Spring has sprung, so let’s get moving!

Spring has arrived here in DC and with it have come the cherry blossoms, warmer weather, and an urge to be outside! NARIC staff are enjoying the blossoming flowers and warmer weather. They are also gearing up their exercise routines in preparation for their favorite 5Ks, 10Ks, and Walks to support their favorite causes! For example, Jessica Chaiken, our Media and Information Services Manager, will be running with her best friend in the Zombies, Run! Virtual 5K and is preparing for the Capitol Hill Classic 10K in May. She has also participated in the past in the Hogwarts Running Club Mad-Eye Moody Constant Vigilance Virtual 5k, which raised money for Limbs for Life. Ms. Chaiken and her family have also participated in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot for So Others May Eat (SOME) for the last three years. SOME provides meals and social services for those in need in the DC area, including people with psychiatric disabilities and Veterans with disabilities. Marta Garcia, our Bilingual Information Specialist, is preparing for her first three mile walk as part of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk to Cure Arthritis in May and the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk In November.

Are you also feeling that urge to be outside? Here are some great resources from the NIDILRR community and beyond on exercise for people with disabilities:

• Dot Nary, PhD, from the NIDILRR-funded Research and Training Center on Community Living has put together some tips and resources for a home activity program for people with physical disabilities that includes websites, books, and magazines, along with great tips!
• The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) has a great series of videos on exercise for people with burn injuries, along with a factsheet in English and Spanish.
• The MSKTC also provides a great video on shoulder exercises for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) , along with a fact sheet on exercise after SCI in English and Spanish.
• The NCHPAD has a lot of information on exercise and fitness for people with disabilities, including information on adapted yoga for children and youth with cerebral palsy, Ai Chi, aquatic therapy, autism and exercise, and swimming. They also have a free, personalized, web-based 14 week physical activity and nutrition program.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the Living Well with a Disability program, a self-management program developed to address the needs of people with mobility disabilities. The CDC worked with the University of Montana Rural Institute on Disability and the University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living to create this ten week peer-facilitated health promotion program.
• The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Enhancing Activity and Participation Among Persons with Arthritis has excellent resources for people with arthritis. Make sure you check out their active living podcast series, too!
• The Spinal Cord Injury Research Center has a series of “How To” videos related to exercise for people with SCI.
• The American Heart Association’s theme for April is “Move More in April” that includes a toolkit in English and Spanish that companies, schools, and individuals/communities can use. They also have great tips to get active, information on fitness basics, and motivational tools on their physical activity page. Don’t forget to follow #HeartWalks!

Make sure you speak with your doctor before you begin any exercise regimen!