Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Exercise Program for Adults with Down Syndrome (ExDS) has officially kicked off on August 28 and it is off to great start! The participants and ASU students seemed to hit off really well. The participants are currently undergoing baseline fitness assessments. This data will allow us to design appropriate and effective workouts. The equipment we currently have will allow us to have a good start but the program and the participants will soon outgrow this equipment. Your help is much appreciated! Pictures will follow!
Who We Are
We are passionate advocates for people with Down syndrome. As faculty and students of the exercise science and health promotion department at ASU, we strive to use our resources to help this underserved population. Our mission is to provide access to appropriate physical activity programming for adults with Down syndrome, to improve the health and quality of life of people with Down syndrome, and to further community cohesion by fostering awareness and tolerance in ASU students in order to shape them into community advocates for people with developmental disabilities.
We believe in the multitude of health benefits of exercise. We seek to use physical activity programming to improve the physical, emotional, and social well-being of adults with Down syndrome.
What We're Doing
Adults with Down syndrome are often isolated from wider aspects of the community. Additionally, most adults with Down syndrome are sedentary. Our program will provide persons with Down syndrome an opportunity to both interact with college students and engage in physical activity. Our program employs the buddy system approach of pairing a college student with a participant to coach them through workouts. We believe that this approach will foster emotional health and social cohesion to the betterment of society.
Evidence-based cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility training twice per week throughout the ASU semester will also positively impact the emotional as well as physical health of the participants. Aspects of emotional health and fitness will be assessed before and after the semester-long program in order to track progress.
We are very fortunate to have the community support of the Down Syndrome Network of Arizona and the Lincoln Family YMCA in Downtown Phoenix, who help us reach out to Down syndrome community and spread the word and who provide us with a great space for our program, including free parking!
Why We Need Your Support
We are raising funds to purchase essential exercise equipment that will allow us to provide a well-rounded exercise program. We need a complete set of resistance training machines, stationary exercise bikes, free weights, yoga mats, and other supplies.
With your support, we will be able to provide a wholesome exercise program, improve the lives of people with Down syndrome, and foster community cohesion.
This amount represents the third copy of the 21st chromosome in human DNA that causes Down syndrome.
A gift of this amount could provide a heart rate monitor to monitor participant exercise intensity.
A gift of this amount could provide a dumbbell set for free-weight workouts
This amount could provide a balance beam for balance training.
This amount could provide one stationary bike for cardio training
