By: SDSU School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences (ENS)The SDSU Adaptive Fitness Center has served over 1,300 disabled community members and provided hands-on training for over 3,000 ENS students since 1983. Your support of this program will allow us to make improvements that will benefit the community and our clients
Who We Are:
The SDSU Adaptive Fitness Clinic is a community outreach program offered through the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at SDSU, which provides fitness services to individuals of all ages living with a range of disabilities.
Traditional and non-traditional exercise equipment is used to rehabilitate clients.
What We Do:
Since 1983, the clinic has served over 1,300 local clients with a wide variety of disabilities including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, or those living with the effects of stroke or spinal cord injury. Through individual assessment and one-on-one training, we offer our clients the opportunity to reach their exercise and rehabilitation goals and develop management skills for their disabilities.
Glenn Hillegas is a stroke survivor who has found the program instrumental to his overall wellness and rehabilitation:
"Already I’ve gone from barely being able to move to just about ready to walk … I’m looking forward to coming for years to come just because it helped keep me healthy, but it’s also key in my recovery to supplement and work with my physical therapy,” said Hillegas.
The clinic has also served as a hands-on training and educational experience for over 3,000 ENS students including those majoring in kinesiology with a pre-physical therapy or fitness specialist emphasis. Under the direct guidance and supervision of our faculty and staff, students work with clients on a variety of exercises and activities.
Sarah Shaw, Class of 2015, speaks to the benefits of the student training program:
"By working with actual clients with real disabilities, I was able to use all my theoretical knowledge as well as learn how to communicate effectively with clients and patients, something we’d never be able to learn in a traditional classroom setting … Every one of my clients challenged me and encouraged me in different and unique ways, and they gave more to me than I could have ever given them, " said Shaw.
How You Can Help:
The SDSU Adaptive Fitness Clinic is supported by the university, but the majority of our funding comes from client fees. The program relies solely on client fees to fund operations, and because those fees are adjusted according to client income, we lack the necessary resources to renovate our facility or update equipment.
Your tax-deductible gift of any amount will help the clinic make improvements to better serve our clients and the community.
Click here for more information on the SDSU Adaptive Fitness Clinic.