University research theme/s: Healthy people, families and communities
FitSkills, established by Professor Nora Shields, is an evidence-based 12-week community exercise program developed to address the needs of young people with disability aged 13 to 30 years. The FitSkills program matches a young person with a disability with a volunteer and the pair exercises together at a local gym. A physiotherapist or an exercise physiologist tailored the program, which includes individualised exercise programs with regular check-ins. FitSkills aims to enhance fitness and wellbeing through a supportive and inclusive approach. The program has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and VicHealth and has won awards from VicHealth and the European Academy of Childhood Disability. Down Syndrome Victoria (DSV) partnered in the development of FitSkills. In 2023, they received an Access All Abilities grant (Victorian Government) to run a pilot program, ‘DSV FitSkills’. This program was tailored to suit Down Syndrome Victoria members through consumer consultation with 16 young people with Down syndrome and 16 volunteers who exercised in five community gyms across Melbourne and Bendigo.
The ‘DSV FitSkills’ pilot program was received positively by all involved. Young people with Down syndrome said they would recommend the program to others and wanted ‘DSV FitSkills’ to be offered again in the future. Both the young people with Down syndrome and the volunteers enjoyed the social and fitness benefits of exercising together in the gym. Down Syndrome Victoria has continued to offer DSV FitSkills in 2024 as a service recognised under the NDIS.
DSV FitSkills helped me be more out in my community. This is really important to me.
…it allows me to keep things off my mind and get out stress by coming to the gym and exercising.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
