The Joy-Active Project focuses on promoting and implementing physical activity guidelines for youth and adults with disabilities. The purposes of the study are to look at participation within a community-based exercise program for youth and adults with disabilities and to better understand the experiences and perceptions of participants. We will be looking at relationships between well-being, quality participation, happiness, and physical fitness.
Participants will take part in a 12-week exercise program following the appropriate physical activity guidelines. The program includes a session with a fitness trainer, a personalized exercise prescription, and group-based exercise sessions in the research gym.
Why should you participate?
Participants in this study will help us better understand the experiences and perceptions of individuals participating in an exercise program for youth and adults with neurological disorders who have mobility impairments. Participation in this study will encourage participants to reflect on their experiences within the program. In particular, the questionnaires will require them to think deeply about how they are feeling when they participate at the research gym facility, and their motivation or reasoning that underlies their participation. This may prompt them to recognize the potential benefits (e.g., health, social, psychological, etc.) that may be associated with participation in the program.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you:
- are over the age of 15
- are able to read, speak, and understand English
- have been diagnosed with spinal cord injury or cerebral palsy or a progressive neurological disorder (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
- are able to perform upper-body exercises, and for those with lower-body mobility where appropriate, lower-body exercises
- have been cleared by a physician for moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic and strengthening exercises
- have no medical contraindications to performing an exercise test
You may not be eligible to participate if you:
- cannot read, write, or orally communicate in English
- have been previously told you have had a cognitive or memory impairment
- are pregnant
- are an in-patient at a hospital at the time of enrolment
- have been told by a health care professional that you should not exercise
Time commitment:
- The total time commitment for testing will be ~4 hours (3 hours on surveys and 1 hour on exercise and strength testing).
- Participants are also expected to do at least 24-36 hours of exercise training (2-3 hours per week, subject to your ability, availability and progression).
- Participants have the option to re-enrol in the study when 24 sessions have been completed.
Compensation for participation:
Participants will not receive a reimbursement for participating in this study. However, they will have free access 2x/week to an accessible research gym over the course of the study period. Participants will not have access to the research gym after the end of the study period.
This study will take place at:
UBC Okanagan Campus (1238 Discovery Ave)
For more information or to sign up to participate, please contact study coordinator Aleksandra Jevdjevic by email.
