Physical Activities for Those with Disabilities That Aren’t Boring in the Slightest

Many people struggle with finding ways to get physical activity that stimulates that part of themselves that craves adventure and fun. There’s nothing less motivating than a boring exercise, and if you’re living with a disability you may feel as though your physical activity is limited to the dull and monotonous. Here are some activities that prove that’s wrong.

Skiing

One of the most accommodating sports for people with various disabilities is downhill skiing. The amount of technology available to assist people of all walks of life in living out their skiing dreams is massive. For those without the use of their legs, there is mono and bi skiing, which utilize bucket-style seats with either a single or double rail underneath. For those with use of their legs, but with some form of disability, there is four-track skiing options.

“Four-track skiing is an ideal technique for persons with a wide variety of disabilities, including double amputees, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, head trauma, paraplegia, and polio,” notes DisabledSportsUSA.org.

For an incredibly thorough rundown of your skiing options, check here.

Surfing

Surfing is another sport that greatly benefits from recent advances in technology.

“Like regular surfing, adaptive surfing involves the surfer paddling out and riding a wave towards the shore. Adaptive surfing can occur wherever there are suitable waves, this is mainly in the ocean however can also be done in lakes, river and through artificial waves,” says DisabilitySport.au. “Surfing requires the use of a surfboard. Adaptive surfing allows for modifications to be made to the surfboard so that it can be properly used and safe for the surfer.”

There are surfing boards called waveskis, which incorporate a seat and a paddle. There is also laydown surfing (which is pretty much what it sounds like) and kite surfing, which is particularly fun for those with disabilities.

Some with disabilities – if they aren’t too severe – can even get up on more traditional surfboards as long as they have the help of a spotter.

Martial arts

Learning taekwondo, judo, or another form of martial arts is not outside the realm of possibility if you have a disability. In fact, many martial arts teachers understand that moves can be adapted and replaced to suit particular disabilities.

“If a student is unable to kick, then a replacement technique that does approximately the same thing can usually be found. For example, a front kick can be replaced by a straight punch, a roundhouse kick by a roundhouse punch, a back kick by a hammerfist and so on. For people who cannot use their arms, the reverse is true. People who are paralyzed on one side need to be given one sided alternatives,” says FightingArts.com.

For resources on this, check out this site.

Boccia

If you still want to do something fun that is a little less extreme, people with disabilities have found that the ancient game of boccia is quite conducive to many different conditions. The goal is to throw balls and get them as close to a target ball as you can. People with disabilities can throw the balls, roll them, kick them, or even use a ramp to propel them toward the target. Places with strong communities are great places to find local groups dedicated to games that accommodate those with disabilities.

While it doesn’t hurt to get in your routine exercise (even if it’s in your own home), getting your daily quota of physical activity doesn’t have to be boring and limited. Even if you are living with a disability, there are plenty of ways to have a ton of fun while getting that much-needed exercise.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

Author: Travis White (LearnFit.org)

Physical Activities for Those with Disabilities That Aren’t Boring in the Slightest

CNN Inspirations: Body Smart is due to air this weekend on CNN International at the following times:

Friday 11 August
2000bst

Saturday 12 August
0300bst
1300bst
2100bst

Sunday 13 August
1100bst

Monday 14 August
0400bst

CNN International is available in the UK on Sky and Virgin Media.

We had a busy but enjoyable time on our road trip, Paleo Festival short but sweet, and two lovely weddings.

#GREAT2017 #Bridgethegap #assistivetechnology
Talk in Geneva went well, got across most of the points I wanted to cover but delivery was not very smooth. As dad has said, “it’s better when it doesn’t go smoothly, means you can learn from it”.
Thanks specifically to organising employees at the summit, Chapal for inviting me and Ellen, Angela and Ineta for enabling.

#WildernessFestival
Wilderness Festival great fun over my birthday weekend. Appleton estate rum bar playing excellent house music and the Valley #PBRStreetgang & #EatsEverything was lively as usual. Most enjoyable acts at the main stage for me were #Bonobo and #TheCorrespondents.

170730 GREAT Summit presentation Tom Nabarro

world health organisation, GREAT Summit<\a>

Ellen and I have embarked on whirlwind trip of Europe; after being down in Devon for a few days with Ellen’s mum Amanda Stewart and Becky Ramsurn Damien Ramsurn and Naia, off to Karlsruhe, Germany to visit Chris and Liz Gearing then Prague, Czech Republic for James Stammers & Jana Sou?ková’s wedding and meeting up with my godfather Simon Rawlence and Katarina, then Paléo Festival Nyon, Switzerland for the week with some of the family David Nabarro Lucas Nabarro Josie Nabarro Gillian Holmes and friends Lucy Robinson Angela Maset Rajiv Bose Louisa Robert Carr. We will return via Nangeville, France for the wedding of Piers Mallam and Pauline.
Road-trip with the team!

