Getting active with a visual impairment

There are many advantages that come with getting active, whether you have a visual impairment or not. It plays a vital role in maintaining overall health and well-being. Regular exercise not only boosts your physical fitness but also enhances happiness and confidence. It helps build strength, independence, and resilience. Activity can also reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality. The focus should never be on competition, but rather on feeling good and developing a sense of control over your life.

 

Physical benefits

Exercise offers a wide range of physical benefits.

• It can strengthen your muscles, heart, and bones, making everyday activities easier to manage.
• Coordination, balance, and posture improvements come naturally with regular movement
• Increased mobility
• Reducing the risk of falls.

With more energy for daily life, you’ll feel more capable and resilient. Strength and balance training, in particular, are key to protecting your body from injury and maintaining independence.

 

Mental and emotional benefits

Physical activity has profound effects on mental and emotional well-being.

• It helps reduce anxiety
• Boosts mood
• Increases motivation
• Improves focus

Exercise encourages better sleep and relaxation, while creating a sense of pride and personal control. Over time, training develops what can be thought of as emotional armour. This resilience allows you to handle stress more effectively and maintain a positive mindset.

 

Social benefits

Being active can also enrich your social life. Joining team activities or local classes provides opportunities to meet new people and feel included within a community. Sharing your journey can inspire others, and participating in sport helps to break down barriers. A supportive community not only boosts confidence but also acts as a safety net, offering encouragement and belonging through shared goals and teamwork.

 

Overcoming barriers

Living with a visual impairment can present unique challenges, but there are many ways to adapt.

• Look for accessible gyms
• Accessible walking routes
• VI friendly fitness classes

If asking for clear instructions or tactile guidance isn’t something that you feel comfortable with in the beginning, it is ok to rely on using audio cues and fitness technology to make your experience with exercise safer and more enjoyable. If you start slowly and remember that the only thing that matters in the beginning is the progress that you can make not the speed at which you can make that progress, it is ok, everything comes with patience and time. Every time you adapt when you are faced with a challenge, you strengthen your resilience and future independence.

 

Assistive technology

Modern technology has made it easier than ever to stay active and independent.

• Smartwatches can provide voice feedback, track steps, and monitor performance.
• GPS tools help you explore new routes safely and confidently.

Technology acts as a form of protection. It offers audio cues, navigation assistance, and real-time feedback that supports safe and independent movement.

 

Role models

Many athletes with visual impairments, demonstrate what’s possible through determination and passion.

Libby Clegg –  Libby Clegg MBE, was born 24^th March 1990 and is a British Paralympic sprinter and tandem track cyclist who has represented both Great Britain and Scotland in international competitions. She competes in the T11/T12 classifications for visually impaired athletes and lives with Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, which causes severe central vision loss. She is a Double gold medallist in the T11 100m and 200m at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, including a world record in the 100m. She also received Silver medals in the T12 100m at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012. In the Commonwealth Games, she has won Gold in the T12 100m representing Scotland at Glasgow 2014. In 2022, having moved to para-cycling she won gold in the Team Sprint UCI Para‑cycling Track World Championships.

Neil Fachie – Neil Fachie OBE, was born 12^th March 1984. He is a Scottish Paralympic cyclist and former track athlete who competes in tandem cycling events for athletes with visual impairments. He was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition affecting peripheral and night vision. Having competed as a sprinter at Beijing 2008 and not medalled, he switched to cycling and won gold in the Tandem B 1km time trial and silver in the sprint at London 2012. He has also won gold in the Tandem B kilo at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024. He is a multiple-time world champion, earning titles across sprint and kilo tandem events between 2009 and 2024. In the Commonwealth Games, he has represented Scotland, winning gold in tandem events in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

 

Local VI sports clubs welcome beginners, this helps to create inclusive spaces that are accessible for everyone. Everyday movement counts. This could range from walking and yoga to dancing or martial arts. Whether you pick something new or return to an old hobby, you can also become a role model for others. Simply, participate in the activity, then share your experiences.

 

My journey

In 2018 (before I found out the extent of my vision loss) I started doing Taekwon-Do. Just after COVID, I moved clubs and organisations, due to the fact that the instructor didn’t really understand my vision loss even after we had explained it in simple terms (the fact that that there wasn’t so much travel involved to get to training sessions was a bonus). In March 2022 after being sent to Moorfields Eye Hospital, and receiving many of the diagnoses that I have today, with the support of my parents, I explained to my instructors what I could and couldn’t see while they were teaching a lesson. Having seen how far I had come in the year I had been there, and understanding what doing Taekwon-do meant to me, they adapted accordingly. Even though they adapt what they can, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t still occasions where I have to switch things up on the spot.

I believe that doing a martial art has helped me to build my confidence which has massively helped with my ability to advocate for what I need.

I have since, achieved my 1^st black belt (April 2023) and competed against fully sighted competitors at different points in their martial arts journeys. Medalling at competitions at various levels.

Though doing Taekwon-Do, I have made many new friends and learned skills that can help me in everyday life.

 

Tips to stay motivated

Motivation can be challenging but setting small and realistic goals helps keep you moving forward. If you celebrate every success (big or small) and find someone, such as a friend, family member, or guide, to share the journey (highs, lows, successes and failures) with you will see yourself come further than you ever imagined.

You should experiment with different types of activities until you find one that you truly enjoy. Finding a way to incorporate fitness into your everyday life is essential because consistency is key. If you start by taking small, steady steps, you will soon find that you will have built  lasting progress and resilience.

 

Important links that you may want to explore

British Blind Sport: https://britishblindsport.org.uk/

Goalball UK: https://goalballuk.com/

 

Final thoughts

The most important thing is to find an activity that makes you feel happy and empowered. You shouldn’t let your visual impairment stand in your way. There are always adaptations and modifications that can be made to make activities accessible. Every effort you make towards staying active helps build strength, confidence, and independence.