Community gym exercise

On this page, Freya shares her story about exercising in the gym with her friend Alex.

Community gyms are a common place to exercise.

They are also one of the exercise settings that has the most research for adults with cerebral palsy.

There are many ways that adults with CP have made gym exercise work for them.

Finding my ‘why’

A woman smiling with glasses in front of a blackboard with colorful chalk drawings.

Freya

My physio said it would be a good thing to go to the gym. I wasn’t as sure, but I liked the idea of not “competing” against others, it’s just me working towards what I need and want.

I thought about what I specifically wanted and I wanted to improve my core and upper body strength. I find exercising helps my mental health too.

Making a plan

People in a gym, some seated and smiling, with others standing nearby, surrounded by workout equipment and a large gym space in the background.

Freya

I need help to exercise, so I felt like going to a gym that had accessible equipment and support available would be useful for me.

I wanted a support worker that I could use just for exercise, and the gym actually has support workers I can book in with who know how to help us set up the equipment and use it safely.

We spoke to people and asked for suggestions on places. I also did tours of the gyms close to where I live.

Getting ready

A woman in a powered wheelchair using exercise equipment at a gym, smiling and looking at a screen.

Freya

The coordinator at the gym spoke to me, my support coordinator and my physio, to help me with finding someone best suited to help me at the gym.

My physio came to the gym to look at the equipment and work on creating a program with me.

I was nervous, so the first few months I took my own support worker as well, until I became more comfortable with getting to and from the gym in the taxi and got to know my gym support worker better.

Settling in and building a routine

A woman in a wheelchair at a gym, smiling while using an adaptive exercise machine. The gym is busy with other people working out and various equipment in the background.

Freya

We had a tour of the gym. My own support worker came for the first few months until I was confident enough to go without them.

Through trial and error I find that going to the gym in the morning or middle of the day is better than late afternoon as I tend to get really tired by then.

People working out at a gym, with a woman in a wheelchair in the foreground, and exercise equipment and other gym-goers in the background.

Freya

I have a regular booking with my support worker at the gym. It’s great because it is in my diary and part of my week.

It gives me predictability, but it can be really hard to reschedule if something else comes up.

The main down side is that it can be hard to reschedule if something else comes up.