Regular exercising lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and other stress-related illnesses. For those who are visually impaired, fitness requirements are the same as for anyone else, however, some of the activities need to be modified. By exercising regularly, visually impaired people will notice higher degrees of independence. According to Lauren J. Lieberman, Ph.D, participating in fitness and physical activities will benefit the visually impaired both physically and psychologically.
Step 1
Design a fitness program with basketball, stationary cycling, yoga and weightlifting. Keep the program mostly indoors, as visually impaired people will find it difficult to leave their homes and go outside to exercise without any help.
Step 2
Include strength building in the program, because it is a core component of the fitness program for the visually impaired. This will include exercising with resistance bands, hand weights, chin-up bars, barbells and isometrics. The idea is to build muscle strength, increase bone density and allow for an increased range of motion.
Step 3
Integrate aerobics into the program. While having a range of benefits, aerobics are fun to do as well. Aerobics can include walking, treading water, rowing, dancing and water activities. Lieberman goes on to say that swimming is one of the best exercises for the visually impaired, as it allows them to move freely without worrying about running into things along the way. Keep in mind that it is not recommended for a visually impaired person to be left unsupervised in a swimming pool.
Step 4
Include stress-relieving activities such as yoga in your fitness program. Yoga not only strengthens the muscles, but it is also an excellent activity for relieving stress and calming the mind and body. Overall, exercising is a must for visually impaired people. It will help them get over bouts of depression, improve their self-image and also increase their self-confidence.
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