Client: Shannon Reece
Personal Trainer: Lyn Lindbergh
Location: Count to Active, Seattle
“Lyn is great . . . the answer to my exercise prayers,” says Shannon Reece, a client from Las Vegas who attends Lyn Lindbergh’s personal training and group sessions virtually. Shannon offers adds further praise: “She is an expert at helping me get the correct form and guiding me in setting up my phone’s camera so she can see me during our personal training sessions together.”
That can be tricky for any online program, but the feedback is particularly meaningful.
“Shannon is blind,” Lindbergh explains. “Since driving was not an option and most workout videos rely on visual cues, she needed a fitness program that was accessible from her home.”
Seeing the Possibilities
Lindbergh, a multi-certified trainer, created Couch to Active—the first online fitness studio that’s 100% accessible to people living with blindness. “Half of my students are completely blind and the other half are living with chronic illnesses,” says Lindbergh. “I’m doing my best to give this population the world-class experience they deserve.
“So many of the current options for individuals who are blind move along too slowly or spend too much time sitting around waiting for detailed instructions,” Lindbergh explains. “Shannon wanted a program that kept her moving the whole time, had high energy and would be something she would look forward to attending. She is super-friendly and social, so the group fitness classes became a big part of her programming. With this in place, our personal training sessions were twice a month where we dialed in goals, form and mindset.”
Cue the Cuing
When teaching proper form to a client who can’t see the moves, the words you use are crucial. “Cuing as if their participants can’t see them is a really great skill for instructors even if their students are sighted,” says Lindbergh. “I’ve received a lot of really positive feedback from my sighted students about how it’s nice to not have to rely on looking at the screen all the time.”
Here is some of Lindbergh’s advice:
- Avoid sight-based words. Replace a cue of “raise your arm like this” with “take your right arm, reach it up to the sky with an open palm, palm facing your midline.”
- Spend extra the time to focus on form.
- Start with simple moves that everyone can do together, then build up to more complex exercises.
- Figure out exactly where online clients should place their cameras and equipment so that you can see them and they can access what they need.
Looking Forward
Following this advice has worked wonders. “Shannon has a much better understanding of body positioning when doing exercises to optimize results and minimize injury,” says Lindbergh. “She has much better spinal mobility and more muscle tone and strength in her core, legs, hips and arms. She has better stamina and overall is just much happier.”
Shannon agrees. “I am loving my body; I haven’t liked my body this much since high school,” she says. “For the first time, I find exercise and yoga fun.”
As for Lindbergh, she looks forward to continuing to help this historically underserved client base. “It’s been an absolute honor to serve my clients and adapt my approach to their needs. It’s been amazing to see my clients reach their goals and accomplish things they never thought were possible.”
See also: Training People With Disabilities
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