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!
I decided to post this important request from my friend Marty Klein. He created Blind Yoga. Now he is working on an important project that will effect a much-needed change in our military policies. I hope you will read this and take action to help Marty help all of us.
Read MoreSometimes, I hear my mother's voice in my head: "When you're older, you won't fight going to bed; you'll actually want to." Of course, she was right. I'm happy to go to bed after a long, fulfilling day. However, it's frustrating when I either can't fall asleep, or can't stay asleep for the entire night. Unfortunately, the problem I rarely experienced as a child has come to plague me as an adult.
Read MoreWe were thrilled to find a blog post by Visionaware that talks about the importance of moving more. The post is geared toward those experiencing Vision Loss, and also mentions BlindAlive as a resource. Many thanks to the author and staff for their permission to reprint the below post:
You may have heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking,” but what does this mean exactly? How does it affect me and what can I do about it?
Read MoreAs with much in life that we take for granted, we are not usually concerned with the mechanisms of how our bodies work and how they do what they do. Such knowledge is not required for use of these magnificent machines that have been freely given to us. But just as a wise consumer will care for her or his car in terms of regular scheduled maintenance, our bodies require ongoing attention in order to maintain proper function. The shoulder joint, in particular, requires such proper care.
Read MoreFrom now through March 15, 2016 we are asking you to give us some information that will help us bring you more of the content you love. There are several ways for you to do this, and each one will give you an entry into our contest. You can win one of three prizes: $25 to spend at either Amazon, iTunes, or BlindAlive.
Here are the ways you can enter:
This week, we are pleased to feature a guest post from the blog of Shana Maleeff, the voice behind many of our popular workouts. You can read more of her wisdom on her blog.
Read MoreWe are happy to introduce you to Gwen Givens, a guest blogger and new friend of BlindAlive. If this post strikes a chord with you as it did with me, we'd love to have your feedback in the comments section.
Read MoreBlindness as Spiritual Path I have been a seeker of what is real all of my conscious life. I do not remember a time when questions have not reigned all powerful in my mind. Questions such as, “Why do we sing the same songs in church and say the same prayers every Sunday?” or “Do these people really believe or even know what they are saying?” The questions were so plentiful that my listening ability was obscured by the noise. As I grew older, the questions became more inspired such as, “Can I choose to be content and peaceful?” or “Is it possible to accept my loss of vision as a desirable gift. I have recently chosen to listen sometime instead of always questioning. I am now pretty sure that the answer to the last question is, Yes! I can see blindness as a cherished gift to be opened over and over again throughout my life. This gift is exquisitely beautiful with textures, smells, sounds, new ideas, and best of all, enlightenment of the highest order. It is mine if I choose it. The possibilities are infinite!
Now, the logical question is, “If blindness is a gift, how does it manifest?” Well, this is where true listening is absolutely required in order to hear the secrets that dwell within the core of the gift. Actually, I think they are not “secrets” but very loud exclamations of truth. The trick is we have to decide to hear them and decide to heed them. Life is a sequence of choices that we make in every moment. We choose the perspective from which we create our life. I have chosen to regard blindness as a spiritual path, one of many ways to explore the essence of my being. Being blind is an incredibly rich perspective from which one can gain true understanding at the highest and deepest level. All that is required of me is to perceive blindness as a gift for it to be one. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
It is almost 9 years ago since I wrote the words above. I still like them but in these8 years, my parents have died and my breasts have been removed. My vision has diminished greatly. Sometimes those words feel like pure bullshit! Tonight though, on December 31,2013, I still know blindness is a gift if I decide that it is and tonight, I do.
What Blind People Want…? Today I decided to bravely venture into the world of internet shopping. I know this is possible if not quick and easy.
What I want is a clutter free, add free, straight forward website. This website would only have items tested or designed by blind people.
Will you tell me what are your favorite things? What makes your life easier?
I am looking for:
1. A backpack with easy to access pockets for my phone, wallet, and cane.
2. A light, airport friendly guide dog harness.
3. pouches to hook onto the harness that are big enough for a phone, relief bags,and even a small wallet.
Let me know what you want or share what you have found. Maybe we can create something together.
My shopping adventure left me with all my money still in my pocket.