Fit Pros Supporting People with Disabilities
Study finds more fitness pros want to engage people with disabilities to increase activity.
Over 25% of American adults have a disability. Fit pros can offer valuable, cost-effective support to these individuals who can benefit from improved cardiovascular and muscle fitness, mental health, balance and better ability to do daily life tasks according to the CDC. University of Queensland researchers in Brisbane, Australia, conducted a cross-sectional national survey with 72 fitness professionals to understand the experience of fitness pros supporting people with disabilities to engage in sport and exercise.
Fitness pros are interested and confident in working with people who are differently abled. Barriers exist related to lack of disability-specific training and effective collaboration with allied health professionals, per findings reported in Disability and Rehabilitation. In line with a related qualitative study, fitness professionals noted that while this work is deeply rewarding, more education and funding support is needed to facilitate the delivery of safe and effective services to people with specific conditions. These findings are available in Disability and Rehabilitation.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37578127/
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
