When all the gyms shut down way back in COVID’s initial quarantine phase, Move United (then known as Disabled Sports USA) whipped up an ad hoc set of online adaptive workouts called Adapt At Home. A year and a half later, the gyms are (mostly) open again, but the demand for convenient fitness options is bigger than ever.
That’s why Move United expanded the Adapt At Home idea into a bigger, more permanent program called OnDemand Fitness. Offered in partnership with The Hartford, OnDemand will offer specialized adaptive sports fitness classes that you can access anytime, anywhere.
Designed for individuals with all types of disabilities and all ability levels, OnDemand includes dozens of classes that range from yoga to dance, stretching, balance, core strength, cardio, high-intensity interval training, and more. They’re led by nationally recognized adaptive fitness experts from all over the country, at least two of whom are former Paralympians. And they’re totally free.
“OnDemand meets athletes where they are and challenges them, whether they work out seated, need audio cues or recurring instruction,” says Move United executive director Glenn Merry. “We believe that sport makes us more, and OnDemand invites every person with a disability to engage in that process.”
You can use the classes to supplement your in-person workouts if you’re back at the gym, but OnDemand’s main value lies in its near-universal accessibility. As long as you have a modem or smartphone, you’re in business. As an extra incentive, Move United is offering free fitness kits to the first 500 people who register. The kits include resistance bands, fitness balls, cordless jump ropes, and other swag.
The whole thing is underwritten by The Hartford, which has supported adaptive sports for more than 25 years and continues to deepen its commitment. “We are on a mission to increase access to adaptive sports,” says Claire Burns, the company’s head of marketing and communications.
Get started at www.moveunitedsport.org/ondemand.