Exercise in Disability

Disabled adults should aim for the same activity targets as other adults, and appropriate activity is safe for them, with benefits that outweigh the risks.

Disabled adults have as much to gain from activity as anyone, often more, yet are among the least active groups, often because of a mistaken belief that activity is unsafe or not for them. The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMO) found no reason to vary the adult guidelines by impairment type. This page covers the CMO and World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, dispelling myths, activity after limb amputation as a worked example, and the specific safety points for the sport and exercise medicine (SEM) doctor.