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Exercise Bikes - Reviews and Advice
Two types of exercise bikes are available. The design of
the upright bike resembles that of a typical road bike but
they are stationary. The pedals are positioned below the
rider and puts added stress on the joints. The seat on the
recumbent...
Hop, Skip And A Jump To Strength
Plyometrics - they are as old as the hills. High-energy bursts
of activity such as jump roping (supposedly dating back to
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shot! I remember these exercises as a staple in my...
Increase Golf Swing Speed Easily
Increase Golf Swing Speed Easily
Golf swing speed is an elusive term for most amateur golfers. We've all heard of it and know it relates somehow to longer drives, but how can we increase golf swing speed quickly and effectively?
Do you think it's...
Wenger and Mourinho at it again!
Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho's personal attacks are
beginning to overshadow the game.
On Saturday the showdown between Chelsea and Arsenal was a
cracking game of football. Whoever you support, and I support
neither, Arsenal were...
Will Wladimir keep standing?
Wladimir Klitschko will meet Samuel Peter the 24th of September at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and the question we at SportUS.com ask ourselves is - will Wladimir keep standing? SportUS.com is the place to get the latest boxing betting odds....
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Sports Provide a Welcome Outlet for the Disabled
In years past, a serious physical disability meant unemployment,
isolation, and inactivity for many thousands of people.
No longer. While the Americans with Disabilities Act has opened
up the workplace and public facilities to people with
disabilities, many organizations around the country have sprung
up, offering access to sports programs both for wheelchair-bound
individuals and amputees with artificial prosthetic devices.
Disabled people are experiencing the joy of participating in
Alpine and cross-country skiing, all kinds of water sports from
swimming to sailing to scuba diving, and even more extreme
sports such as mountain climbing and sky diving.
The importance of both competitive and recreational sports for
individuals with disabilities can't be overestimated.
Particularly for formerly able-bodied people who find themselves
disabled, sports can serve as a tremendous motivation in the
rehabilitation process and can help alleviate the depression,
confusion, and loss of self-esteem that often accompanies a
debilitating injury. For those born with a serious disability,
sports can serve as an important way of connecting to the
"abled" world.
Competitive sports for the disabled are experiencing phenomenal
success. The world-wide organization now known as the Paralympic
Games was founded in Rome, Italy, in 1960, inspired by a 1948
competition organized in England for disabled World War II
veterans. According to the Paralympic Games website,
participating athletes compete in a variety of sports based on
one of six disability-based classifications: amputee, cerebral
palsy, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment, intellectual
disability, and a general group including individual
disabilities which do not fit into one of
the other five
categories.
Both summer and winter sports competitions give disabled
athletes the change to compete in a variety of sports; the list
of summer sports includes 21 different competitive sports,
ranging from archery and cycling to equestrian, powerlifting and
judo. Five competitions designed specifically for
wheelchair-bound athletes include basketball, dancing, fencing,
rugby, and tennis. The list of winter sports is smaller, but no
less challenging: athletes can compete in either Alpine or
Nordic skiing, ice sledge hockey, and wheelchair curling.
Children with physical disabilities have special challenges;
they're dealing with sometimes substantial limitations at the
same time that they are meeting all the other demands of
becoming competent, balanced, emotionally and mentally healthy
human beings. The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD)
offers opportunities for children to take part in a wide range
of sports activities, from skiing, ski racing, snowboarding and
snowshoeing in the winter to rafting, horseback riding, and
in-line skating in the summer.
The Paralympics and NSCD are only two of many organizations
founded to involve disabled individuals in sports. It's evident,
from the success and increasing popularity of these
organizations, that both adults and children with disabilities
benefit greatly from participating in adaptive sports
activities, and that the benefit extends to all aspects of their
lives.
About the author:
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern
New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and
Topics. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
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