“After weeks of breaking news, we finally have the dates that our show will broadcast:

Fri 7/14/17
3pm ET
10pm ET

Sat 7/15/17
8am ET
4pm ET

Sun 7/16/17
6am ET
11pm ET”

links to follow

weekends packed with barbecues, Park gatherings, wonderful weddings and this weekend went to watch the screening of https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Phoenix_Picturehouse/film/donmar-presents-julius-caesar

please do catch it at a “picture house” on 12 July if you can, it is definitely well worth it!

CNN showtimes and links to online version to follow

Prawn Amela

something we experimented with today and it was delicious:

butter
onion
coriander
(Cook for ten mins medium-high heat)
garlic
dried mushrooms
paprika
Coconut cream
(Cook for 5 mins low heat)
large prawns
(Cook for 5 mins low heat)
salt
Pepper

Mint to garnish, serve with rice or toast

watch this space!

I have been doing some reflection seeing as it is ten years post my injury. Ellen Nabarro and I have a surprisingly good standard of living with lots of excitement great friends and family. Unsurprisingly, life is still not simple but we seem to manage with internal and external support, our core strength comes from each other and the amazing bond we have. I feel blessed every day for my wife, she is truly my heaven sent angel. I still dream as a more able-bodied person and I doubt that will ever change, my memories of being a fit and healthy able-bodied person seem both recent and ancient at the same time and whilst I know this is me now and that was me then, the same person, the 2 parts of my life are so disjoint that it does feel like some kind of rebirth / different life. Warm wishes and positive vibes to all, remembering those precious departed and giving thanks for the pleasures I am given every day.

Wonderful trip to Florida, Jaime & Matt had a picturesque intimate wedding which we all enjoyed thoroughly despite me getting stressed about my immobilised wheelchair. after a couple of days relaxing with the bride, Groom and respective families, we stayed to enjoy seeing Saint Petersburg whilst the newlyweds travelled to Miami and then a Caribbean cruise for their honeymoon.

Soaking in the sun and white sandy beaches was bliss, a welcome strong wind kept me cool.

Wheelchair emergency was quelled after a day and a half of being driven/pushed around (not so fun) when we enlisted the help of a friendly local wheelchair engineer (who seemed to be able to do anything asked of him). The problem stemmed from a broken cable receptacle/connector/header that had come off the circuit board inside the wheelchair control box (HMC magic drive). This part had been on the blink for a while so I knew it was coming at some point. It finally gave up when I (gently) reversed into a handrail at the wedding dinner reception.

Cliff (the engineer) was able to solder the connector pins back to the board with wires. A micro fuse on the integrated circuit had been dislodged from the circuit board and Cliff managed to secure it back on due to a clean break and some quick-acting adhesive.

Making the chair work again was a big relief after many hours of ringing around to find an engineer or a soldering iron.

Hit some good bars and heard some good live music, then at the end of the next night, chair stopped working again. the next morning, Cliff (the saviour) again came to our aid and fixed the cable solder joints he had made with epoxy resin so they would not come detached.

With that final fix, all been going well and good until now (fingers crossed) but I did have a very suspicious package (all taped up with tape and exposed wires) when going through customs.

Finding a taxi back to the airport from Saint Petersburg beach bank to Orlando International airport was also nontrivial, so we spent about 4 hours looking for a suitable taxi. In the end we luckily found a friendly driver who lived local to take us.

#Condor / #ThomasCook flight back was fine, after a bit of persuasion we had been upgraded to premium economy which was a lifesaver because the chair could recline and the seating was more spacious.

now back after a sleepless night, to sleep …

Ellen, myself, Angela and Gosia arrived in Saint Petersburg, Florida. smooth trip with #NorwegianAirlines not bad considering they are a budget airline. Ground-staff both in #GatwickAirport and #OrlandoInternationalAirport excellent with transfers, friendly Thai air hostesses.

Amusingly when I asked for some water on the flight, one of the hostesses told me I could go and get it for myself at the end of the asile, when I explained that I couldn’t she went off in a huff but did come back later with the water. Then when we were waiting for the aisle chair to disembark the aeroplane, after all other passengers had departed, she came and apologised profusely, almost crying, saying that she hadn’t realised I literally couldn’t move and that’s why she had refused to get me the water. She was very sweet about it.

Now to enjoy the wedding of the wonderful couple Jaime Buckingham & Matthew Beattie.