BlindAlive.com

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!

My Pilates Story

December 13, 2015  /  Mel Scott

Pilates came into my life almost eight years ago. I had heard of it long before that but I had not tried it for myself. I was satisfied with what I knew how to do which was yoga and Jane Fonda workouts.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer on April 1st, 2008, I was very afraid. I had two young boys who needed me to be strong in body, mind, and spirit. I had many tough decisions to make about my treatment, and I was stressed out to say the least.

The treatment I chose was to have both breast removed with reconstruction during the same surgery. My surgery was scheduled on May 7th. I had five weeks to strengthen my body in a different way. I knew that after the operation, I would not be able to use my arms to help me maneuver and I wanted to be able to do things for myself. I couldn’t imagine needing help to get out of bed because my stomach muscles were not strong enough to sit up without using my arms. I was determined to be able to stand up from sitting on the floor with my legs only. That takes core strength.

I knew that my mind needed to be slowed down so doing lots of frantic exercising was not what I needed. Pilates came to me through a friend and it was perfect. It was slow and precise. The breathing calmed me while my muscles got stronger and stronger. I either did Pilates or yoga every single day during those weeks. I even got up at three in the morning on the day of surgery so I could do Pilates one more time. I achieved my goal. I actually tested to make sure I could get in and out of the bathtub without using my arms at all. I was so proud.

Pilates made all the difference in my recovery. Almost immediately after surgery, I was able to sit up on the side of the bed with no assistance. The nurses were very impressed. It helped me have confidence in my ability to be strong. I healed very quickly.

Pilates still has a prominent place in my overall fitness. Being able to rise up out of bed without causing myself any pain and not needing to ask for help made quite an impression on me. This is why I am so determined that we all have access to this method of strengthening. I want to share this so you can have the strength when you most need it too!

 

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