How do you get to go to a gym if you DON'T NEED a carer?

ulrichburke
ulrichburke Online Community Member Posts: 32 Contributor
in Everyday life

Dear Anyone.

I live in Brighton, have done for 10 years. Just found out about this community (well, recently!) Been trying to get to go to a gym all the time I've been here and "No, Sorry, you Must Have your Carer With you. Health and Safety."

Thing IS - I don't have or need a carer. And to hire one for a day - they don't seem to do less than a day - to go to a gym costs too much for me. So I've not been going, been trying to have the willpower to just do at-home exercises and the inevitable's happened - I'm fat again! (Despite sticking to coleslaw and sauerkraut - I seem to put on weight easy! And I've been pretty religious on that - sauerkraut, coleslaw from Morrison's - the cheap stuff, much less mayo - and Muller light yogs.)

Anyhoo. How do I get past the gym people to actually get to go to a gym? OK I look disabled but I PROMISE I'm capable of handling the machines there - I know my capabilities. I've literally tried every gym in the area that I can find out about over the last decade and can't get to go to any of them.

Been the same with everything else I've found Neurotypicals doing, TBH, they don't want us around, do they, they just want us in the Nice Little Care Homes (doggy daycare anybody!?!) they try to keep us in, don't they.

Looking forwards to hearing back

Yours respectfully

Chris.

Tagged:

Comments

  • jonf
    jonf Online Community Member Posts: 173 Empowering

    sorry to hear this. I am sure that it is an excuse.

    I train st home

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,912 Championing

    I used to attend the local PUREGYM and found them extremely helpful and definitely pro disabled - time for you to change gyms ?

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,466 Championing

    Have you spoken to any care agencies to see if they can meet your requirements?

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 2,134 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    Hi @ulrichburke. I'm going to tag our CP team who may be able to help you. @Richard_Scope @Lucy_Scope @SaraC_Scope

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 5,214 Championing

    Hi,

    This probably isn't anything personal against you. The gym have to have insurance to cover injuries while people are using their equipment and their premises. That insurance is likely to be the problem here. Have you tried any other gyms nearby?

  • rubin16
    rubin16 Scope Member Posts: 1,028 Championing

    Personally I find pay as you go gyms or monthly subscription gyms that you can cancel anytime alot more friendlier in my own opinion, such as pure gym. Also you don't really have to see or speak to anyone, you just use your own pin code for everything plus they are usually open 24/7. So I agree with wibbles on this.

    Normal gyms in my own opinion are overpriced, lock you in a contract that you can't escape and are abit more biased and judgemental on who they take in.

  • Littlefatfriend
    Littlefatfriend Online Community Member Posts: 253 Pioneering

    I agree with Overanxious that it'll be about insurance.

    I'm curious however why your disability needs to be mentioned?

    Certainly there'll be other, potentially better gyms out there.

    Good luck

  • ulrichburke
    ulrichburke Online Community Member Posts: 32 Contributor

    Dear All.

    Thankyou for your lovely answers.

    I've tried every (CENSORED!!!) gym in Brighton, over the last decade! Thing IS - they don't ask neurotypicals if they've got someone to go with them. And neurotypicals know what they can/can't do and do things accordingly - over-the-top example, if one of the gym users could benchpress 200lb and another user felt unsure if he could or not, he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't have to be told by someone else not to attempt it. If he THOUGHT he might be able to but the gym-guy-on-duty (whatever they call him!) didn't think he could, that guy might say 'maybe set your sights a little lower….' and the other guy would nod and go for less.

    Why do they assume I don't know my limitations and can't work within them to such a degree that I need a permanent watcher to ensure I don't try? And to Overanxious, who designs the insurance policies? Neurotypicals! To Littlefatfriend (lovely name!) I look disabled. That's why I don't put my photo up much. People see the face and assume things, especially the Neurotypicals who run everything.

    It just seems to be another of the many rules/laws Neurotypicals have to keep us out of their sight. Not going to go down that rabbit hole in this, it's just so annoying that a gym's One More of the Many Things I Never Get To Do cos Neurotypicals Won't Let Me!

    Yours respectfully,

    Chris.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 5,214 Championing

    Sadly it's more likely that one or two disabled people sued a gym for damages after they got injured. Which meant that then every gym needed insurance to cover themselves in case another disabled person tried to sue them. Often one person ruins it for everyone else. Obviously it would be awful for the injured person and I do feel for them, but I don't think people suing each other understand the full impact that that has on others in the future. It creates restrictions and limitations, as well as costing us all more money in insurance and taxes and commodities.

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