[Sportsandrec] hi all

[Audrey Farnum]

Hi Ashley.

Don't let anyone discourage you from trying classes. It might take a
little effort to find an instructor and class you are comfortable
with, but there's no reason why you can't be successful. Talk to the
instructor before class. Tell them what works for you. Many people
enjoy the challenge of modifying their teaching techniques for a blind
person. You just need to go in with a good attitude and I think most
people will be cool with it. I'm speaking from the experience of
dealing with rowing coaches and being the only blind rower on a
sighted team, but I think the same principles would apply to fitness
classes. I have a friend who is the only blind guy in a yoga class,
and his experiences have been similar. It might take a few classes to
learn an instructor's terminology, but once you learn the language and
associate the moves with the terms, you ccan fit in with a classs just
fine. And if the instructor has a hard time teaching you the moves
while leading the class, there's a high probability that another class
participant will be willing to help you with descriptions. I've had
some coaches that are better than others at being verbal, but with all
of them, once I figured out how they phrased things, I have been able
to row in the group without being a hinderance to the team and my
teammates have all been supportive and willing to help when necessary.
Just be patient, communicate your needs and believe in yourself. It's
your choice to try out fitness opportunities. Don't let anyone tell
you that you can't or shouldn't do it.

Take care.

Audrey

On Jan 11, 2012, at 6:21 PM, "Ashley Bramlett"
<bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Just a howdy to say who I am since I or no one for that matter has posted much lately.
> I am a young adult going to school for a professional writing certificate and I have a degree from marymount university; a BA in liberal studies with focus on psychology and communication.
>
> For fitness, I just walk or go spinning.
> I’d love to do more but I’ve kind of been discouraged by my parents. Classes are quite visual, so it depends heavily on the instructor to make it a success. They would need to show me what to do and/or be pretty verbal.
>
> Take care.
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