Getting Active this Spring

The April showers are (hopefully) over, the May flowers are peeping up in their full blooming glory and from the title of this post, you probably have already guessed it, that the change of season means people are beginning to venture outside and become active again. But when you have a disability, it is often not as simple as getting up and going outside to start moving and sometimes it’s intimidating to know even where to start when it comes to getting active, especially if you need adapted equipment to do so.

If you’re reading this and you’re nodding along because you’re one of these people, I have some good news for you. In addition to the exercise programs that they offer in-person and virtually, via Zoom, weekly they also loan out adapted exercise equipment–mostly strollers and bikes–to individuals and families who need them upon request.

On the SMILE Mass website, you can find out more details about the program by going to the ‘Equipment Loaner program’ page under the ‘Our Programs’ tab. Here you can find links to request adapted equipment.

As someone with a severe physical disability, I can attest to the fact that physical exercise always intimidated me. I have been in a wheelchair since I was three years old and was never granted the opportunity to run around with other kids or play sports like other children. But that didn’t mean that I couldn’t move my body, I just had to seek out creative ways to do so.

When I was younger and had more mobility, it was easier to do this. I used to move my arms around and “dance” in my wheelchair. However, as my muscle deterioration set in during my adolescence, I became more resigned to not try to move my limbs the harder that it got to do so. This all changed last summer when I got a new wheelchair and which made it so I didn’t need my hand repositioned on the controller nearly as much. And I basked in my newfound independence. I squealed with glee as I raced around my neighborhood while my mom literally ran after me because I had lost the ability to go fast in my chair approximately ten years ago and experiencing it again was akin to reclaiming an ability that I thought I had lost forever.

If you take anything away from this post, I hope it will be that moving around is something that everyone is capable of, regardless of your limitations. All it takes is having the right equipment to do so.

Until next time, always remember to make today a great day!