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Accessible Fitness, more choices for more people

Fitness has always been a concern with regard to both mental and physical health regardless of age, gender, or any other variables that make each one of us unique. And for those in the blind community, fitness is every bit as much—if not more—important.

Exercise for the visually impaired is something that should be incorporated into a weekly, if not daily, routine for a variety of reasons that are both similar and different from people within the sighted community. For those with total loss of sight as well as for those who are low sighted, a lack of regular exercise can bring on a host of other issues, including weight gain, sluggishness, and perhaps worst of all for many, insomnia or a circadian rhythm that has been thrown completely off track.

A quality workout done at the right time of day and at the right pace to meet your unique physical and mental needs is just what the doctor may have forgotten to order. For many blind people, fitness has been a challenge: without someone to guide you and without the ability to drive yourself to the gym, it becomes obvious why so many visually impaired individuals give up—but with the BlindAlive line of Fitness Workouts for blind people, you’ll never have to depend on anyone else again.

Yoga and Strength Training with wieghts for blind people along with a variety of other cardiovascular exercises help our bodies stay toned, help us gain muscle mass and lose weight, but most of all, can help lead a blind person away from a sense of helplessness.

Are you ready to sweat? Come get healthy and leave all your notions of not being able to get fit due to your visual impairment behind with BlindAlive!

Blindness, Anxiety, and Humor

March 02, 2014  /  Mel Scott

I am going to tell you part of my plan for being blind, going blind, and fully embracing life as it is. I was actually accused of being a "Pollyanna" by my older sister who was also blind. She would always say to me, “Now Mary Ellen, you are just not being realistic to think that you can keep doing that.” She might be referring to continuing to wear mascara as my vision diminished, or continuing to cook for my family. It used to infuriate me because I had no intention of ever stopping anything I wanted to do. My sister died two years ago, and I think she was just worn out with living with her regrets of what she might have become if she could have see. She was a creative, incredibly intelligent person, and I admired her greatly. She had so much to offer but the frustration of living in a sighted world in a time when technology was not nearly as advanced as it is now wore her down. I have lost much more vision in the past two years, and I have no judgments any longer. I get tired too.

It has become clear to me that I must create for myself a lifestyle that is sustainable for me and my personality type. I am a sensitive, and a natural introvert. I enjoy my own company more than anyone else I know. This is fortunate for me because I spend the vast majority of my time alone.

Here comes the anxiety part. Being out in the world as a blind person is tough for me. I am vain and self conscious, and I do not like thinking that I have dog hair all over me or seem awkward and unsure. As a result, I’d rather stay home. Isn’t this silly? I know it is, but it is real for me. What I am trying to say is that I am pretty sure humor is a large part of creating a sustainable lifestyle.

I am consciously cultivating a frame of reference that allows for a life view that shows me all the absurdity in this world. It is a funny place, and I can laugh and laugh—and I can even laugh at my tears and my bruises. I can laugh when I put chicken stock in my coffee and when I jump out of my skin when my husband suddenly appears next to me. I can laugh when the expensive knife gets cooked along with the sweet potatoes, or when I put a can of beer in my five-year-old's lunch. I am going to laugh and laugh and laugh!

categories / Blindness, Family, Life, spirituality, Technology
tags / being blind, cooking blind, laughter is the best medicine, living blind
 

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