Why Is Fitness Essential For The Special Needs Population?
Adaptive Physical Fitness Improves Physical & Mental Health
By
January 6, 2023
At Spectrum Sports, we believe that exercise is beneficial and important for everyone, but can be difficult (and scary) for the special needs population without proper adaptation.
"Individuals with disabilities are three times more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic conditions." – UDS Foundation
Regular forms of exercise can:
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults with disabilities are more likely to have several conditions, such as: heart disease, obesity, strokes, diabetes, and/or cancers than adults without disabilities. Regular physical exercise and fitness can lower the risk of developing any of the health conditions stated above.
People with disabilities have several barriers to fitness, like physical, environmental, and/or mental limitations. But there's also another big reason why some parents do not encourage their child with special needs to exercise: The fear of getting hurt. Many existing exercise and fitness programs today do not apply proper modifications for individuals with special needs which could feeds into these fears, result in an injury or cause frustration because the exercise is too hard when not modified.
Physical fitness – when done right – can help someone with special needs reap so many benefits, including improved physical and mental health. At Spectrum Sports, we provide a suitable environment with the necessary exercise tools, equipment and classes for individuals with special needs, plus access to a large community of like-minded parents, caregivers and special needs individuals.
"At Spectrum Sports, we meet with each athlete to understand their unique barriers, challenges and goals, and then modify our sports, games and fitness activities to ensure they are safe, fun and fulfilling. It's important to us that we don't just adapt our programs for the special needs community, but we adapt our programs for each unique individual." – Dan Minko, Founder, Spectrum Sports
Spectrum Sports offers various classes to fit the needs and interests of all of our athletes, such as: Sports, Weights, and Yoga classes.
