When you visit a gym, what’s the first thing you see? The physical layout, of course.

This first look around is very important. Look for an elevator. Look at the locker rooms. According to the ADA, elevators are only required in buildings over two stories. That excludes most fitness centers. Locker rooms aren’t usually outfitted with things like roll-in showers.

Many fitness programs for people with disabilities start out as adjuncts to rehabilitation hospitals. Space for activities and adaptive equipment is already defined. Any needed adaptations are likely already in place.

The same cannot be said for gyms and fitness centers that cater to the general public. In those facilities space is often cramped and equipment is geared for a mainstream population.

National Wheelchair Accessibility
On the national scene, in fitness chains like Gold’s Gym and 24-Hour Fitness, adaptive equipment is rarely found. Most people don’t need a lot of equipment. They’re in the gym for either cardio or weight loss and only use one or two machines.

But even those few devices have to be accessible for people with disabilities, and too often they are not. The chain fitness centers are trying to become more inclusive and accessible, though the process is slow.

The 24-Hour Fitness club is unique among fitness club chains in a number of ways. Two policies are of special interest to patrons with disabilities. First, every club has an elevator, even if the building has only two floors. Second, anyone who needs an assistant can bring that person into any of the club facilities without an additional fee. That’s very important if your workouts require transferring onto a machine.

At Gold's Gym, clients with disabilities are constantly consulted about gym design and accessible modifications. It’s all part of a plan to revamp the company’s image away from the old-school view of sweaty men pumping iron toward a vision of a total fitness center. I

n March 2007 a new advertising campaign began, with an emphasis on “expertise to get results for anybody." Since then, Gold’s has partnered with several disability-related groups, including the American Diabetes Association.

When the adaptive equipment is available, trainers with specialized knowledge and experience to assist clients with disabling conditions often are not. Fitness centers are staffed with people trained in exercise physiology. They know how the body is supposed to work. What they often don’t know is how to truly handle the needs of people with disabilities.

Trainers Specializing in People with Disabilities
But training for those who wish to work with our special needs is available. The American Council on Exercise offers a Clinical Exercise Specialist certificate. During the course of study, students learn to work with clients who have a wide range of disabilities. On the college level, courses in adaptive fitness are slowly becoming available.

For example, the University of Illinois at Chicago offers a course entitled “Disability and Physical Activity” as part of its clinical exercise physiology program. In the class, students study methods of physical activity management for people with disabilities.

For more information check out these other schools: Brooklyn College, Mesa State College, and Bridgewater State College.

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Want more information about adaptive exercises for wheelchair users? See Chair Yoga is Accessible for All.

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