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Special Fitness Project
What is the Special Fitness Project?
This project of Rossmoor Rotary gives Rotarians the ability to help people with disabilities improve their health and morale by exercising with DVD workouts.
We provide DVDs, each containing three workouts.
- The first is a slow, 14-minute workout, for people to learn the moves or for use by those who can not do more challenging workouts.
- The second is about 25 minutes long and introduces mid-paced moves.
- The third runs about 40 minutes and combines moves from the first two workouts for everyone who can enjoy moving for 40 minutes or longer.
Each DVD can be used by a wide variety of people. For example a school can use the same DVD in classes for severely disabled children who enjoy the short, slow workout with guidance and encouragement from teachers or volunteers and also in classes for older or more capable students who will enjoy the challenges of the longest workout.
WHO BENEFITS?
It helps a wide range of people exercise safely in the comfort of their homes, class rooms, sheltered workshops, day activity programs, rehabilitation centers or group homes.
Over 10 million people with disabilities live in America. About 30 % or over 3 million of them can benefit from Special Fitness workouts.
The workouts have been used successfully by people from eight to eighty years old. They work for people with a wide range of disabilities including developmental disabilities such as autism and mental retardation; traumatic brain injury from sports, military service or from accidents; and normal aging. They can be done while standing or seated.
Also many people with no disability who want a pleasant, low-pressure workout have enjoyed them.
WHY EXERCISE?
Almost everyone agrees that exercise is good for health and morale. Most of us who are moderately healthy people get lots of exercise in the course of our daily lives and may also enjoy sports and outdoors activities.
Both small and large disabilities can make people slip into destructive immobility. The problems can be subtle or obvious.
A few of the problems that Special Fitness addresses include:
- Workouts that are too fast or too long. The first SFP workout is very slow and short. When people master it they can move to more challenging ones.
- Language that’s complex or confusing: The leader of the SFP workouts uses simple language with no distracting chatter and speaks clearly so most people, even those with mild hearing impairments, can follow her directions. Also teachers and on-site coaches can supplement her directions to help exercisers.
- Doing “floor work” and then standing up again is a part of many fitness routines that frustrates people. All SFP moves are done standing or seated. This reduces the risks of falls and the discomfort of struggling up and down.
- Finding safe places to exercise outdoors: SFP workouts are done indoors with a TV set when the weather is too hot, too cold, if the neighborhood is not safe, at night or any other time.
- Finding space to exercise: SFP workouts require little space. Two or three people can exercise in most living rooms and children can do them between desks in some classrooms and in part of school gyms or in conference rooms.
- Sports Injuries: SFP avoids moves that are dangerous or contraindicated for specific conditions such at people with Downs Syndrome who have Atlantoaxial dislocation.
- Expense of health clubs, sports equipment, Adaptive Education Coaches, etc. These DVDs are free and can be used many times.
FITNESS is a concept that includes endurance; cardiovascular health; appropriate weight, strength, flexibility and coordination. It includes mental qualities such as the ability to focus on tasks and to participate in everyday activities.
BENEFITS OF FITNESS are far ranging. Social acceptance is affected by appearance. Participation in most activities requires basic fitness. Regular exercise offers the indirect rewards of reducing social isolation and preparing people to participate in normal activities.
