| Ask most people of the challenges they
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| | Wheelchair Sports and Competition
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| face following through with an exercise
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| | Numerous and exciting options exist for
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| program and you're likely to hear the
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| | individuals in wheelchairs who desire to
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| common complaints: Lack of motivation,
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| | quench the burning desire of sport and
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| being too tired, not having enough time,
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| | competition...
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| too busy. Or as someone recently told me,
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| | International Paralympic Committee
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| "My get up and go has gotten up and
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| | The Paralympic Games are the Olympic
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| gone".
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| | equivalent competitions for individuals
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| But imagine having the unique challenge
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| | with disabilities and are recognized by
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| of not being able to, literally, "get up
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| | the International Olympic Committee. The
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| and go". This is the unique challenge of
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| | IPC organizes the Paralympic Games along
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| the more than 56 million disabled
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| | with other multi-disability competitions,
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| individuals in the U.S. alone, many who
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| | from regional to world championships,
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| are wheelchair users.
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| | with the highest achieving athletes in
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| For many involved in the mainstream
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| | each sport qualifying for the
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| fitness industry, the term "wheelchair
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| | Paralympics. IPC's vision: "To enable
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| exerciser" may conjure up images of
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| | paralympic athletes to achieve sporting
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| someone in a physical therapy setting in
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| | excellence and inspire and excite the
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| the process of rehabilitation from injury
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| | world." Inspire, indeed! The next time
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| or disability. But consider the
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| | you'd rather skip a workout, surf over to
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| wheelchair user who wants to participate
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| | this site and be inspired by these
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| in regular exercise for weight loss or
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| | athletes. A truly amazing organization.
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| muscle gain. Or those with the burning
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| | Disabled Sports USA
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| desire to compete in a favorite sport.
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| | A non-profit organization established in
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| What services meet their unique
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| | 1967 by disabled Vietnam veterans, DS/USA
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| challenges?
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| | offers nationwide sports rehabilitation
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| Fortunately, there are many options that
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| | programs to anyone with a permanent
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| those in wheelchairs have in pursuing
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| | disability. Promotes successful
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| fitness goals:
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| | rehabilitation and ongoing quality of
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| Access to facilities
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| | life through sports and competition.
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| The Americans with Disabilities Act
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| | Conducts training camps to prepare and
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| signed in 1990 helped increase the
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| | select athletes for the Summer and Winter
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| availability of wheelchair-accessible
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| | Paralympic Games. DS/USA has a nationwide
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| facilities, including health clubs. As
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| | network of community-based chapters,
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| more and more private health clubs follow
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| | which is listed on the website.
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| suit, individuals who use wheelchairs
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| | Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association
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| will have increasing options.
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| | The CWSA is non-for-profit organization
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| However, access alone does not ensure
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| | whose mission is to promote excellence
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| that wheelchair exercisers will have the
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| | and develop opportunities for Canadians
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| appropriate equipment to meet their
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| | in wheelchair sport.
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| strength training and cardiovascular
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| | Wheelchair Sports, USA
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| needs. It's easy enough to modify certain
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| | Provides athletic experiences for
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| upper-body exercises with dumbbells and
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| | disabled athletes that parallel those of
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| resistance bands for a seated exercise,
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| | mainstream athletes. The website states
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| but most machines simply will not
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| | the organization is "directed and
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| accommodate a wheelchair. Effective
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| | developed by wheelchair athletes and
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| aerobic training can be even harder to
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| | wheelchair sports enthusiasts alike,
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| accomplish, since most cardiovascular
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| | individuals with a first-hand
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| machines require use of the legs to raise
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| | understanding to the values of
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| the heart rate.
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| | participation." Wheelchair Sports USA is
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| Adaptive Exercise Machines
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| | recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee,
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| Fortunately, there is a large number of
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| | and also has offerings to junior
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| adaptable exercise machines available to
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| | athletes.
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| the exerciser and to health clubs that
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| | The Wheelchair Bodybuilding Page
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| choose to offer adaptive exercise
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| | Contest schedule for Wheelchair
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| options:
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| | Bodybuilding Contests, links to
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| The Endorphin Corporation
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| | bodybuilding federations that promote
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| Manufacturer of wheelchair accessible
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| | wheelchair bodybuilding contests.
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| fitness machines for both cardiovascular
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| | International Wheelchair Basketball
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| and strength conditioning, including the
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| | Federation
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| hand cycle and tabletop bike.
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| | National Wheelchair Basketball Federation
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| Access To Recreation
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| | Extreme Sports
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| Exercise equipment and recreational
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| | Traditional sports are fine, but what if
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| products for the wheelchair-bound such as
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| | tastes crave more extreme sporting
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| all terrain wheelchairs, pool lifts and
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| | activities? Not to worry. Check out the
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| more.
