Physical Activity Principles

The importance of physical activity can no longer be doubted with the amount of research establishing its necessity. However, physical activity is not always accessible to everyone. For instance, the presence of a disability can severely impact an individual’s physical activity participation. With one in seven Canadian adults experiencing a disability (Stats Canada, 2017), it is important to understand how to still offer them the opportunity to be physically active. Over the course of my time within KPE334, I have developed 5 guiding principles that can be applied when working with an individual with a disability. The first principle would be to create a new or modify the existing physical environment to make it accessible to all individuals

Anyone who works with individuals with disabilities must know the details regarding each disability. In the case of a personal trainer working with people with disabilities, they must understand the general characteristics associated with various disabilities. For example, a personal trainer must understand the general characteristics associated with spastic or non-spastic cerebral palsy under a specific level of the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Many individuals with disabilities emphasize the poor training of the staff at various fitness facilities, as they often do not have sufficient knowledge about how to adapt physical activity for them (Week 4 Reading 1, Week 7 Reading 3). This was also highlighted during Archie’s guest lecture on Variety Village. He stated that the many of the individuals with disabilities who attend Variety Village have attempted to participate in physical activity at a different facility that is closer to their homes. However, the majority of them always come back to Variety Village as the staff that they encounter at different facilities are not trained to prescribe physical activity to individuals with disabilities. By knowing and understanding the mechanisms behind each disability, it will assist in the prescription or development of physical activity programs to individuals with

The fourth principle is essential during exercise prescription, as it consists of learning the capabilities and preferences of individuals with disabilities. The abilities based approach is one of the strategies that can be used to gain this information. This strategy requires the practitioner to learn about the individual’s capabilities, rather than assuming their abilities based on pre-conceived notions of their disability (Week 3 Lecture). The individual is placed at the centre of the program development in which activities that match their abilities is then prescribed. In regards to the quality participation framework, the abilities based approach helps build a greater quality experience for individuals with disabilities (Week 3 Lecture). By allowing the individual to be the centre of the planning process, it will assist in the development of feelings of autonomy, engagement, meaning, and challenge (Week 3 Reading 1, Week 3 Reading 2). With increases in the quality of participation, it creates an optimal setting for the individual to continue participating in physical activity (Week 3 Reading