Adaptive Sports – There’s Something for Everyone

For those of us in the northeast we’re finally getting to the time of year where the weather starts to cooperate and we can emerge from out lairs. And more importantly, it’s the time of the year I can finally take the handcycle off of the indoor rollers and out of the basement and start riding outside again.

It was early in my post-injury life that I realized that one of the most important things you can do to sustain a normal and healthy lifestyle as a spinal chord patient is be active. The particulars about how you go about it are not necessarily important, what matters is that you find something to keep you active and mobile. It would be very easy to let lethargy set in and become sedentary. The health risks of letting this happen can be debilitating and, left unchecked, life-threatening.

Some of the negative effects of inactivity can include:

• Weight Gain which can lead to pressure sores
• Reduced Strength which affects your ability to transfer in and out of your chair
• Reduced Stamina which affects your mobility and your respiratory system
• Depression

Luckily there is virtually no activity that is off the table for our community these days.  Some of my sports activity choices over the years were:

• Road Racing – My personal sport of choice in my younger years.  Participating in this sport afforded me the opportunity to travel around the country and compete in many of the major marathons.

 

 

 

• Handcycling – My activity of choice these days.  This is probably the most popular choice for the disabled community these days.  It’s inherently easy to participate with able-bodied friends and family and the expansion of accessible rails-to-trails across the country is a perfect compliment as a venue to cycle.  This is also a very popular competitive sport nowadays.

 

 

 

• Off-Road Handcycling – Tried my hand at this several years ago.  It’s great fun to get out on some really off-road mountain-biking trails.  I don’t, however, recommend this as a solo activity.  As I am apt to do, I may have over-estimated my ability and gotten carried away a few times.  The result being rolling it over off the trail and down a hillside and laying there paws up until somebody else rode by to drag me back up.

Some of the other popular choices are:

• Tennis
• Basketball
• Swimming
• Rugby
• Snow skiing
• Water Skiing

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Any sport you participated in as an able-bodied person you can participate in post-injury.

The benefits of getting up and out are too vast and numerous to completely list but here’s a list of some of the benefits you may be able to experience from participating in adaptive sports with a disability.

• Improved quality of life, including mood and well-being
• Increased muscle strength and stamina
• Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Improved social life and family life

So how does one get involved in these sports? Put some feelers out on social media. More times than not there is an adaptive sports program in relative proximity to you. They usually have a wide variety of programs and equipment to try out. It’s best to start here. You’ll be able to try out a number of different sports and the associated specialized equipment. Also, the people involved will have some experience and expertise and be able to answer many of the questions you have about the activities.

Most of these activities require a specialized chair and those aren’t cheap so it’s best to try out a variety of sports to see what you really want to get involved in before you incur a big investment. Once you decide on your activity there are several ways to go about acquiring the equipment.

• Buy New – For those with the means a new chair is the best option especially if you’re going to be seriously competitive you can have the chair custom made to fit you and your abilities.
• Buy Used – Again, social media is your friend here.  There is a big market out there of people buying and selling used adaptive equipment.  You can get a very good sports chair for a fraction of the price of a new one.  However, there are the usual concerns so buyer beware.  Be sure to ask for measurements and photos so you can be relatively sure you’re getting what you are expecting.  I’ve purchased and sold several chairs this way and as long as you do your due diligence everyone is happy in the end.
• Grants/Donations – There are numerous organizations that offer grants for adaptive equipment for applicants that meet their criteria.  Do a little research online and you may find someone willing to support your cause.

This is my quick and dirty overview of adaptive sports.  We can get into the real specifics of some of these sports at a future date if there is an interest.  Let me know where your interests lie and we can open that discussion.

I can’t emphasize enough how important participating in some form of physical activity is for your health and well-being and how it will improve your quality of life.  Whether you’re looking to take a shot at the title or just looking for a weekend activity, there is something available to you.  Regardless of your age, ability or injury you’ll be glad you started.  Don’t miss the opportunity.  With the weather becoming more accommodating, now’s as good a time as any to start.  I know I’m looking forward to getting out again…because that’s how I roll.