Life in Motion Wellness Program

The benefits of sport and recreational activities for individuals with disabilities are well recognized from the standpoint of health and quality of life, yet there remains a lack of options. Kennedy Krieger's International Center for Spinal Cord Injury plans to create a full continuum of care with a new wellness program "Life in Motion." The goal of the program is to improve the quality of life for those with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) through regular and consistent physical activity. The program will offer children and adults with SCI the opportunity to get the physical activity they need to help build and improve strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, cardiovascular health and to increase socialization and boost overall well being and confidence.

The program is designed to help people with SCI explore their exercise options (aquatics, land-based exercises, functional electrical stimulation, and cardio‐pulmonary activities) to enhance their quality of life. Participants will be provided with the opportunity for medical and nutritional consultation, fitness evaluations, and ongoing web‐based support with personalized fitness and nutrition plans. Life in Motion will focus on instructional programming five days a week and will offer certified group exercise instructors and personal trainers for three of those days -- allowing for peer interaction and support. The Institute's staff of physical, occupational, and aquatic therapists will be involved in program development and individualized exercise programs. The program will be available to the more than 1,200 individuals already seen in the Center, as well as the local population in the Baltimore region. It will offer a unique environment that allows individuals with all levels of injury to successfully participate in this important wellness program.