Herts Fitness Professionals Empowered to Better Support Disabled Gym Users

On Friday 10^th July, Sport and physical activity professionals from across Hertfordshire came together at Hertfordshire Sports Village for a hands-on workshop designed to improve confidence and competence when supporting people with a variety of physical impairments in gym environments.

Delivered by an experienced Sports Therapist from the Matt Hampson Foundation, a charity who specialise in supporting people who have been seriously injured through sport, the training was the fourth session in the Disability Inclusion Learning Series, a six-part development programme facilitated by the No Limits 2026 campaign - Hertfordshire's Year of Disability Sport & Physical Activity.

Hosted in Performance Herts, the University of Hertfordshire’s specialist Strength and Conditioning facility, the workshop provided a unique opportunity for coaches, personal trainers, gym managers and fitness professionals to develop practical coaching skills that can help make gym settings more inclusive and accessible for disabled people.

The session focused on supporting wheelchair users, individuals with upper and lower limb impairments, and people who use an ankle foot orthosis (AFO). Participants explored key anatomical and physiological considerations, the social model of disability, and the importance of using appropriate and inclusive language when coaching.

A major highlight of the workshop was the opportunity for attendees to experience disability from a practical perspective. Through simulated impairments and working alongside a live wheelchair user, participants gained valuable insight into the barriers individuals may face and the adaptations that can make exercise more accessible. Discussions also explored how common training movements and gym equipment can be adapted, how functional movement patterns may change, and how creativity and problem-solving can help coaches deliver effective, inclusive sessions. Attendees were also given live client scenarios for them to consider how they would approach producing a programme to support the unique needs of the disabled individuals to help them reach their goals.

Also in attendance was No Limits 2026 Ambassador Ella Beaumont, a Former GB Wheelchair Basketball athlete and founder of EllaBeePT and Roisin Clear a reporter at BB3 Counties Radio who kindly covered the workshop. Both lifelong wheelchair users they provided some much-appreciated practical support and insight from their lived experience of disability.

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The workshop received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees describing the training as practical, engaging and immediately applicable within their own settings.

Max Honigsbaum, Head of Strength & Conditioning at Performance Herts, said:

Thank you for organising such a great event, the course was excellent. George did a great job of providing really practical skills which my team and I will begin applying.

The impact of the workshop extended beyond individual learning, with participants already identifying opportunities to make meaningful changes within their organisations.

Steve Nicholas, Fitness Instructor at Furzefield Leisure Centre, said:

The course gave me an excellent insight into how a gym could be adapted for people with disabilities even with some simple layout decisions, let alone the specific equipment the tutor kindly let us have a go with.

We have one member at the gym who is a wheelchair user, but I can't help feeling that we could have more members with disabilities if we were to be more accommodating to their needs and promote as such. I will also be meeting with management to discuss what I learnt on the course and what changes we can implement.

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This workshop demonstrated the enthusiasm and commitment that exists across the county to create more welcoming and inclusive environments for everyone. As No Limits 2026 continues, the knowledge, ideas and actions generated through sessions such as this will play an important role in ensuring that more disabled people have the opportunity to enjoy the physical, social and wellbeing benefits of sport and physical activity. Together, No Limits 2026 is helping to remove barriers, challenge perceptions and build a more inclusive future for sport and physical activity in Hertfordshire.

Expression of Interest to repeat this workshop

We are gauging interest to run a second date for this workshop so if you or a colleague would like to attend should one be able to be arranged, please complete the following Expression of Interest 2026 - Supporting Gym Users with Physical Disabilities Workshop – Fill in form.

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What’s next in the Disability Inclusion Learning Series?

The Disability Inclusion Learning Series has been developed to help individuals involved in sport and physical activity organisations become more inclusive, accessible and confident in engaging disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions in a variety of settings. Delivered free of charge through a mixture of online and in-person sessions, the programme brings together leading national and local partners to share expertise, encourage discussion and support long-term change across Hertfordshire through a range of topics. The next session in the series will be an in-person workshop focussed on Enhancing Inclusive PE & Sport Practice using Adapted Equipment. Scheduled for Thursday 24^th September it is aimed at PE teachers, assistants and Coaching Agencies.

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See our Events and Training page for more information.