I have been participating in the online exercise program since it began and I highly recommend it to everyone who uses a wheelchair for mobility.  We are learning how to safely strengthen our core muscles, arms and shoulders as well as increasing our cardiovascular exercise.  The coach is knowledgeable and encourages group participation in a fun and positive way.  These classes are a great way to achieve exercise goals, work hard, laugh and get healthy.  Thank you DAC for offering these free classes!

I didn’t think that I would be able to participate in some of the adaptive sports programs offered by DAC because there is no way that I can afford to purchase the specialized equipment.  I don’t understand why this stuff is so expensive.  So you can imagine how shocked I was to find out that DAC would provide me with a handcycle on their loaner program and all I had to do was to commit to participating in the program.  Thank you DAC!!

The virtual classes have been very beneficial for me so far.  I can tell that there has been an improvement in my upper body strength.  As a former accountant, pushing pencils never helped me to build much strength.  Since my paralysis, this has become a critical issue for my movement and my use of the exoskeleton.  Thanks so much for allowing me to join and I hope that the classes will continue in the future

I love the support and teamwork I received from the other zoomer athletes is awesome! As a newbie to weight/resistance training, I thought I would have to be in a gym with a coach in person. The virtual lessons are great.   Because of my visual impairment the coach and other athletes take the time to help me through all of the moves and proper way to target certain muscles as they have been neglected for a long time. The support is terrific as we challenge each other to do more sets, heavier weights and more reps as the team challenges each other to be stronger and better. The one hour zoom lessons not only betters me, it benefits my friends and family for many hours as we walk, hike and handcycle. Thank you for letting me share and enjoy. Love, live, and learn every day🙌💡

The virtual classes have definitely helped me become stronger.  Because of this, my quality of life and happiness and improved.  I am a crutch user and due to hormonal changes and lack of activity I have gained a substantial amount of weight in the last few years.  Lack of strength and balance is not at all conducive to my safety or well being. Since I am stronger it isn’t as much of an effort just to get around as it was becoming, so I am thankful for that.

I’m hoping the continued workouts along with adjustments I have already made in my eating (lower carb intake) will help me to lose the weight I need to this year. The virtual classes help me to be accountable and give me something to look forward to. I also enjoy the camaraderie with the other participants and look forward to continuing.

As I become older, I realize the importance of exercising 3 to 5 times a week for general physical and mental health. The virtual exercise classes hosted by the Desert Ability Center allow me to accomplish this weekly goal easily with two training sessions. In addition to providing me the opportunity to exercise, I get a chance to exercise with a group in a team atmosphere. It can be boring and not very motivating to work out by myself but working out as a team is definitely more entertaining and interactive discussions with other team members.  The next key item that this class provides is accountability. I basically make sure that I adhere to my commitment to exercising at least two times a week, and I want to make sure the other team members do the same.