The Value of Physical Fitness for a Young Man who is Visually Impaired with Multiple Medical Disorders

Abstract

This article presents a case study of a 25-year-old man who is legally blind with retinitis pigmentosa, Type I diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a lipid disorder. He was placed in a one-year, supervised, multifactorial fitness program that included exercise training, nutritional counseling, and diabetes education. Improvements in physical fitness, body composition, glucose control, hypertension, and normal lipid maintenance were observed as a result. Thus, this study provided an opportunity to observe the value of structured exercise and related proactive strategies for a motivated blind person with multiple medical disorders.