Here Are the Barriers Keeping People With Disabilities From Exercise

Key Takeaways

• Exercise options are limited for people with disabilities

• Most gyms don’t offer the adaptive equipment they require

• A lack of exercise leaves them open to chronic illness, depression and anxiety

MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Many people with disabilities aren’t getting the exercise they need because fitness centers don’t offer adaptive equipment or staff trained in helping the disabled, a new review finds.

There are few efforts by most commercial gyms to promote fitness for people with disabilities, said review author Alexandra Jamieson , a research scientist at The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute.

“The biggest barriers to fitness are accessibility and cost,” Jamieson said in a university news release. “Standard gyms are not legally required to have adaptive machines for users of differing abilities. Plus, there is generally a lack of data about the demand for these adaptive machines that would help gyms justify the higher costs of adding them.”

About one in every six people (16%) live with a significant disability that affects their daily life, researchers wrote.

But only about 40% of the disabled engage in regular physical activity, the review noted.

As a result, they’re more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke, diabetes or cancer, and are at higher risk for mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.

“Many people with disabilities struggle with psychological issues such as low self-esteem and negative body image, which can further reduce their motivation to participate in exercise activities, especially in public places like gyms,” Jamieson said.

On top of not having the proper equipment and staff assistance, disabled people also have problems getting to and from a gym. Ride-sharing and disabled transit is available, but they aren’t always reliable or equipped to help people with disabilities, researchers said.

Home gyms are a popular option for the disabled, but the lower demand for adaptive equipment means that it tends to be expensive, Jamieson said.

Expanding government assistance programs to help the disabled afford home gym equipment could help, Jamieson said.

“Medicaid does have purchasing assistance programs for people with disabilities to buy assistive technology, but they are not well known and only cover exercise machines that are deemed medically necessary by an individual’s doctor,” Jamieson said.

Jamieson is working with others to create an accessible exercise machine with a video game component, to keep users engaged while monitoring their activity.

The review was published recently in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation .

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on physical activity for people with disability .

SOURCE: University of Texas at Arlington, news release, Aug. 1, 2024

What This Means For You

People with disabilities should talk with their doctor about government assistance programs that could help them purchase home gym equipment.