Joining an Exercise Class

With just a little planning, group exercise classes can be the perfect way to stay healthy and have a great time, no matter your level of vision.

To get started, it’s always a great idea to talk with your eye doctor when you make any new exercise plans. One good thing to talk about is whether you might want to avoid any specific activities—for example, sports that could cause bumps or injuries to the head. For some people, heavy lifting or straining could be a concern.

If you’re looking for a local fitness center to join, ask for recommendations among your friends and family members. They can help you tour the space before you decide to sign up, and point out things you might not notice, to see whether it offers what you’re looking for.

During your visit, you can ask the staff whether a sighted guide or an extra staff member could join you in class the first few times, to help you learn about the moves and equipment.

Ed: Now that you've had a chance to learn a bit with us, we'd like to learn more about you. Your name, email address, how you heard about Hadley, and your relationship to vision loss. Learning more will give us a better understanding of how to personalize Hadley just for you. And don't worry, everything you share with us online will be kept safe and secure. Of course if you'd prefer to talk through these questions, we're just a phone call away at 800-323-4238.

Taking these few steps saves your preferences so you can continue right where you left off, and track your progress every time you log on. Plus, it connects you to the Hadley community, and helps sustain our funding to keep Hadley free of charge. And last, but not least, it gives you direct access to experts, like me. Now, where were we?