Abstract
Many people with serious movement handicaps must live their lives in institutions. Some of them are not able to take part in movement activities themselves, and thus are also at risk of going into a «negative spiral» with consequences for their health and quality of life, as well as their emotional and social lives (Blömer et al., 2015). This group has so far been given little attention in both Danish and international research.
Contemporary research trends show that there is a need to examine the thus far unused potentials in wholeness-oriented movement activities which allow for physical, psychological, emotional and social processes (Axelsson, Imms & Wilder, 2014; Østern, 2014). This article illustrates a research project which has examined the running fellowship called Team Twin, offering activities in which people with very different predispositions for movement participate in running activities together. The results show that inclusive movement fellowships in which the participants take part on an equal basis may have many possibilities for movement practice in the future for target groups with physical challenges (Winther, Kissow, Theisen Pedersen & Sandahl, 2018).
The running activities are focused on the connection between the joy of movement, physical challenges, and heartfelt, warm fellowship in the group. Thus they may create a «positive spiral» so that the quality of life is improved for both participants. The project’s ambition is also to illustrate to what degree participants with an apparently low degree of intensity can get physiological benefit from the activities. The main theoretical focus of the project is connected to a multi-dimensional understanding of movement in which the interaction between physical, psychological, emotional, social, and cultural dimensions in the movement activities are important (Winther, 2017). The hypothesis is that a «positive spiral» is connected to the intensity of several of these dimensions of movement. The more dimensions that are in play at a time, the more joy, quality of life, health and development will be visible in both the individual with a movement handicap, and the group or fellowship of which the individual is a part.
The project contributes to knowledge about how inclusive running activities may be life-changing for the participants. Results from the project may also create a starting point for further research in a field which is very sparsely investigated to date. Thus this project, combined with other research, may contribute to future suggestions for movement practice for these and other seriously physically challenged target groups.
| Translated title of the contribution | When movement moves: How can inclusive running activities create positive body experiences and life-changing fellowships for people with serious movement handicaps? |
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| Original language | Danish |
| Article number | wintheretal191203 |
| Journal | idrottsforum.org |
| Volume | 2019 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISSN | 1652-7224 |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Dec 2019 |