"Exercising inclusion: A case study exploring a fitness center staff's " by Joshua R. Pate and Julie Wallace Carr
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Global Sport Business Journal

Abstract

Nearly twice the number of U.S. adults with disabilities are inactive compared to U.S. adults without disabilities, and prior research has identified multiple barriers that prevent people with disabilities from exercising at fitness centers. The purpose of this case study was to explore the inclusion qualities present at a health and fitness center through the functional dimension of service quality and by using systems theory as a framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five employees at a fitness center, and a researcher participating in a progressive exercise program journaled about the experience. Analysis revealed that the fitness center served people with disabilities through a clinical approach, led them to become more independent in exercise through fitness education, and promoted inclusion through community building and routine. Fitness centers should emphasize independence and routine for developing a community, but de-emphasize a clinical approach to better position themselves as open systems that adjust to input from outside influences.

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