What is adaptive wellness? Adaptive wellness is simply wellness made accessible for everyone, including individuals with physical and mental disabilities.
Three Ways Wellness Can Be More Accessible
Affordability. By making it more affordable and offering variations in programming like the following: time, number of in person sessions, written programs, scholarship programs for those who may not have as easy access to studios and programming that is best for them.
Get Creative! Availability by fitness spaces have the opportunity to change and adapt to their clientele rather than what they feel it should be. It is way easier than people think it just needs time to think out side of the box.
Be Inclusive. Individuals with disabilities are humans just like everyone else, and just like every other human, people do things in different ways to get the same result. It's important to listen and understand what simple tools or modifications are needed for them.
How Can Gyms Incorporate Accommodating Machinery?
Use what you have, and watch! Accommodating a gym doesn't necessarily mean you need all new equipment. It can be as simple as learning from your clientele and making small adaptations (i.e. different grip straps, hand pedals, seated adjustments like seat belts or booster pads, brightness of light and volume of sound on machinery).
The Impact-Driven Initiative at Ability Fitness
At Ability Fitness, we are actively working in the community on creating more accessible boutique gym space (spin, rowing class, weight classes, swimming), where people with disabilities can seamlessly fit in with the rest of the community
We work virtually with caregivers and group homes anywhere in the united states to make sure that guided fitness can be accessible to those in their home
Who Does Ability Fitness Train?
In Chicago we see EVERYONE, from infants to older adults, to those who are recovering from major accidents, or those who were born with mental or physical disabilities. In a given day, we can work with high level CEO’s to individuals learning how to walk again, to children with mental disabilities working on finding an outlet for their energy. No two days are the same, or our clientele, but we have created a space that no matter what your life consists of everyone feels like they have a place where they can come and get healthy and belong.
Opportunities to Make Health More Accessible
First and foremost in (any city especially), is the entrance to facilities which is the first impression of a space. If a person cannot easily get into a space it, automatically counts them out. While many places are “ADA compliant'' there is much more to a “welcoming door” than that.
Understanding that a separate entrance on the side or back door, loading dock etc. is not welcoming. How to figure out if you have a “welcoming door” borrow some crutch, a knee scooter or wheelchair from a PT office and try to perform your daily activities in your space, you will be surprised!
Second, advertising and letting the community know you are making an effort to make a change, no one or place is perfect, but advertising with a sign on the door that you are an accessible space shows this community that you are trying and receptive to feedback to make it better. We are all in it together but no one knows you're trying until you say something
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