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| | following sites for information about
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| Spinlife
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| | extreme wheelchair sports and get ready
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| Sells wheelchairs of all types. Contains
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| | to be Extreme enthusiast and motivational
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| resource section.
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| | speaker Michael McKeller overcame spinal
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| Adaptive Fitness Personal Trainers
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| | muscular atrophy to conquer extreme
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| Finally recognizing the need for fitness
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| | sports such as skydiving, scuba diving,
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| professionals to be knowledgeable about
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| | boating, and flying. Offers extreme
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| the needs of wheelchair exercisers, a
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| | sports video series featuring McKeller in
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| number of personal trainer organizations
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| | the pursuit of accomplishing one extreme
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| offer specialized certifications and/or
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| | sport at a time. His mission? "To invite
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| programs in Adaptive Fitness. This is
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| | everyone to take a look at how he does it
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| good news for those who desire
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| | and try it for themselves."
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| professional instruction by a trainer who
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| | Mobility Engineering Inc.
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| is knowledgeable of special needs. The
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| | Designer and manufacturer of adaptive
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| following are a few organizations that
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| | sports equipment that opens up new
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| offer either certification program in
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| | adventures for disabled persons. Includes
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| Adaptive Fitness or specialized
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| | 100% arm-powered vehicles called the
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| education:
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| | "Hand Bike" and the "Snow Pod." Website
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| International Sports Sciences Association
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| | features past extreme trip details.
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| (ISSA)/Specialist in Adaptive Fitness
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| | General and Recreational/Wheelchair Sport
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| American Association for Active
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| | Websites
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| Lifestyles & Fitness
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| | Wheelchairnet.org
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| emplate.cfm?template=adaptedaquatics.html
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| | A "wheelchair virtual community" for
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| Exercise videos, TV Programs and Manuals
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| | people with a common interest in
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| Some may feel more comfortable working
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| | wheelchair technology and its
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| out in the privacy of their own home
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| | application. An excellent resource for
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| rather than travelling to the gym. For
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| | the wheelchair user. Site includes
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| those searching for in-home instruction,
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| | databases, slide lectures, article
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| resources such as exercise videos, TV
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| | reprints, and discussion area.
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| programs and printed instruction manuals
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| | Accessible Fitness
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| can help the wheelchair user increase
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| | Take a look at this fitness center in
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| activity levels, lose fat and gain muscle
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| | Santa Clara, CA. Established to help the
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| mass:
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| | physically-challenged to attain both the
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| Armchair Fitness
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| | physical and mental benefits of exercise,
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| Classic armchair exercises developed by
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| | it offers a wheelchair accessible gym,
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| fitness expert Betty Switkes. Includes
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| | in-home exercise programs, adaptive
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| videotapes for aerobic, strength, yoga,
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| | fitness personal trainers, workshops and
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| and "gentle" formats.
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| | more.
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| Maria Serrao's Workout Tapes
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| | The Muscular Dystrophy Organization
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| emplate_movies ype_browse/mode_290298
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| | Website carries loads of information,
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| Actress and model Maria Serrao, in a
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| | resources, and motivational stories.
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| wheelchair since the age of 5, stars in a
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| | Disabled Go Info
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| series of exercise videotapes including:
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| | Offers detailed access information for
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| Everyone Can Exercise-Cardio Challenge,
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| | disabled people across the UK.
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| Toning & Strengthening, Real Life
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| | Magazines
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| Fitness-Body Sculpting, Real Life
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| | Sports n Spokes Magazine
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| Fitness- Fat Burning.
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| | Magazine with international circulation
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| Sit and Be Fit with Mary Ann Wilson
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| | covering the latest in competitive
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| Seated exercise videos for older adults
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| | wheelchair sports and recreational
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| and/or physically limited individuals.
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| | opportunities.
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| Sit and Be Fit is also a cable TV series;
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| | Paralinks
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| the broadcast schedule is listed on the
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| | The magazine for people with spinal cord
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| website.
| |
| | injury. A web site dedicated exclusively
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| Paul Gaudino's Family Fitness Show
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| | for the wheelchair culture of the world.
|
| Cable TV exercise show that features
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| | It's clear that being in a wheelchair
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| exercises for the disabled, wheelchair
| |
| | doesn't mean leading a sedentary
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| bound, seniors, people with back pain,
| |
| | lifestyle. For those individuals in
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| and beginners. Exercise videotapes are
| |
| | wheelchairs who wish to exercise, remain
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| available through his website.
| |
| | active, or compete in sports, numerous
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| Creative Chair Exercises
| |
| | resources exist. For those not in
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| A Seated Exercise manual by Bob Blick,
| |
| | wheelchairs, take a look at any of the
|
| including both aerobic and strength
| |
| | above links. You'll soon forget about
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| formats.
| |
| | using any of the old, worn-out excuses
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| The Thrill of Victory...
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| | not to get off the couch and get active.
|
