Weight Workouts for the Disabled
By Barb Gormley
Satisfy the needs of disabled members with the latest equipment and good space planning.
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There’s an energizing buzz in the weight room at Variety Village, a unique fitness and life skills facility in Scarborough, Ontario. Members move from machine to machine chatting, mopping their sweaty brows and enjoying a laugh or two. What makes this scene different from an evening at most other gyms is the wheelchair exercisers in the crowd who are gracefully gliding between machines and stretching on a customized stretching apparatus.
“We’re fully integrated,” says program coordinator Pablo Sanchez, who oversees the 32 full- and part-time staff who work in the weight room and at the indoor track. “All of the facility and our programs are accessible to able-bodied and disabled members.” |
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| Dave Henderson, an instructor at Variety Village, demonstrates equipment accessibility. | |
Versatile equipment
One of the keys to the centre’s success and booming membership – they have approximately 4,500 members – is the carefully chosen equipment, says Sanchez. Much of it is specifically designed for the disabled market but works equally as well for their members without disabilities. “Almost every piece can be used by every member whether they’re able bodied or disabled.”
While standard-issue equipment is usually awkward or impossible for wheelchair users to access, high-functioning wheelchair members are able to roll up close to the specialized machines and then transfer themselves to the seat or bench. Others move seats and benches aside and then wheel into position. Still others are assisted into the equipment by their personal attendants or the Variety Village weight room staff.
New equipment is added regularly, says Sanchez, and the facility counts on feedback from their roster of personal trainers and members to make the right purchasing decisions. Their latest addition is a motorized exercise-bike-like machine that allows members to move their legs and/or arms either from their wheelchairs or from the machine’s seat. It helps members decrease joint stiffness and increase their circulation and strength. At the same time, it’s a great calorie burner and self-esteem booster say regular users.
Mix of high- and low-tech
The Steadward Centre (formerly the Rick Hansen Centre) at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, is a fitness centre designed solely for the physically disabled. Its 250 adult members count on a combination of highly-specialized equipment as well as low-tech classics such as bands, tensor bandages, stretching mats and towels to provide challenging and effective workouts.
Make it easy to use
Providing a good workout for disabled members is all about ease of use and space, according to Steadward’s program director Karen Robinson. Most of her members have spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy or have had a stroke. Her centre spaces its equipment generously, so wheelchairs can easily maneuver around each piece. To further ensure there’s plenty of room for everyone without crowding, members are required to call in and book their workout times.
One of their most popular pieces is an upper body, multi-station cable machine. Its seats pull out, and members can wheel in backwards, if desired. Devices like hooks and ‘grabbers’ that attach bars to the users’ wrists or let them be held with a more secure grip make the piece suitable for large numbers of their members. Wall-mounted arm ergometers let members strengthen their upper bodies in a safe position.
Get creative
The Centre didn’t want its members to miss out on the fun of the university’s group cycling classes, so it had portable arm ergometers on stands designed so that members can participate alongside the able-bodied exercisers.
Creating a weight room with the right equipment for a population of members with diverse special needs takes expertise and time. “My suggestion for those new to the field is to do your research and talk to disabled exercisers and professionals with experience in the field,” advises Robinson.
Popularity: 11% [?]
