Active Summer Fun: 'I have had my eyes opened to the benefits of physical activity'
A new participation campaign created by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and National Disability Sport Organisations (NDSOs) is encouraging more disabled people to find out and play out over summer. Active Summer Fun -#ActiveSummerFun on social media - is an exciting new campaign that aims to support more disabled people to find ways to be active during the warmer months.
This summer we will be hearing from various disabled people or those who deliver activities that include disabled people. We hear how they are expecting the next few months to be very busy!
Today, Marie Wheeler talks to us. She discusses discovering physical activity and maintaining a positive mental attitude.
Marie’s Active Summer Fun:
I’m 31. I have a condition similar to cerebral palsy, due to a head injury sustained as a child. I lose my balance all the time, so I rely on the stability of my walking frame, and walking is challenging because of my tight muscles and balance issues. Life can sometimes be a struggle.
But I make sure I regularly go to the gym.
I had noticed small amounts of progress but wasn't really being pushed enough, so I decided to try Body Tone classes. My teacher was amazing - she knew muscles very well and had done so many courses with people who had different conditions, and she knew how the body works and its various muscle groups.
I started going three times a week, even though at the beginning I couldn't stand very straight due to my poor posture and weak abdominal core muscles.
I would hobble into the gym all but, once I had endured the hard work, for the next 45 minutes I’d feel much more supple. The more classes I attended, the straighter I found I was able to stand, my muscles relaxed quicker after each class and walking became a bit easier.
Gradually I added a Keep Fit class to my regime. This meant five classes a week! I felt so much stronger and more able. Daily life was still a struggle, but I had more energy and my muscles were more pliable. I also had more stamina and could walk a bit further than before. The gym was helping me function and for the first time in my life I felt I was getting it right.
Yes, sometimes classes were painful and muscles ached, but the benefits were incredible. I was able to do more and get more out of life, so much so I successfully became pregnant after years of trying!
Now my daughter is two years old and my gym teacher has left. I am recovering from operations at home, and using my own weights to maintain my fitness as much as I can. Once I am able to walk a bit more I will go back to my gym.
I have had my eyes opened to the benefits of physical activity, which can help disabled people live life to its fullest.
For me it has increased my ease of movement and just generally makes me feel better, and exercise certainly improves confidence.
It might not feel like a magic wand has been waved, but it will increase your general wellbeing and help you maintain a positive outlook on life.
You can find out more about Active Summer Fun. Find out and play out this summer. Cerebral Palsy Sport is the country's leading sports organisation supporting people who have cerebral palsy to reach their potential. Find your nearest Inclusive Fitness gym and start on your road to being active.
