Dance and Exercise Videos for the Disabled

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I have recently discovered on YouTube, a number of dance classes geared toward wheelchair users. They are so fun. Everything from Hula, to Ballet, Zumba, even Bellydancing!

I will be posting some of the classes I discover as I find ones I really like. I'm very excited to take wheelchair ballet.

One thing I wanted to stress for people on the Autism Spectrum: If sounds on videos are really triggering, then just mute the speakers. You can still follow along with the movements. I usually do these kinds of videos with the tv or computer muted.

***
For my first post, I chose bellydance, just to show how wild the classes can be for wheelchair users!

I took bellydance about 15 years ago, and I loved it. There are a number of more authentic seated bellydance classes on YouTube (that I might not be allowed to post here). Even though this video isn't exactly bellydancing, when I saw this one was taught by a senior citizen, I knew this would be a lot of fun.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Here's a very lovely ballet workout for disabled people that I'm doing right now. I woke up in the middle of the night, and discovered this graceful, low impact dance video.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I really like this one, I've done it before. It's a seated yoga video by a guy who is in a wheelchair. It's very relaxing and stretches every part of your body. I hurt myself today, so I am about to do this video before I go to bed, in order to feel better:

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

It's late and I'm sleepy, so I didn't end up doing the above video. Instead, I did this quick yoga class. It's very relaxing and a little over six minutes long. I watched it on mute. It was so nice for a peaceful bedtime cool down.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Here's a good video for if you're stuck in bed and not feeling well.

The nurses are kinda chattery, so if you like, do the video on mute.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

My daughter and I did this video together and laughed through some parts. It was pretty funny, the instructor girl goes "out there" a couple times and turns the belly dance into some kind of unintentionally ridiculous interpretive dance. As we were cracking up laughing and copying her, the girl grabbed a veil, and so my daughter grabbed a pillow and started swinging it around, smacking me with it.

That was a laugh I needed today.

Anyway, it's a fun seated bellydance class. And it stretches your core, back, and shouders. Not really true bellydance, but you won't take yourself seriously while doing it, and that's good.

Spoiler: click for video

]

(Moderators: I thought it was clean, but if this is too much for the site, go ahead and delete it)

 

[Luca]

Oops. Kept clicking agree when I meant to click funny. Lol. I have fat fingers.
It was very funny, but what wasn’t clean?? I must have missed something. It’s pretty normal for people to have to explain to me that something is inappropriate though.

 

[Bolletje]

Great topic!

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

My daughter and I did this video together and laughed through some parts. It was pretty funny, the instructor girl goes "out there" a couple times and turns the belly dance into some kind of unintentionally ridiculous interpretive dance. As we were cracking up laughing and copying her, the girl grabbed a veil, and so my daughter grabbed a pillow and started swinging it around, smacking me with it.

That was a laugh I needed today.

Anyway, it's a fun seated bellydance class. And it stretches your core, back, and shouders. Not really true bellydance, but you won't take yourself seriously while doing it, and that's good.

Spoiler: click for video

]

(Moderators: I thought it was clean, but if this is too much for the site, go ahead and delete it)

Okay so right now this is my favorite exercise video. Who cares if it isn't authentic bellydance? It's fun! The lady is so wacky that I can't take myself seriously. I'll be sitting there while she pauses to think, and I catch myself asking the tv screen, "Okay crazy lady, what kinda weird stuff are you gonna have me do next?"

When I can't walk, it's so good to have a video that is so off the wall that I can't feel sorry for myself, because I'm laughing through the whole thing. And she moves so fast that I feel like I'm getting a big workout in that little bit of time.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

This was a very peaceful video. I feel so good after it. Plus you can do the whole thing in bed!

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I woke up in the middle of the night and searched youtube for a relaxing ballet video to help me work off some extra energy, so I could go back to sleep. This video did not fit the bill.

Instead, it was fast paced, and didn't really feel like ballet at all. If you want a super short cardio video, this is the one. Another thing I didn't like is that it didn't work the lower body. It was just abs and up.

I like ballet because it's so flowy and graceful. You get a deep stretch workout, but it feels so pretty and soft. This Japanese Taiso Ballet was very jerky and unnatural to me. It felt more like aerobics than dance.

People who want something faster paced might get something out of it. It certainly energized me, so it'd be better for a first thing in the morning workout, than a late night one.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Yesterday afternoon I found this workout, and loved it. It was only centered on abs and obliques, but I felt it in my upper thighs, arms, shoulders, and back too. It's pretty easy, and goes by very quickly.