Understanding the experience of community-based fitness professionals supporting people with disability to engage in sport and exercise: a national survey

Abstract

Purpose

The benefits of sport and exercise participation for people with disability are well acknowledged. However, people with disability report numerous barriers to participating in sport and exercise, including negative interactions with fitness professionals. Limited research is available from the perspective of fitness professionals. This study aimed to understand the experience of fitness professionals supporting people with disability to engage in sport and exercise.

Materials and methods

A cross sectional survey study was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data on community-based fitness professionals from Australia, with or without experience working with a person with disability.

Results

A total of 72 fitness professionals took part in the study with most reporting experience and confidence in working with people with disabilities. Several barriers were identified with participants highlighting the lack of disability-specific training. Participants also identified potential facilitators, including effective collaboration with allied health professionals.

Conclusion

There is emerging interest for fitness professionals to support people with disability to engage in sport and exercise. However, changes are required within the education provided to fitness professionals and with the current collaborative model with allied health professionals to better support the participation of people with disability in sport and exercise.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• As physical activity is pertinent to ongoing health and wellbeing of people with disability, with support, fitness professionals could provide a cost-effective solution to assist in enabling people with disability to access sport and exercise activities.

• Fitness professionals require continuing disability-specific education and input from allied health professionals to appropriately support their clients with disability.

• Changes are required within the Australian fitness industry and in the model in which allied health and fitness professionals collaborate to better support people with disability to engage in sport and exercise.

• Additional barriers external to the fitness professional such as the physical environment, funding restrictions and lack of societal awareness, continue to impede on people with disabilities’ participation in sport and exercise settings and should also be acknowledged.

Keywords:

• Fitness professional
• disability
• sport
• exercise
• allied health
• health promotion

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants for sharing their experiences and responses to the survey. The authors acknowledge that each author has read and approved the contents of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Full data set can be provided by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received in the completion of this study.