Exercise for Special Populations

Visual Impairment Lab (10 pts)

Braden Durham and Eli Snider

Part 1:
 Break into pairs and blindfold 1 partner. The visually impaired client should pretend that they are
not familiar with the facility or the exercises.

 Lead your blind client throughout Boyle

1. Please include walking up stairs
2. Navigating through hallway
3. Perform the following:
 Start your client exercising on the bike, treadmill or stepper
 Perform the sit & reach test
 Instruct & complete some abdominal crunches
 Instruct & complete upper body dumbbell exercise

 Put earplugs on the other partner and repeat step 3.

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Questions:

1. How did it feel to be blind? What specifically did your leader do or not do that decreased/increased
your anxiety?

- Uneasy feeling not knowing where I was in the building. I felt like I knew where I was but at
times I was not quite sure. I knew that there were obstacles around me and I was hesitant to move
around freely because I felt like I would trip over something. My leader was very vocal about
where I was at and what was around me so it made me feel less anxiety. He would also assist me
by physically moving me to a better area if needed.

2. As a blind client, what concerns/reservations might you have with regards to exercise?

- Not knowing what it happening around me. Not being aware of the obstacles, equipment or
people around me would make me uneasy. I would also not like to be around stairs or anything
that could cause me to trip and fall. I feel like falling while not being able to see would lead to a
disaster. Resistance training would be concerning to me as well because I would not be able to
balance myself as well as I do now.

3. As the seeing Exercise Professional, what techniques did you use to lead your blind client? What
worked best……what didn’t work? How could you improve your leading abilities?

I asked for permission to touch my client which made the situation a lot easier. I grabbed his elbow and
kept him close to me. I was able to easily guide him around the building. I talked about everything in
front of him so he felt safe. What did not work was I could not explain to him where he was at, he could
have a general idea by feeling if he was on carpet or not on carpet. I could improve my leading abilities
by communicating just a little bit more, my client seemed hesitant of his surroundings. For example, I
could say, “we are headed to the sit and reach, follow me. There is a chair one step to your right… you
are now three steps from the sit and reach”.
4. As the seeing Exercise Professional, how hard was it to get the client to complete the different
exercises? How did you have to modify your “normal” instruction? What potential problems/barriers
could occur with working with a visually impaired client?

It was easy to get my client to do certain exercises. My athlete exercises often so I was able to guide his
motion for the first couple reps and then he took off on his own. What was hard was the sit and reach, he
did not know how far to sit from it and he did not see where the push thing was.

4. List 2 considerations & modifications for the visually impaired client & 2 for the hearing
impaired.

- Visually impaired
o Consider giving the client a device that allows them to move around without the aid of
another person
o Always ask the person before you try to assist them with anything
- Hearing impaired
o Always face the client and speak somewhat slowly so they can read your lips
o Demonstrate everything first so the client knows what it is that you want them to do