In the past four years, the members of our team have been on many Zoom calls for many purposes facilitated by many people. But we all agree that the event that brought us together with many of our supporters on Valentine’s Day was by far the most physically active Zoom call we have ever been on. Facilitated by Lani Bergen, an adaptive fitness trainer with Disability Partnerships, this unique event combined an informative presentation with a full-body workout that left us with our hearts pumping and our muscles tired, energized or both.
On a day usually focused on showing love to others, Lani took her time on Valentine’s Day to show how physical activity can serve as a way to love ourselves. She emphasized that exercise should be self-paced; we should do it because we want to do it, not because we feel we have to do it. This means that not all of us will do the same kind of exercise at the same level of intensity. To use a personal example, my stepbrother is a classic gym rat; he loves lifting weights, running on the treadmill, and doing whatever he can to build muscle. I will never be him, partially because I’m not nearly as athlectic as he is and partially because I just don’t like that kind of exercise. But I do enjoy a good walk with a friend or swim in the pool. I could also definitely get on board with the exercises Lani led us through—exercises that could be done seated, with few or no weights. This made them accessible to all.
Fortunately for all who attended and benefited from her sample, Lani offers weekly virtual classes that are open to all. You can learn more by contacting Disability Partnerships. In the meantime, if you want to capture the essence of what was experienced during Lani’s workshop, you’ll have to watch the video or read the transcript. You can do that below. Enjoy, and we hope you’ll join us on March 13 at 2 PM for our next event!