Although wheelchair users, visually impaired people and other people with mobility and physical disabilities need regular exercise, they often find it difficult to exercise. In many cases, they can not access to “adaptive” exercise and sports equipment – means machines, weights and other devices which were modified or designed to facilitate their use by disabled people.
High costs, difficult learning curves and limited access limit their use.
To reach this conclusion, I collaborated with Helara Wijesundara, who, like me, is biomedical technology researcherto see what’s bothering them. We published our findings in Disability and Rehabilitation: A Journal of Assistive Technology in July 2024. We analyzed greater than 40 products and greater than 20 articles that researchers have published on this topic.
Limited access
There are 4 types adaptive fitness tools available on the market: exercise equipment and accessories, exercise machines, sports equipment and fitness applications.
For example, rowers, treadmills, and similar devices are easy to use and might help users track their progress in improving their physical fitness.
There is little data on how often adaptive exercise machines can be used in the event that they were available in gyms, which makes gyms reluctant to buy them. As a result not many gyms have any of these thingsand most individuals cannot afford to purchase their own device as such machines can cost up to $9,000.
Some adaptive exercise equipment doesn’t cost that much, though. For example, mono ropesthat’s, ropes attached to a bar that an individual with just one hand can use to jump rope, typically cost around $100. Wheelchair tensioning strapsportable system, in which you’ll attach sturdy bands with handles to a wheelchair to perform muscle-strengthening exercises, costs about $150. Although they are available, these adaptive exercise tools are not found in most gyms.
In fact, the study was inspired by a conversation with members of the Movin’ Mavs, the championship wheelchair basketball team on the University of Texas at Arlington. These athletes said they’d to get creative to overcome the inconveniences of the gym.
For those that are not trained, the exercises turn out to be even tougher without skilled guidance. It is straightforward to injure yourself without proper form or knowledge of how to safely use the equipment, especially for people with disabilities.
Although they exist inclusive fitness certificates available, most fitness instructors are they are not trained to adapt their knowledge people with disabilities.
There too little or no effort has been made to design digital fitness technologycomparable to adaptive exercise machines that connect to fitness gaming apps Or virtual group exercise apps for people with disabilities.
However, such features can be very useful as they may help people with disabilities learn to exercise, construct self-confidence and increase motivation.
Serious health problem
This 13% of Americans have disabilities If twice as likely have diabetes, stroke, and depression than the final population. This is not only due to disparities in access to health care or comorbidities. It’s also because they get less exercise than they need.
Only about 1 in 4 American adults follow really useful physical activity guidelines, which include at the very least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and engaging in muscle-strengthening activities at the very least twice every week.
People with disabilities are even less likely to meet these guidelines: Less than 1 in 10 adults have a mobility disability If performing the really useful amount of exercise.
Some I’m afraid of getting hurt. Others say that I do not know the way to exercise or are too shy to do it in a public space. Most gym machines are not accessible, and asking for help using them could make some people feel uncomfortable.
Arrival and return Gyms may be difficult for some disabled people to use, especially in rural areas where gyms are unlikely to offer disabled facilities.
Adaptive fitness solutions have the potential to improve overall physical and mental health, reduce social isolation, prevent disease, and drive social change toward accessibility. However, insurance firms will only cover the associated fee of non-public adaptive exercise equipment and enrollment in programs with doctor’s note.
Bruce Yeung/Getty Images
Next steps
Researchers still don’t know the way people with physical and mobility disabilities study and access latest adaptive exercise tools.
And despite this latest advances in exercise technologyCreating exercise equipment suitable for people with physical disabilities stays a secondary issue for designers.
That’s why my research team is developing adaptive exercise machines that may be utilized by people of all abilities, combined with digital fitness technology to guide and track exercise performance. With the assistance of our team of engineers, researchers, disabled people and disability advocacy organizations, we’ll launch our first small pilot study in late 2024 to assess how well these machines work and get feedback for future development.
If everyone could use accessible equipment, it would cut back costs, increase demand and justify the acquisition of kit for public gyms.
