Yoga for Disabilities

Yoga class tailored for people with disabilities

Original Link Above AKRON, OHProviding a place to exercise that is safe, structured and welcoming to people with disabilities is the focus of a new 7-week program that will be offered at the Lake Anna YMCA Community Center in conjunction with Ready, Fit & Able, a wellness and recreation program tailored to the needs of people with disabilities in our community.

Providing a place to exercise that is safe, structured and welcoming to people with disabilities is the focus of a new 7-week program that will be offered at the Lake Anna YMCA Community Center in conjunction with Ready, Fit & Able, a wellness and recreation program tailored to the needs of people with disabilities in our community.

The new class will be offered Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. beginning April 8, 2009. The new class announcement comes just days before the official Ready, Fit & Able program kick-off event. The kick-off event scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2009, at the Lake Anna YMCA Community Center, 500 W. Hopocan Ave., Barberton, Ohio will feature a morning (9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) and afternoon (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) session where participants will engage in a variety of interactive activities supported by trained YMCA staff.

The kick-off program has been designed as a fun way for adults with disabilities to stay in shape and increase their social interaction. “From the very beginning, Ready, Fit & Able has been a collaborative effort. Initially, we approached the YMCA and County Board of Summit Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (Summit MRDD) to partner with us. Once both agreed to help bring the program to fruition we knew that our support base would continue to grow,” said Carla Parker, state director, REM Ohio. “Now along with the YMCA and Summit MRDD, we have added United Disability Services (UDS), Total Water Systems, and The Hygenic Corporation, whose products Thera-Band® and BioFreeze® are well known in the fitness and therapy community, to our roster of  partners.”

There are still a limited number of spaces available in the morning and afternoon Ready, Fit & Able kick-off sessions. Interested participants can register for either the morning or afternoon session of the Ready, Fit & Able kick-off event by calling REM Ohio at 330.864.5895. “Adults with disabilities is a population that is under served when it comes to preventative programs,” stated Dan Reynolds, executive director, Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. “We hope that this program will serve as an example of how those with disabilities can be encouraged to lead healthy lives.”

For more information concerning the 7-week, Ready, Fit and Able exercise class call the Lake Anna YMCA Community Center at 330.745.YMCA (9622).