How A Personal Trainer Can Help
For people living with disabilities, a personal trainer can be a great way of improving and maintaining physical and mental health.
Here are 5 ways we can help:
1. Getting You Motivated
People with disabilities often feel like they don’t belong in gyms because of the equipment and space requirements, and there can also be concerns about being judged by others. At Nxtep, we will make sure that these issues never come up. Once you’ll feel safe and comfortable in your environment, that can be a big hurdle to overcome. From then on, our job is to keep you enjoying your sessions and therefore keep the motivation to keep going!
2. Helping You Overcome Barriers
Despite the many benefits associated with exercise, there are often barriers that keep individuals with disabilities from getting the recommended amount of physical activity.
The main barrier is usually simply finding the confidence to start and commit to your first session, or just coming along for the first chat and your assessment. At Nxtep we will put you fully at ease, show you around the facilities, and explain the process fully to you before you commit to start. We even offer free trial days so you can have a go without signing up to see if you’re comfortable.
The next barrier is usually the actual exercise, which can be scary to anyone who hasn’t attended a gym before – whether you have a disability or not.
But as soon as you get started, you will start feeling the benefits of a good workout – and any kind of workout can be beneficial, physically, mentally, and even emotionally.
3. Building Your Confidence
Many people with disabilities face challenges in life. Personal trainers can help build confidence by helping you to achieve goals, no matter what they are. For example, perhaps you are partially sighted and find the idea of a gym intimidating. At Nxtep it will just be you and your personal trainer in the studio, meaning we can give you our total attention, guiding you through your entire routine, without the worry of other people in the room.
4. Improving Your Strength and Flexibility
People with a physical disability may struggle with general fitness, strength and flexibility, depending on their disability. Personal trainers are able to focus your sessions on building the muscles you are able to use, and improving your range of motion. We teach clients how to use proper form while doing exercises, taking into account your physical abilities or limitations.
In terms of pure physical strength, strength and resistance training helps you gain lean mass and improves bone density, which may help avoid falls by increasing core strength balance, if this is a risk.
5. Improving Your Fitness and Stamina
Cardio exercise strengthens your heart, improves circulation, and reduces blood pressure, but the benefits of cardiovascular exercise are not just better physical health; experts have linked substantial health benefits with regular physical and social activity. For certain kinds of disabilities, improved physical and cardiovascular health may make a substantial difference in the quality of life. For example, a wheelchair user may benefit from increasing core strength and improving their cardiovascular health, or someone who now has reduced mobility may find they get out of breath more easily than they used to.