Ski for Light

Skiing. Sharing. Learning. The mission of Ski for Light is to enhance the quality of life and independence of visually or mobility-impaired adults through a program of cross-country skiing.

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Focus on Fitness

Welcome to the Ski for Light 2021 International Event: Virtually Everywhere.

The goal of our Focus on Fitness component is to enable SFL virtual attendees to get up and get moving every day, in their own way– just like we do when we ski together in person! Focus on Fitness encourages health and wellness, as well as community. You’ll have the option of participating with a partner and/or sharing your experiences and accomplishments with all virtual event attendees.

Note: If you have concerns about exercising, we encourage you to consult with your physician regarding your medical history and physical condition.

Focus on Fitness gives you three fitness opportunities in which to participate. Choose one or all of them!

1. Zoom Fitness Classes- held twice a day

2. A Personal Fitness Challenge- You pick your own challenge and we may highlight your accomplishments at the Saturday banquet and via posting on social media. (We encourage you to submit your challenge and results even if you opt out of having it shared in either of these ways.)

3. Fitness resources- Explore these to get the most out of our virtual event, to prepare for the 2022 SFL event on real snow and for tips on how to stay in shape year ’round

Zoom Fitness Sessions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, January 27 – 29

  • A morning stretch or yoga at 9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time to get your blood flowing
  • A vigorous exercise session at 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. These classes will include a Core Strength and Balance class, a Sport Cord Arm Strength and Leg Strength class (requires equipment purchase from a third party), and a Resistance Band class
  • See Scott Fischer’s introduction to the sports cord and
    sports cord ordering information     if you wish to purchase this equipment prior to the class
  • For our resistance band class and your personal workouts, all registrants will receive a customized band with the SFL logo. It will be shipped to you at no charge while supplies last.
  • For those unable to connect up with the morning and afternoon fitness sessions on January 27, 28 and 29, they will be archived for viewing after the conclusion of each class in the Fitness Instruction Playlist. Note, those who virtually attend the scheduled morning and afternoon sessions will receive an added bonus, as only those sessions will include a live Q&A with the instructor at the beginning and ending of each class.

Personal Fitness Challenge

  • Download and use our accessible scorecard to track your type of exercise and number of minutes completed. The scorecard will also be sent to you via e-mail prior to the start of the event.
  • Craft your own personal fitness challenge by setting exercise goals for each day during the event
  • Do whatever exercise you have access to at home or check out our list of suggestions below
  • Share your accomplishments/personal story by sending us your scorecard, as well as an audio clip, photos, or a video by entering your information via the following Dropbox link: SFL Participant Goals and Success Stories (Screen-reader users, see directions for uploading files to Dropbox at the end of this webpage.)
  • Your accomplishments will be posted on the SFL web site and possibly highlighted at the Saturday banquet and on social media, subject to your permission

Fitness Resources

Explore these resources to get the most out of our virtual event, to prepare for the 2022 SFL event on real snow, and to find tips on how to stay in shape year-round.

Resources for the 2021 Virtual Event

Exercise Suggestions to Consider for Your Personal Fitness Challenge.

Moderate Intensity Exercises
  • Walking briskly outside or on a treadmill, about 3 miles per hour
  • Water aerobics
  • Cycling on a spin/stationary cycle, tandem or single bike, slower than 10 miles per hour
  • Ballroom dancing
  • General gardening
  • Yoga or Pilates
Vigorous Intensity Exercises
  • Jogging, running, race walking
  • Swimming laps
  • Cycling on a stationary/spin cycle, tandem or single bike, faster than 10 miles per hour
  • Aerobic dancing
  • Heavy gardening
  • Jumping rope
  • Hiking up hills, climbing stairs or using an elliptical machine
  • Hiking with a heavy pack
  • Weightlifting
  • HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for 30+ minutes

And Don’t Forget Our Zoom Class Exercises!

  • Stretching and Yoga
  • Sport Cord
  • Core Strength and Balance
  • Resistance Band

Resources for Fitness Year-Round and Getting in Shape for Cross Country Skiing

  • SFL Well at Home. To help our community stay fit and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the SFL Well at Home tab was created and has some fun digital content featuring your SFL friends sharing their favorite at-home exercises, meditations, motivational tips, and more.
  • SFL Getting in Shape for Cross Country Skiing has many more resources for novice, intermediate and advanced skiers.
  • SFL Ten Easy Steps for Beginners will enable beginners to improve their fitness.
  • Blind Alive, Free Accessible Fitness for All. This is a complete set of the Eyes-Free Fitness(r) audio exercise programs. These programs allow you to stretch, strengthen, condition, and tone your body, all without the benefit of eyesight. All of these programs are thoroughly described with extra supplementary audio and text materials, should they be needed. These programs can be downloaded free of charge at www.blindalive.com
  • Blind Yoga. An MP3, CD4 and Disc are available for purchase at www.blindyoga.net
  • Cup of Cardio. Here are links to three 30-minute cardio exercises brought to you by the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Start your morning with one of these invigorating workouts that will get your heart rate pumping, strengthen your body, and keep you fit and fierce.

    Cup of Cardio #1;
    Cup of Cardio #2; and
    Cup of Cardio #3

  • Our friends at Move United have put together an amazing lineup of live and recorded virtual fitness classes for exercisers of all abilities, but especially those with mobility impairments. Check them all out here.
  • Ben Clark of Adapt to Perform has created a 30-day Wheelchair Fitness Challenge for mobility-impaired exercisers to do at home. A lot of these exercises are great fitness breaks for home-office workers as well–and if you start right after Christmas, you’ll be in great shape just in time for our virtual event!
  • Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG), has a 7-Week Fitness Program. See the Website, PDF file or Word document for details.
  • Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG), has High-Intensity Interval Training. See the website video for details.

Note to screen-reader users: The procedure to upload your scorecard or other files to Dropbox can be a bit challenging. Here are step-by-step directions to help you upload your files successfully.

Note, These steps were used on a Windows 10 PC and the steps used for your computer may be different. JAWS users can use their shortcut keys to find headings and buttons for quicker navigation.

1. Make sure you have filled out the scorecard and saved it in your computer with a file name showing your last name, an underscore and then your first name.

2. Locate the link we provide for uploading your files in either the fitness scorecard document (near the end) or in the Focus on Fitness web page at www.sfl.org/events/focus, under the heading Personal Fitness Challenge.

3. Activate the link and a page should open up with a heading that says Submit files – Drop Box
When arrowing down the page it will say Julie Coppens dent you this request, and then SFL Virtual Event Participant Success Stories.
Keep arrowing down to where there is a button that says Choose Files. The Choose Files button will probably say menu collapsed, so press space bar or enter to expand the menu.
Press the Tab key once and it should say Files From Computer, then press enter. This should put you on the edit box called file name.

4. To move from here and browse through your computer’s folders to locate the file you want to upload, press the key combination shift tab twice.
Once you have located the correct folder, move the cursor to the file to be uploaded.
Press the tab key until you reach the Open button, then press enter.
The file should upload and you will be returned to the main Drop Box page.

5. When arrowing down the page you should hear it report that the file is there. Tab till you hear upload file and then hit enter. If you have installed the Drop Box app on your computer, it should send you an email saying files have been uploaded.

Return to the 2021 Virtual Event Page