The Rural Disability Wellness Project has been established to address the need for adults with disabilities to engage in fitness activities. The goal of this project is to increase the overall level of physical fitness in the adult population of persons with developmental disabilities. In doing so, we hope to affect a positive change in program participants overall health and well being.

The population of adults with developmental disabilities is in desperate need of this type of programming. As a group, they are less active and are more susceptible to the problems caused by inactivity.

This project is unique, in that it will be delivered and monitored online from a central site in Minot, North Dakota. Exercise routines, motivational routines, and adjustments to both types of routines will be delivered online. Furthermore, each site will be periodically monitored by project staff through an interactive computer video link.

Participants in the project will come from one of five community-based Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded, located in Bismarck, Mandan, Fargo, and Harvey, North Dakota.

Exercise routines will consist of three primary focus areas: Cardio Fitness, Resistance Training, and Flexibility Training. The specific exercises performed within each of these areas will vary according to the fitness level and movement capabilities of the individual participants. These routines will be done in combination with a standard warm up routine.