And I want to drive a car, ride a bike and go downhill skiing. Actually I have done all three, but with sighted assistance. Well, I lost my sight a bit later in live so I knew how to drive and my Dad would let me drive on non-public roads after I lost my sight just for the fun of it, now after more than 30 years without sight I actually don't see the point in it any more. As for riding a bike that of course is easy with a tandem bike and I downhill ski with a guide and communicating either with a radio headset like the ones they make for people who ride motorbikes and want to be able to chat, now of course it's even easier as long as the ski hill has cell coverage because we can wear a headset and I can just call my guide on the phone. The point is that I can't do either of these fitness activities independently and while I don't disagree that maybe there is room for improvement with virtual fitness classes/workouts, it maybe be very possible to participate quite effectively if for the first few times you have sighted help who first describes to you what exactly you have to do. I have sometimes gone to one of these high energy workout classes at a local marshall arts Dojo and while of course I had to do some of the stuff with another person, anything that was done stationary like lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, squats etc. is easy as long as the instructor calls it out and you know how to do the move. However, there really is no way to fully describe the move in a fast-paced workout because it would take way too long so you have to know this before. Here is just one example from a website which describes how to do proper squats and even if you disregard the first part where a bit of background is given, just the actual seps would take quite long to explain and for a blind person who can't watch somebody else perform the move perfectly whether in person or on a video it may be even more difficult:
If you ever watch toddlers move, you’ll notice that they execute picture-perfect squats time and again. But when you’re well into adulthood, how to do squats becomes a little more of a loaded question: Are your feet in the right position? Are you getting down far enough? Should you add weight? While there’s a lot to unpack with how to do a proper squat, the benefits of learning how to squat correctly are immense—squat variations not only help you get stronger during your workouts, but they also represent a movement pattern that you use during everyday life. “In life, we squat all the time, from playing with our children to going to the bathroom to sitting on a chair, ” Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., founder and CEO of TS Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. “It’s very much a functional movement.” When you learn how to do squats correctly, you can really make the most out of the move—and your workout. Here’s what you need to know. What muscles do squats work, and what are the benefits of squats? Throughout the move, your core muscles fire in order to keep you steady. “Your abdominals are stabilizers,” he says. “So they assist in weight-bearing movements.” Strong core muscles are important because not only do they help you with your lifts, but they also reduce the risk of lower back pain. If you do a weighted squat—whether using a dumbbell in a goblet squat, two dumbbells in a front squat, or a barbell in either a back or front squat—you’re also working your upper body. That’s because the move requires an isometric holding of weight, a static muscle contraction without any movement, Tamir says. Weighted squats, like other forms of load-bearing physical activity, also benefit your bones: They help you build stronger bones, he says, which can help prevent osteopenia or osteoporosis as you get older. Plus, since a proper squat requires mobility in your hips and ankles, you can also consider squatting a mobility exercise that can help you move better, Tamir says. Everything you need to know about how to do squats Before you start adding weight, you want to get the squat motion down with bodyweight squats first. Form is key, since performing squats properly can cut down the risk of injury during the move. Here’s what you need to know about doing squats correctly, and how you can avoid some common squatting mistakes. 1. Assume the squat stance. Before you squat, you should get in proper squat position: Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart, Tamir says. There’s no set rule for exact positioning of your feet—it’ll vary depending upon anatomical differences—but a good guideline is for them to turn out anywhere between 5 and 30 degrees. So rather than pointing straight ahead, your feet will turn out slightly, but how much they do will depend on your particular comfort level and mobility. 2. Screw your feet into the floor. Dialing your feet into the ground helps engage your muscles, improve alignment, and create stability with the ground, says Tamir. It’ll also help keep your arches from collapsing, which can make your knees more likely to cave inward when you squat. (This is what’s known as knee valgus.) 3. Keep your chest up. Your upper body also matters for squats. “Keep your chest up, your chest proud,” says Tamir. This will prevent your shoulders and upper back from rounding—a common mistake—which could overstress your spine, especially if you are squatting with weight on your back. 4. Initiate the movement. When you’re ready to squat, think about starting the movement by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, says Tamir. Engage your core for the descent, and keep it braced throughout the move. “Make sure you’re controlling the eccentric part of the movement,” he says. Rather than rushing through the downward motion, take a couple of seconds to lower yourself. This will increase time under tension for your muscles, which will make them work harder. (Slowing down the eccentric is also a great strategy to make the move feel harder if you’re working out at home and don’t have access to the weights you’re used to.) Inhale while you lower, and as you squat down, your knees should track laterally above your first or second toe, Tamir says. Tracking too far in can also make your knees collapse inward, and tracking too far out can put extra stress on them. (Don’t worry so much about the old rule that your knees should never extend forward farther than your toes, Tamir says. Knees extending farther than your toes can happen due to anatomical differences in your bone length. Trying to restrict that movement can actually make you lean forward more, which can stress your lower back, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.) 