EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – A group of spinal cord injury survivors say a new exercise program has helped make their days a little easier.
Evansville resident Shade Boggs exercises at ’517 Fitness’ just off of Weinbach Avenue at least twice a week. He says that was not always the case.
Boggs says, “I was never a gym person, ever, ever, until I started this. Now, we’re about 12 sessions, I think, 11 or 12 in, and the more we’ve done it, the more I’ve enjoyed it. Even after this is over, I’ll continue to come.”
Boggs is one of five participants in the inaugural All Access Fitness program. They developed the program as part of their physical therapy residency studies.
Haley Elpers is the lead physical therapist: “Access is an acronym for Accessible Community Collaboration Empowering Survivors of Spinal Cord Injury.”
She says, “As a PT student, I started to take on more people with neurologic conditions like spinal cord injury. And I realized that there were so many other people that wanted to exercise, but didn’t have the means, whether it be the appropriate equipment or didn’t have someone to help them set up the equipment or just the knowledge of like, ‘what am I supposed to be doing in the gym’?”
Boggs is a paraplegic. His injury stems from a work accident back in 2024.
Another program member, Craig Doninger of Evansville, has a different story.
He says, “Sixteen years ago, I dove into a shallow swimming pool and broke my neck at C5, C6. So, I’ve been in the chair ever since.”
Doninger says while he exercises at home, being back in a gym is great as he didn’t think it would be possible.
“Most of it’s not real accessible,” says Doninger, “I tried for about a year to work out at a gym before this program. Of course, I had to have somebody come with me and help me get set up, but it just wasn’t as easy to do as what it is here with equipment that’s more set up for someone in a wheelchair.”
Doninger and Boggs says they plan to keep exercising after the eight week program concludes.
Boggs says, “The more that I’ve started working out, I’ve realized that it makes my day-to-day a little more easier, just building the strength up, the endurance, cardio as bad as I hate it, but like I said, I have two little ones at home. So, any extra I can do outside to keep fit and strong for them, it’s helped tremendously.”
The trainers measured cardiovascular, strength capabilities and more at the beginning of the program. Those tests will be given again at the end to measure progress.
Donations from Welborn and private donors funded the pilot program.
Haley Elpers says she plans to use the positive results to obtain grant money to fund more sessions.
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