Blind Perspective: I Trained

Winter is coming, so I decided to boost my immune system by going to the gym. How can a blind person do this? That’s what today’s article is all about.

From Decision to Action

For some time, I’d been thinking about improving my physical fitness. In my article on spatial orientation, I mentioned that in my world, a casual stroll isn’t exactly a thing. So, I was looking for other solutions, including home training apps. The issue is that videos or photos don’t do much to help me with the proper form for exercises.

Buying equipment like a treadmill or stationary bike for home workouts would be quite an expense, not to mention the space needed to set it up. I realized this wasn’t the best option. So, what was left? Do nothing, or… go to the gym.

The decision to work out didn’t come easily. Navigating an unfamiliar place and venturing into a new space isn’t always the simplest option for me. To be honest, I was gently nudged by my orientation instructor, who probably had enough of my complaints that I should start some training. And since we passed this particular gym practically every session, we eventually just went in.

Heading to My Workout

The gym I go to is close to where I live. Because of that, the walk there isn’t long enough to rack up many steps. The gym is part of a big chain, so it’s well-equipped. The staff is a fantastic team, and there’s always a kind soul willing to help me get to the right equipment at the right time.

Since I’m just starting to work on my fitness, I’m sticking to cardio exercises (the treadmill, stationary bike, and similar equipment).

The equipment is fairly intuitive to use, and I can adjust most settings myself. I was a bit worried about running into touch panels everywhere, but thankfully, that’s usually not the case. The only thing I haven’t quite figured out yet is logging my workout stats after each session, like the speed I set on the treadmill or resistance level on the bike.

After the Workout

Exercise gives me that “good tired” feeling—a truly positive one. Sure, I may be crawling out of the gym rather than walking out, but I enjoy it all the same. As my PE teacher used to say back in high school, “You’ve got to love the burn.”

Tracking Workouts

I’d like to keep track of my progress, not to set records, but just for my own satisfaction. And that’s where things get tricky… Either the mobile apps for this purpose are paid, or if I do find a free one, it’s often a pipe dream to hope it’s accessible. All I want is an easy, quick way to log my cardio workouts. But maybe someday…

Summary

Going to the gym brings me a lot of joy. It might wear off eventually, but for now, I’m really glad I gave it a shot. Exercising helps me shake off stress, lifts my mood, and the next day, it makes it easier to focus on my daily tasks. If only I could log my workouts easily, it’d be perfect. Here’s hoping that fitness app developers will consider expanding their customer base to include blind people like me by offering more accessible features in their products. I’d strongly encourage them to do so.