Illness and Disability

Sports and recreation

Exercise is a lifelong key to improving your health. It can help you to feel better inside and out, and help keep away other health problems. This is especially important for people who use wheelchairs or have a hard time moving around in traditional ways. Keep reading to learn more about why exercise is so important, as well as all the different ways you can get exercise.

Exercise can:

• Help to lower your weight or keep your weight at a healthy level 
• Make you feel good about yourself
• Make you feel less tired and sad
• Make your heart and lungs work better
• Make daily tasks easier for you
• Protect against other health problems

Exercise comes in many forms, some of which are:

• Swimming laps
• Taking a walk
• Lifting weights while sitting
• Playing wheelchair basketball
• Walking up the stairs

Important tips for when you exercise:

• Before you start any exercise program or activity, talk to your doctor about what you would like to do to make sure that it is okay. Your doctor will help you be active in the safest way possible.
• Make sure you stop exercising or playing a sport if you feel pain, feel sick, or feel short of breath.
• Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after you exercise.
  

How to find activities and sports:

There are many places to find activities you love, as well as new ones you have always wanted to try. Many of these places just might be around the corner! 

To start, call your city’s recreation department, your own school, health clubs, YMCA/YWCA, the local Girls Scout chapter, and colleges nearby. They might have pools, sports teams, exercise rooms, and more. You can also call the local Chamber of Commerce to find out where else you can find programs in your area. See below for questions to ask when you call these places:

Questions to ask about fitness/exercise programs:

1. Where are you located?
2. What sports teams, games, programs, or exercise equipment do you offer?
3. How much does it cost?
4. What are the times and dates of your programs?
5.  How do you register?
6.  Are your facilities and programs accessible to people with disabilities? 
7.  Do you have any programs that are just for people with disabilities?
8.  Do you have any adaptive equipment or tools that people with disabilities can use?
9.  How can I apply for financial help if I need it?

Tips for playing sports differently to meet your needs:

• Soccer: Walk instead of run if you need to, or hold the ball in your lap if you use a wheelchair.
• Volleyball: Use a larger ball that is softer or brightly colored, or allow the ball to bounce on the ground before it needs to be hit.
• Bowling: Use two hands instead of one, or use a ramp.
• Tennis: Use a racquet with a large head, or don't use a net.

There are lots of different sports and activities for people of all levels of ability. Find out if one of these is right for you:

• Interested in dance? Check out AXIS Dance Company’s program for girls with and without disabilities.
• Do you love horses? Visit the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, which serves horseback riders with disabilities across the United States and Canada. 
• Has it always been your dream to skate? If so, visit the Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped. The association teaches people who are physically, emotionally, or mentally challenged how to ice skate.
• Could you be a future Olympian? If the answer is yes, the Special Olympics can offer you an amazing experience. Learn more about this competition for children and adults with mental retardation. On their web site, you can also read about some of the Special Olympics athletes.
• Exercise can be relaxing…want to know how? Yoga for the Special Child offers yoga for kids who have special needs such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, ADHD and Learning Disabilities.

Other organizations that offer activities and sports: 

• The VERB program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers fun tips and games on-line.
• United States Association for Blind Athletes
• National Disability Sports Alliance (NDSA) provides training and competition for people with cerebral palsy.
• National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
• Disabled Sports USA
• U.S. Olympic Committee/Disabled Sports Services: (719) 578-4818
• Wheelchair Sports USA
• National Wheelchair Basketball Association (Check out the Youth Sports Corner)
• United States Hand Cycling Federation 
• National Ability Center 
• The Amputee Coalition of America 
• Adaptive Adventures has links to youth programs and camps around the country.

Helpful Tools

• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has helpful tips for teenagers on eating healthy and exercising.
• Here are some tips on exercising if you have arthritis.
  

= This article, publication, web site, or organization is from the U.S. government

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Last updated June 2007