Core Strengthening Audio Workout Program Level 1 and Tactile Training's Mission

Happy Friday,

Welcome to the best part of the week, the Tactile Training Newsletter. Today we are talking about Tactile Training and our mission, we have a weekly fitness challenge, technology highlight, and an audio described core workout program for you to try. If you enjoy our content, spread the word and let others know to subscribe!

Physical Fitness: Tactile Training and Coach Brandon

• Over the past ten years I’ve worked with individuals who have a variety of disabilities. My first client was an incredibly strong woman named Vicky, who had multiple sclerosis. We met while I was an undergraduate at the University of Delaware, pursuing my bachelor of science degree in exercise science.

• As a quadriplegic, I wasn’t sure how physical fitness and exercise was on the agenda for Vicky. She quickly informed me it most certainly was. After our first training session, I was left in disbelief when she completed 73 repetitions on the leg press machine. She taught me an important lesson about life and people without saying a word.

• We are not defined by our disabilities, but rather our innate abilities as humans. It is up to us as individuals to define ourselves and our abilities in life.

• While she gives me plenty of credit for her progress and success on the leg press and conditioning over the following years, it was all her and that tenacious spirit. Every time we trained together, she reinforced my belief that exercise is a freeing experience and something that can be and should be accessible for everyone.

• In 2017, I graduated and moved Philadelphia. It was in Philadelphia where I began training my first client who was blind. We immediately hit it off and would even run together. When the COVID pandemic started in 2020, we were forced to train virtually. This presented a new and unique challenge. How do I describe movements without being able to provide physical cues and manually assisting?

• Admittedly, this led to quite a few challenges and difficult moments. With an abundance of patience and time, we were able to find proper cueing techniques and strategies to describe how movements should “feel” rather than how they should “look.” This is where Tactile Training started.

• My goal today is to help the blind and visually impaired community learn how to “feel fitness” through audio described programs and content that makes sense.

• To start your journey of defining your own fitness ability, I’ve included the Tactile Training level one introductory core workout and level one audio exercise library to teach you how to perform the exercises involved. Download both files shared at the end of this week’s newsletter and start with the exercise library first.

• If you encounter any issues downloading the mp4 audio file, reply to this email, and I’ll send it directly to you. All you need is a way to play the audio. Now lets feel fitness.

Weekly Challenge: Perform Your First Core Workout

• For the next week, your challenge is to learn the exercises in the level one Tactile Training core workout and and perform the workout at least three times.

• To help you achieve this, here are some tips:

  1. Prioritize Your Workout Time: There are times of week we know we are too busy. Plan ahead by defining the best times of day for you to commit to a workout. Knowing when you are most motivated and least likely to be interrupted is a great place to start. For some that is early in the morning. For others, that is late at night.

  2. Find an Accountability Buddy: Start your fitness journey with someone else! Tell a friend or relative your goal and have them check in with you. Better yet, ask them to do it with you!

  3. Practice Positive Self-Talk: Be sure to tell yourself that you rock after your first workout. Evidence shows positive self talk reinforces actions you’d like to turn into long-term habits.

• Try to implement these strategies to help get you started on your fitness journey.

Accessible Technology: The Monarch

• This week’s highlight is The Monarch, “A revolutionary multiline braille display transforming the educational landscape for blind and low vision students.”

• Key features of The Monarch include:

  • Over 2000 Searchable Tactile Image Graphs: The Monarch comes with a built in graphing calculator to help students craft intricate tactile graphs and grasp complex mathematical concepts. It also will help students learn shapes, objects, images, and more.

  • Collaboration Between Sighted Teachers and Students: The Monarch allows teachers to provide educational content directly to the tablet, helping make content more accessible.

  • Size and Specifications: The Monarch is around five pounds and about the size of a 15-inch laptop or tablet. “It features an 8-dot Perkins braille keyboard, pan up/down buttons, direction pads, Android navigation keys, and a 10-line by 32-cell refreshable braille display, which can render lines of braille and tactile graphics simultaneously with 3,840 equidistant pins.”

• The Monarch is an exciting new piece of technology that will make a difference in education. To explore the full capabilities of The Monarch, visit the APH Website: www.aph.org/meet-monarch

Community Highlight: The American Printing House

• This week’s community highlight is the American Printing House for the Blind or APH.

• “Since 1858, The American Printing House for the Blind has operated in Louisville, Kentucky as the world’s largest nonprofit organization creating accessible learning experiences through educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and low vision.”

• To learn more about the APH and the wonderful things they are creating such as this week’s featured technology product, The Monarch, you can visit their website at aph.org

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter! If you have any issues downloading the free audio core workout program below, have questions or suggestions for future newsletters; contact me at [email protected]. Until next time!

- Coach Brandon