Richardson Emma V, Smith Brett, Papathomas Anthony
a Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences , Loughborough University , Loughborough , UK.
b School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences , University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK.
Disabil Rehabil. 2017 Sep;39(19):1950-1957. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1213893. Epub 2016 Sep 14.
Individuals with physical disabilities are among the most inactive population in society, arguably due to the lack of suitable environments to exercise. The gym is a space dedicated to improving physical fitness in a controlled environment with specialized equipment and qualified instructors. The feasibility of using this space to promote health to this population, however, is yet to be established.
Over an 18-month period, 21 people with physical disabilities were interviewed regarding their experiences in the gym. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and subject to thematic analysis.
Four broad themes were identified: (1) experiencing enhanced well-ness, (2) perceived conflict between gym values and disability, (3) influence of a previous gym identity, and (4) experiences of psycho-emotional disablism.
Participants were perceived to experience a variety of health benefits; however, they also experienced many barriers such as not aligning to the cultural norms of the gym, limited interpretations of health, oppressive messages from the built environment, and negative relational interactions. While there is potential for the gym to be used as a place to promote health, more must be done to foster an inclusive atmosphere in this space. Implications for Research The gym may be a viable place to promote health enhancing behaviors to this population as participants perceived physical, social, and psychological improvements through exercising in this space. Barriers such as not aligning to cultural norms of the gym, psycho-emotional disablism, and a lack of representation in the gym were perceived to hinder exercise participation. Gyms should consider funding instructors to go on courses teaching them how to train an individual with a disability, and also consider employing instructors with a disability to mediate the socio-cultural barriers perceived to exist in the gym. Men and women's past identity as gym users had different ramifications regarding their adoption of exercise after disability, therefore, professionals working in this field should be cognizant of this when designing and delivering exercise programs during and after rehabilitation.
身体残疾者是社会中最缺乏运动的人群之一，这可能是由于缺乏适宜的运动环境所致。健身房是一个在可控环境中，配备专业设备和合格教练，致力于改善身体健康的场所。然而，利用这个空间促进这一人群健康的可行性尚未得到证实。
在18个月的时间里，对21名身体残疾者进行了关于他们在健身房经历的访谈。通过半结构化访谈收集数据，逐字转录，并进行主题分析。
确定了四个广泛的主题：（1）体验到健康状况改善；（2）察觉到健身房价值观与残疾之间的冲突；（3）先前健身房身份的影响；（4）心理情感方面的残疾歧视经历。
参与者被认为获得了多种健康益处；然而，他们也遇到了许多障碍，比如不符合健身房的文化规范、对健康的有限理解、建筑环境带来的压迫性信息以及负面的人际关系互动。虽然健身房有潜力成为促进健康的场所，但必须采取更多措施在这个空间营造包容的氛围。研究启示 健身房可能是向这一人群推广促进健康行为的可行场所，因为参与者通过在这个空间锻炼，在身体、社交和心理方面都有改善。诸如不符合健身房文化规范、心理情感方面的残疾歧视以及在健身房中缺乏代表性等障碍被认为阻碍了运动参与。健身房应考虑资助教练参加培训残疾人士的课程，还应考虑雇佣残疾教练来调解健身房中存在的社会文化障碍。男性和女性过去作为健身房使用者的身份在残疾后对他们采用运动方式有不同影响，因此，该领域的专业人员在康复期间及康复后设计和提供运动项目时应认识到这一点。
