things like going shopping by yourself. Adding simple activities–like walking or stretching– builds up strength & confidence. Over time, that leads to more independence in daily tasks.
Get Started
There is not just one type of exercise or definition of physical activity. It’s based on individual needs & interests. Exercises can be modified to fit any ability level & situation. There are many ways to integrate staying active in things that you already enjoy doing. This could be a sport, yoga, dancing, bowling or swimming. These activities can also take place anywhere, such as at home, in the park or at the pool. It’s up to you!
Set a Goal & Make a Plan
The next step is to establish clear goals & a plan to keep yourself motivated & consistent. When you decide your goals, identify smaller steps you can take to reach that milestone. Your goal might be to be more flexible & improve your balance. Your plan for achieving that goal might be to do chair yoga 3 times a week. By breaking goals into smaller steps, it makes it manageable & achievable.
Surround Yourself with Support
Having a support system can make a huge difference in staying active. You may need encouragement from a parent, caregiver, friend or someone else on a similar journey. Help can come in many forms such as joining in as a workout buddy, sharing tips, or being there to listen.
With your plan & support in place, you’re on your way to reaching a healthier you!
