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Movement is Our Mission

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Increasing physical activity in adults with intellectual disabilities.

Sunday Strong supports fitness providers as they host weekly group exercise classes at no cost to our athletes.

Who We Are Get Involved
medicine ball

Our Impact

According to studies, 91 percent of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are not getting the required amount of physical activity (150 minutes/week) recommended by the National Institutes of Health. We are changing this statistic by encouraging our athletes to attend, on average, three Sunday Strong classes a week.

Classes

We have 5 Sunday Strong Classes

Athletes

We have 32 Sunday Strong Athletes

Minutes

of Exercise per week From Sunday Strong Classes

The Problem

Evidence-based research has shown the overwhelming physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise for individuals with ID. The National Institute for Health recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity weekly for adults. Only 9% of adults with ID meet this requirement.

This population faces social and environmental barriers to accessing fitness facilities. A lack of appropriate program offerings, memberships costs and the fear of feeling unwelcome are real issues. Sunday Strong is removing these barriers, creating sustainable physical activity options for adults with ID.

The Sunday Strong Solution

Social support has been identified as a strong correlate of physical activity participation and is the foundation of Sunday Strong. We support fitness providers as they host weekly group exercise classes geared towards adults with ID at no cost to our athletes. Our approach of immersing adults with ID into their local fitness communities provides them with social support from both their peers and volunteer instructors who are health and wellness advocates.

Get Involved

Whether you are an athlete, fitness provider or volunteer, we welcome YOU to join the Sunday Strong movement!

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Find a class

Sunday Strong connects adults with intellectual disabilities with local fitness providers and supports the providers as they offer various group exercise classes such as yoga, dance, Pilates, and functional fitness classes.

Find a Class
“I really look forward to leading Zumba class as it has become one of the brightest spots in my week!”
Shanna, Coach
"The exercise has helped Lacy with her balance. Lacy has tight muscles and the volunteers are helping her increase her range of movement."
Linda, Parent
"I like the coaches and how they can get me to do something I never thought of doing—I never thought I could be an athlete."
Julia, Athlete