You will be asked to take part in an exercise program called FitSkills. This program is specially designed for young people with disability. You will be buddied up with a student mentor who you will meet at a gym close to where you live and who you will exercise with. Your mentor will help you do the exercises in your program and they will exercise too.
As part of the FitSkills program:
- You will exercise two times a week for 12 weeks.
- You will need to travel to the gym by yourself or with your family.
- The researchers will pay the cost of you going to the gym.
- The researchers and you will plan and decide what exercises you will do at the gym.
- Your 12 week program might include exercise to make your muscles stronger (weight training exercises) or exercise to make your heart and lungs work better (aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling).
In addition to the exercise program, we will also ask you to do some tests, 8 different times over 2 years. The tests will be done either at La Trobe University (Melbourne campus at Bundoora), at your local community gym or at your home (if there is enough space at your home to do the test of walking capacity). Each testing session will take about 90 minutes. The tests will be a combination of questionnaires and a physical test to measure your fitness and help us write your exercise program.
For a more detailed explanation of what is involved, please read the relevant participant information sheet here.