Brief Report
Exercise facilities for neurologically disabled populations – Perceptions from the fitness industry

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.09.006Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

People with neurological disabilities (pwND) face many barriers to undertaking physical activity. One option for exercise alongside formal physiotherapy is local fitness facilities but accessibility is often found wanting and gyms are seen as unwelcoming to pwND.

Objective

The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the perceptions of fitness facility managers with respect to exercise for pwND in a gym environment. The aim was to identify potential barriers to provision by the fitness industry for pwND.

Methods

The participants included those who were in a position to influence provision at a policy level and those working at management level within fitness providers. A mixed methods approach was used: a quantitative questionnaire and 4 qualitative interviews. Descriptive and correlational analysis, thematic content analysis and concurrent triangulation analysis was undertaken.

Results

Specially trained staff is perceived to be necessary to make fitness facilities accessible for pwND.

Conclusions

Ensuring the provision of specially trained staff to support pwND to exercise in gyms may be the main barrier to provision for this population. Investigation into the standard training of fitness professionals combining the expertise of neurological physiotherapists with that of fitness professionals to meet the needs of pwND would be advantageous.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants for this mixed methods study were recruited from the management level of a variety of fitness providers in the voluntary (charitable), public (local council commissioned) and commercial sector. Head office managers of fitness companies who make provision decisions for the company as a whole as well as managers from individual facilities who make decisions regarding provision for their local populations were recruited. Participants were also sought from two Health and Wellbeing

Results

Questionnaires were successfully distributed to members of two Health and Wellbeing Boards comprising 16–20 members each and to national databases of head office and facility managers of one voluntary and one public sector fitness provider via industry contacts. One contact was able to distribute to a database comprising a variety of facility managers including some in the commercial sector. Several requests to commercial provider head offices to distribute the questionnaire to their management

Discussion

The results of this exploratory study suggest that fitness facilities may only be truly universally accessible for pwND, once fitness providers are able to ensure the presence of staff with the necessary knowledge to support pwND and can promote such provision confidently. Standard training and experience may not be sufficient to ensure a trainer is qualified or happy to assist pwND. This perception is supported by previous research22 and may also explain the perceived challenge of finding

Conclusions

Investigation into the standard training of fitness professionals in order to meet the needs of pwND would be advantageous. Such investigation may benefit from a multidisciplinary approach combining the expertise of neurological physiotherapists with that of fitness professionals. Such training may be transferrable to other population groups who share similar challenges to pwND such as physical limitations, the need for more space to mobilise and time to communicate. Making this training part

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge all of the participants and contact people for their invaluable contribution to the completion of this study.

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    The submitted brief report is an original research project completed to fulfil the requirements of the MSc in Applied Exercise for Health completed at St George's University of London. No part of this work has been published. A poster of this research has been presented at the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Neurology (ACPIN) national conference 2015 and PhysiotherapyUK, the national conference of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 2015.

    The lead author receives the support of the CSP Charitable Trust for the receipt of an Education Award to support her MSc studies and a Masters Dissemination Award to support the dissemination of her MSc research.

    Conflicts of interest: The authors have no commercial interest or association with the commercial or government organisations from which participants for this study were recruited. The authors declare no conflict of interest therein.

    1

    Present address: Private physiotherapy practice, 4 Florence Terrace, London, SW15 3RU, UK.

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