Enjoying Sport and Exercise
Sheila Hollins and Caroline Argent. Illustrated by Catherine Brighton.
Taking part in sport and exercise can help us to keep fit, feel
well, meet new people, cope with our worries, sleep better and lose
weight. Enjoying Sport and Exercise will help people with
learning and communication difficulties to choose what activity
they would like to do and shows them how to find out what is
available to them locally. Most leisure centres have many sports
and exercise classes which can be adapted to include people with
special needs.
Enjoying Sport and Exercise tells the story
of three people who want to take up a sport and are supported to do
so. Jasmine is a wheelchair user who is delighted to find she can
play badminton while her mum takes up Tai Chi; Charlie, who is
overweight, discovers dog walking and cricket; James is a runner
and with training fulfils his ambition to run a marathon.
Supporting text at the back of the book
includes background information on the benefits of taking exercise,
extensive guidance for carers on helping to get someone started and
an outline of the different activities and types of sports club
available. There is also a suggested storyline and recommended
helpful organisations and further written resources.
Do you work in the leisure industry? You can help people
with learning disabilities get into sport
Using this book will allow you to help people with learning difficulties to
choose which sports they want to try. It will encourage more
people to take up exercise and play a greater role in their
community by helping them to find out what is available to them
locally.
Who should get this
resource?
- Sports Development Officers
- Instructors/coaches
- Leisure Centre Managers
- Anyone interested in disability sports
Most leisure centres have many sports and exercise
classes that can be adapted easily to include people with special
needs. People with learning disabilities can’t always read very
well so this book uses colour
pictures to tell the story – these can be understood better than
words.
The book follows four people with learning
disabilities as they try out a variety of activities. At the
sports centre Jasmine is taught to play badminton despite also
being a wheelchair user, while her mum joins a Tai Chi
class. A coach at the running track trains with James who ends
up competing in a marathon.
The authors
Sheila Hollins is Professor of
Psychiatry of Learning Disability at St George’s, University of
London.
Caroline Argent is a learning
disability sports consultant with fifteen years' experience in
community development and sports projects.