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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!

Gentle Workout Set: Who is it For?

October 15, 2017  /  Mel Scott

Hi Everyone,

Today I want to answer a question we get quite often. What is the Gentle Workout Set, and who is it best for?

I designed The Gentle Workout Set after I realized that a huge number of people need to start their exercise journey from a chair. Everyone should have the choice to begin where they are currently. Some may need to start from the bed. Who knows, maybe I will create an exercise program for them too.

The Gentle Workout Set has four 20 minute workouts. Each one can be started in a chair and then you can move to standing when and if you feel strong enough. The Cardio section gives chair and standing instructions. The Upper Body and Core focuses on resistance using light weights to strengthen arms and back. There are core exercises too that can be done in the chair also. The Lower Body and Balance section does have standing exercises using the chair as a support. If these are not possible for you, the other workouts will still be good for you. This one strengthens muscles that will help with tasks of daily living and lesson our chance of falling. The fourth section is The Light Warm up and Stretch. This one can be done anytime to get your muscles and joints loosened. I have had people tell me that they do this one everyday because it takes away the pain caused by stiff joints. This means less medication. I suggest that you start with the Light Warm Up and Stretch and then try the others. Take it one day at a time.

There is no shame in doing your exercises in a chair. I do it quite often myself. Some days I feel kind of dizzy or light headed and I feel safer in a chair. I can still get a great workout and I feel supported. We all need support sometimes. It is best to have the support and do the exercises. Choosing to strengthen your body no matter the starting point will result in feeling so much better about your body and life. Starting is the key.

If you feel you need a low-stress place to start moving your body, I think The Gentle Workout Set can be a great starting place on your journey to wellness. You can find it here, along with all our other programs.

Good health to you,
Mel

 

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