5. Pause when you reach parallel. As for when you should stop the move? There’s lots of discussion about how low you should squat, but the average exerciser should shoot to hit parallel depth with their squats, says Tamir. “That means the back of your thighs will be parallel to the floor,” he says. Some people have difficulty getting to parallel because of lack of mobility or injury—and if that’s the case, it’s better to end the squat at whatever depth is pain-free for you—but sometimes people default to quarter-squats because they’re using too much weight, says Tamir. If that’s the case, easing off the weight and performing the full range of motion for the move is optimal. Once you reach the bottom of the squat, pause for a second so you are not using momentum to push yourself back up. (You can also increase the length of your pause to add difficulty to the move.) 6. When you stand, drive through your heels. Make sure your feet stay planted throughout the duration of the squat, paying particular attention to driving through your heels on the way back up, says Tamir. This will fire up your posterior chain—the muscles in the back of your body, like your hamstrings and glutes. Some people have a tendency to pick up their toes when they’re focusing on driving through their heels, but you really want to make sure your entire foot stays firmly on the ground: “Your big toe is actually really important in glute activation,” he says. You should also exhale on your way back up, says Tamir. Making sure you breathe throughout the move—inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up—is vital. You definitely do not want to be holding your breath. 7. Finish strong. At the top of the squat, try to tuck your pelvis into a neutral position. “Think of it like bringing your belt buckle to your chin,” says Tamir. Just be careful that you are not hyperextending: A common mistake Tamir sees often is people pushing their hips too far forward, which can actually make you lean backward and stress your lower back. What’s the best way to progress with squats? Before you start loading your squat, you should definitely get the bodyweight move down, says Tamir. (If you’re having difficulty with the movement, you can hold on to a wall or, if you have access to it, a suspension trainer like a TRX, to get more comfortable with what it should feel like.) -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com <viphone@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of CHELA Robles Sent: September 19, 2021 7:15 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: A Question About Apple Fitness Plus for VoiceOver Users Well I think someone should start a petition on change.org regarding this because Apple has to take into consideration that the disability community wants to take part in being fit and staying fit not just walking in my opinion and having the added audio descriptions like they’ve had with their last Apple event and all their original shows and movies, it’s a very much needed added benefit and right for us. I wonder why they decided to add audio descriptions for everything else but the fitness app. That just doesn’t sound right to me. I’m going to do all I can to make it known to Apple that this needs to be done. Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 19, 2021, at 6:47 AM, Jenifer Barr <claudas...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Thank you for this thread. > I just activated my three-month free trial. Now I know I won't be renewing. > lol. Granted... I haven't tried the app yet but... > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Sep 18, 2021, at 6:43 PM, M. Taylor <mk...@ucla.edu> wrote: >> >> Hello Chela and thank you for the feedback. >> >> I don't know why but I just assumed that Apple had come up with some kind of >> magical way of making this service accessible for blind and low vision >> subscribers. >> >> It just goes to show you that no matter how far we have come, there is still >> so far to go. >> >> Again, thank you for sharing your experience. >> >> Mark >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On >> Behalf Of CHELA Robles >> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2021 9:02 PM >> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >> Subject: Re: A Question About Apple Fitness Plus for VoiceOver Users >> >> Hey Mark Taylor, it’s very interesting you bring up this topic because I >> just tried it out not too long ago in fact I think I tried it out on Monday >> and I quickly gave up because there weren’t any audio descriptions during >> the video as to how to do certain things that’s why I chose to do the >> walking workouts since all I had to do was walk even though I really wanted >> to do the body core workouts those were not really described unfortunately >> there’s some really good cardio ones but again you run the risk of them not >> being described as far as the movements go. The walking ones are easier for >> me since all I have to do is walk or run for a certain amount of minutes. >> Sorry I can’t be very helpful. I only just recently started using Apple >> fitness plus whatever it’s called since I already have an Apple one >> subscription that has four services in one. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>>> On Sep 16, 2021, at 5:00 PM, M. Taylor <mk...@ucla.edu> wrote: >>> >>> Hello Everyone, >>> >>> Question: does anyone use or has anyone used Apple Fitness Plus? >>> If so, how was / is your experience? >>> >>> So much of the content is video-based, at least, that is how it >>> appears in all of the Apple Keynote Presentations. >>> >>> I know that they mentioned something about adding more audio-based >>> content to the service but just wanted to get some feedback here in the >>> forum. >>> >>> I look forward to your replies, >>> >>> Mark >>> >>> >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >>> >>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners >>> or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>> >>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >>> mk...@ucla.edu. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara >>> at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >>> >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/000001d7ab57%241116a480%243343ed80%24%40edu. >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >> mk...@ucla.edu. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara >> at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/524BD49D-0204-4143-B9B9-3F7689251EBD%40gmail.com. >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >> mk...@ucla.edu. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara >> at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/000601d7acde%24a08fba10%24e1af2e30%24%40edu. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: > mk...@ucla.edu. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > caraqu...@caraquinn.com > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/D0EC4428-92C1-4564-A54A-F75DD047DE2D%40gmail.com. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: mk...@ucla.edu. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/7576188C-FFF1-4175-A6F7-7A4A82472D87%40gmail.com. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: mk...@ucla.edu. 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