This workout program is designed to give physical educators the tools needed to increase mobility, strength, and endurance for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Suggestions about body characteristics, stretching ideas, and workout strategies will also be presented. We share four complete workout programs designed on a continuum from less able to higher functioning such as for children who use wheelchairs, walkers to crutches or canes.

As with any exercise program, intensity, duration, and frequency need to be optimized.
To help ensure the endurance component, children should maintain their heart rate at 60 to 80% of their max for 35 minutes.  Note: if students are exercising in a wheelchair or lying horizontal, reduce their maximum heart rate by 20 to 30 beats per minute.  For example, a girl 10 years old who uses a wheel chair, would have a target range of 220 – 20 or 30 = 190 or 180 x .6 to .8  = 114 to 152 or 108 to 144 beats per minute.  Exercises should be three or more times a week.  Remember, when doing weight lifting, move quickly from set-to-set or machine-to-machine to help maintain a higher heart rate.

Key Aspects to Remember and Look For

People say “a picture” is worth 1,000 words and often helps to explain ideas. Well, the authors hope this is true because, in this article several illustrations will be presented depicting how to set up inclusive activities. Follow these simple suggestions and equipment ideas and you’ll create an environment that fosters inclusion.

In general, the transition of ideas from the written word to actual practice is difficult. Applying inclusion ideas to the gymnasium often seems almost impossible. After years of teaching inclusion classes at the university, we understand that students quickly forget what was learned in the classroom and fall back on old behaviors. In fact, most future physical educators are ingrained with “sports” activities that have rules, specific equipment, and one set of standards, which is the opposite of inclusion.

Because most games and skills taught and played are for the middle 68% of the population – it’s perhaps understandable to try to make the biggest group happy – little thought is given to the high-end and the low-end ability levels. The children with advanced abilities are bored to death with the rinky-dink un-challenging games, while the lower-end are frustrated and over-challenged because they are unable to do the skills. In both cases, children are not being challenged at their unique level.