A Fitness Focus: The First Step to Get Started is to START

Gabriel Ryan,

School Health Blog Writer and Contributor

A Fitness Focus: The First Step to Get Started is to START

The new year often brings new fitness goals for people of all ages. People tend to create fitness goals for a variety of reasons. Many popular reasons include a focus on losing weight, gaining weight, increasing muscle mass or flexibility, taking on a new hobby, creating a change in lifestyle or routine, and so many more. Getting started and maintaining motivation can be hard and often, the grand fitness plan fails before it even gets started. There are so many reasons that just getting going can be difficult, depending on an individual’s situation. This includes not knowing the “why” behind an individuals’ fitness goals in the first place, setting too many goals at once, setting unrealistic expectations, relying on fitness equipment one may not have access too, not having the social/emotional/mental support to accomplish the goals, caving in to the not-so-healthy favorite snack too often, etc.. In this fitness-focused Access Angle segment, I’ve included a few resources full of ideas to learn more about fitness and creating realistic goals for yourself, your children, or those whom you provide support and services to.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition provides evidence-based guidance to help maintain or improve health through physical activity. This 2018 guide includes suggestions for all and specifically includes information for people with disabilities. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 provides advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutritional needs, promote health, and help prevent chronic disease. This guide includes suggestions for infants through older adults.

There are several websites with sections dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle for people with disabilities, here are a few examples:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for People with Disability- This page provides and overview of the importance of physical activity with examples of how to be active in your neighborhood and in your home.
• National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)- This site includes categories for Public Health Professionals, Health Care Providers, Educators, Disability and Aging, and Fitness Professionals. There is information on becoming a Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer. Check out the searchable directory of programs for people with disabilities and health conditions available by state to find activities, adaptive sports, and camps.
• Special Olympics: Fit 5 and Fitness Cards- This web resource  highlights fitness videos in 5 fitness levels. The program is based on exercising 5 days per week, eating 5 fruits and vegetables, and drinking 5 bottles of water. The site also has cards that offer endurance, strength and balance exercises for those of all abilities.
• Disability Horizons- Has created a page to highlight eight exercise videos for people with disabilities these resources range from chair yoga, to group workouts, and dance classes. Super fun! Links to their Facebook pages or YouTube channels are included  on their webpage where you can find even more content.
• Disability Awareness Symposium- Fitness For All: Inclusive Fitness and Sport -Washington State University hosts an annual symposium, the 2021 theme was centered around mental and physical fitness. They have recorded several sessions that you can access on their YouTube channel link.
• Verywell Family offers some insightful articles about fitness for children with disabilities, such as Sports for Children with Physical Disabilities, Sports Programs for Kids with Special Needs- Organizations for Inclusive Sports, also Fitness Activities for Kids with Special Needs.
• Commit to Inclusion is a campaign that supports guidelines and programming for people with disabilities to empower and promote healthy and active lifestyles through physical activities and nutrition. Their site highlights Nine Guidelines for Disability Inclusion helpful for those who create activity and fitness programming. The I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI) Advocate partnership program recognizes the importance of working with a variety of sectors to improve access for people of all backgrounds and abilities to participate in physical activity, sports, and recreation opportunities.

School Health has numerous fitness resources and supports. Browse through the School Health website under categories such as Sports Medicine, Special Education, Early Childhood, and Physical Education to find products and ideas to support a variety of fitness goals. You’ll find fitness related products such as Exercise Buddy Pro which incorporates evidence-based practices to create success for individuals in the classroom: technology aided instruction and intervention, visual supports, video modeling, social narratives, and positive reinforcement for all individuals no matter their age, motor skills, or cognitive ability. You can also learn more about software and equipment with Focused Fitness and Palos Sports.

Focused Fitness offers unique curricula, instructional materials, professional development and software. The programs include Five for Life®, FAB 5®, WELNET® and Health READY®. WELNET® software provides the ability to collect and report student data related to fitness and health. Not only do these programs help kids stay active, but they also aim to teach key concepts like managing fitness, how fitness relates to overall health, and the role of good nutrition. Visit the website or contact a representative to learn more about how these programs can be adapted for students you serve.

Palos Sports supplies physical educators, fitness professionals, coaches and recreation directors with a variety of innovative sports and fitness equipment, activities and knowledge that will make their programs both impacting and successful. Their website includes an Adapted Physical Education section highlighting some adapted products which are great for all to use. Free resources for PE teachers or those looking for some innovative ideas, check out PE with Palos.

One important thing to incorporate as part of your fitness goals is hydration! I’ve shared in previous posts about the Giraffe Bottle Handsfree Drinking System which I use. No matter how you hydrate, keep in mind you may need to increase your intake as you increase your activity.

The first step to get started, is to START!

“You’ve got to figure out how to use what you’ve got to maximize your potential,

which in a way, is the story of all of us.” ~Unknown Author