Defining Inclusive Fitness and Maintaining Independence with a Disability

The American College of Sports Medicine has established a certification called “Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer” for fitness professionals that have seen the obvious need for fitness solutions necessary for a growing senior population and persons with disabilities. I would like to point out that I don’t necessarily agree with grouping seniors alongside people with disabilities. I have worked with many 65+ clients without major limitations and their biggest goals have been much the same as their younger peers - to lose weight or increase the physical capabilities of their bodies.

The goal of this program is to adapt training methods to enable people to recognize barriers to develop a safe and effective training strategy for themselves or their clients. The goal is to improve the five major components of health - cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and a healthy body composition.

If you or anyone you know are disabled, the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is a great resource to help you develop strategies to stay physically active. They have articles and videos that provide safe and effective workout solutions for a wide varieties of physical and mental impairments.

Contact TrainKC to find out more about working out with a fitness professional who is certified and ready to help you or someone you love build a program that will suit your lifestyle and improve your well-being.

To read more about the NCHPAD, visit www.nchpad.org.

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