Inclusive exercise class

Qigong is an inclusive form of exercise accessible by everyone.

All my classes are inclusive, a fascinating mix of beginners and experienced participants, healthy and those battling long-term illness or physical limitation, of those who pick up the movement quickly and precisely and those where learning a layered new movement is a struggle.

Inclusiveness covers a variety of conditions and abilities:

Some are experienced in Qigong, others are new to it;
Everyone in the class has different energy levels, flexibility and enthusiasm;
Some glow with health and are keen, attentive, co-ordinated, have good memories and want to maintain or improve their levels of health and fitness;
Others find Qigong helps them manage or improve their recognised or unrecognised medical disorder, learning disability or other condition; these conditions range from mild to profound, and in one way or another add a layer of difficulty to exercise;
Some people with a bad back can’t move well, or can hardly move this shoulder or that knee following an accident or transplant or because the joint has virtually seized up with arthritis;
Some are ill, undergoing cancer treatment, recovering from surgery or battling a life-threatening or crippling disease that slowly sap them of energy;
Others struggle with CoPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or asthma and in wet weather wheeze into class, coughing and spluttering;
Someone with fibromyalgia, ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) or depression wants to come each week, knows it will help them, but often can hardly put one foot in front of the other to get to the front door, let alone face the journey before the exercise class starts;
Some are hard of hearing, some profoundly deaf; some have limited vision;
Some find that with age they can’t keep up or react as well as others in the class; others struggle because English is their second language;
Some have developing cognitive impairment or the beginnings of memory loss;
Some have balance issues and need a chair by them, others just have to take time out during the class;
Most have busy or chaotic lives, know they should come more regularly to class, but often don’t make it;
Some are extrovert, others timid or self-conscious to the extent they must hide at the back and hope the instructor won’t single them out for individual feedback in front of everyone.

How inclusive can a class be?

Classes may be inclusive but they will never be all-inclusive.

The whole class respect those using chairs, those with physical-limiting conditions and those struggling to class on a wet and windy day, wheezily arriving, shrugging off my concern with a ‘ah, my CoPD is worse when it’s damp’. Exercise isn’t an easy option for them.

My priority is always the integrity of the class. Someone who is disruptive, or with a really limited range of movements, concentration or memory, may have to be excluded.

Everyone is responsible for their own movements and safety so anyone who isn’t aware or able to follow and control their movements within their own safe limitations may also have to be excluded.

The exercises may be too much for some, either physically, or when a condition is too profound or extreme. Anyone in this position will know, and it is unlikely that they will want to join a class.

Exercise is for everyone, but at the extremes, both in terms of the excluded and those involved in examination or highly competitive sports, then they are best looked after as discrete groups. It may be possible to arrange exercises for anyone excluded from the class, modifying movements appropriately. This is best managed either on an individual basis or by group with a common disability.

Every participant must complete my Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (Par-Q) before attending their first class so I can fully understand their capabilities and ensure that they will benefit from joining the class.

Classes About Qigong Class feedback Instructor Contact

Inclusive exercise class

Qigong is an inclusive form of exercise accessible by everyone.

All my classes are inclusive, a fascinating mix of beginners and experienced participants, healthy and those battling long-term illness or physical limitation, of those who pick up the movement quickly and precisely and those where learning a layered new movement is a struggle.

Inclusiveness covers a variety of conditions and abilities:

Some are experienced in Qigong, others are new to it;

Everyone in the class has different energy levels, flexibility and enthusiasm;

Some glow with health and are keen, attentive, co-ordinated, have good memories and want to maintain or improve their levels of health and fitness;

Others find Qigong helps them manage or improve their recognised or unrecognised medical disorder, learning disability or other condition; these conditions range from mild to profound, and in one way or another add a layer of difficulty to exercise;

Some people with a bad back can’t move well, or can hardly move this shoulder or that knee following an accident or transplant or because the joint has virtually seized up with arthritis;

Some are ill, undergoing cancer treatment, recovering from surgery or battling a life-threatening or crippling disease that slowly sap them of energy;

Others struggle with CoPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or asthma and in wet weather wheeze into class, coughing and spluttering;

Someone with fibromyalgia, ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) or depression wants to come each week, knows it will help them, but often can hardly put one foot in front of the other to get to the front door, let alone face the journey before the exercise class starts;

Some are hard of hearing, some profoundly deaf; some have limited vision;

Some find that with age they can’t keep up or react as well as others in the class; others struggle because English is their second language;

Some have developing cognitive impairment or the beginnings of memory loss;

Some have balance issues and need a chair by them, others just have to take time out during the class;

Most have busy or chaotic lives, know they should come more regularly to class, but often don’t make it;

Some are extrovert, others timid or self-conscious to the extent they must hide at the back and hope the instructor won’t single them out for individual feedback in front of everyone.

How inclusive can a class be?

Classes may be inclusive but they will never be all-inclusive.

The whole class respect those using chairs, those with physical-limiting conditions and those struggling to class on a wet and windy day, wheezily arriving, shrugging off my concern with a ‘ah, my CoPD is worse when it’s damp’. Exercise isn’t an easy option for them.

My priority is always the integrity of the class. Someone who is disruptive, or with a really limited range of movements, concentration or memory, may have to be excluded.

Everyone is responsible for their own movements and safety so anyone who isn’t aware or able to follow and control their movements within their own safe limitations may also have to be excluded.

The exercises may be too much for some, either physically, or when a condition is too profound or extreme. Anyone in this position will know, and it is unlikely that they will want to join a class.

Every participant must complete my Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (Par-Q) before attending their first class so I can fully understand their capabilities and ensure that they will benefit from joining the class.

Classes About Qigong Class feedback Instructor Contact

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