Disability and the gym: experiences, barriers and facilitators of gym use for individuals with physical disabilities

Participant experiences and perceptions of physical activity-enhancing interventions for people with physical impairments and mobility limitations: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research evidence

“…For Thomas (2012), structural disablism is exhibited through a lack of accessible facilities, whereas psychoemotional disablism occurs through hurtful words and actions that restrict the activity and wellbeing of people with impairments. As Richardson et al (2016) revealed, experiences of psychoemotional disablism are further heightened in exercise environments such as the gym, where strong, muscular and aesthetically pleasing 'normal' bodies are culturally valued. To alleviate psycho-social disablism, healthcare and community settings should work together to combat the negative societal attitudes towards disabled people and address the potentially intimidating cultural image of PA contexts (Martin Ginis et al, 2016;Richardson et al, 2016).…”

“…Accordingly, the 'barriers' to 'barriers' need to be tackled if health professionals are able to promote and prescribe PA. Thus, effective knowledge translation strategies are needed across healthcare systems, recreational sectors and key organizations for health professionals to support policy and practice regarding PA (Martin Ginis et al, 2016;Richardson et al, 2016;.…”

“…Despite this protection, disabled people face multiple personal, environmental and social barriers that prevent them from leading a physically active lifestyle (see Martin Ginis et al, 2016). These barriers to physical activity (PA) align with a social relational understanding of disability (Richardson, Smith & Papathomas, 2016;Smith & Perrier, 2014). The term 'disability' and the label 'disabled people' are often contested as multiple definitions and understandings of disability arise across different disciplines 1 .…”

Autonomy level and quality of everyday experience of people with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

“…Such a generalised lack of physical activity in leisure and personal care poses serious threats to the person's autonomy and quality of life over time, as it contributes to increased muscle stiffness and loss of muscle tone. Although an active lifestyle is recommended to people with physical disabilities, psychological and social barriers may interfere in the attainment of this goal; they include lack of infrastructures such as gyms or pedestrian areas; behavioural norms of the society; feelings of unease or shame and social isolation (Delle Fave & Massimini, ; Richardson, Smith, & Papathomas, ). Evidence of these barriers emerged in this study: Most participants lived in small towns with very limited facilities for physical activity; their community lifestyle did not include a regular sport practice.…”

Actividad Física Y Discapacidad: Un Estudio Cualitativo Con Mujeres en Un Gimnasio Adaptado

“…Si bien se acepta que el género es un aspecto relevante a la hora de comprender los significados de la práctica de AFTO, existen pocos y son relativamente recientes los trabajos cualitativos que centren su foco de atención en mujeres con discapacidad (EVANS; ALLEN-COLLINSON;. Por otra parte, los espacios resultan determinantes para la participación, puesto que la ausencia de zonas accesibles para la práctica de AFTO supone una barrera sustancial, directamente asociada a otras barreras como la falta de asistencia profesional, el equipamiento inapropiado y las actitudes negativas de los otros (RICHARDSON;PAPATHOMAS, 2016). En este sentido, los gimnasios adaptados son entornos potencialmente adecuados para que las PcD practiquen AFTO, ya que son concebidos y diseñados con tal fin, por lo que no constituyen una barrera en sí misma (RICHARDSON; SMITH; PAPATHOMAS, 2016).…”