These St. Louis organizations and programs focus on providing exercises and activities for people of all abilities. Because some of the organizations’ events have been canceled or postponed to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, many are offering virtual programs.
Disabled Athlete Sports Association Adaptive Training Program: From its home at The Ability Gym, the AT program offers specially designed training for people with disabilities. Exercise physiologists specializing in training clients with disabilities offer instruction in strength, flexibility, stability, speed, and more. In keeping with COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, the program offers one-on-one training by way of Zoom or Skype and shares exercise videos on social media.
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Ride On St. Louis: Therapy, adaptive riding, and social interaction are just a few of the services the two- and four-legged team members provide clients with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Riding can help strengthen muscle and improve coordination and balance, and simply being around emotionally intelligent horses can help clients work through challenges.
The Health and Wellness Center at Paraquad: The Health and Wellness Center is staffed with physical and occupational therapists to guide people with disabilities through exercise. The gym features more than 40 accessible equipment options, many specifically designed for people with mobility impairments. There’s also a mobility skills course on which people can train with their assistive technology. The center’s social isolation–friendly training consists of an online video series for home exercise, with topics ranging from chair cardio to strength training.
The Bee’s Knees Yoga: Since opening, in August 2019, the studio has offered accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed yoga instruction. Its most popular classes are a weekly donation-supported LGBTQIA+ community class and a monthly restorative guided meditation class. Studio owner Nichole DiGiuseppi says yoga is more spiritual than it is physical and that everyone can do it, which is why she hosts a Yoga for All Bodies class. Every class offers different versions of poses so students of all abilities can participate. After closing during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the studio shifted to online classes to reach students anywhere.
Cycle St. Louis: Through partnerships with such organizations as Big Shark Bicycle Company, St. Louis Arc, and Special Olympics Missouri, Cycle St. Louis provides training and accessible rides and helps people with disabilities use adapted bicycles. The goal is to enrich the lives of disabled people, help them gain confidence, and, most importantly, help them have fun. At press time, the studio had temporarily halted its inclusive rides.
