It is recommended that Special Olympics coaches concentrate on developing the overall body strength of their athletes. The types of exercises used for an athlete's general strength and conditioning training program can include the following exercises to develop the various muscle groups. The primary exercises in this guide use body weight as resistance and medicine ball exercises. As an athlete matures, weight training and other more demanding strength and conditioning exercises can be introduced.
There are many types of exercises that cover each of these three major muscle groups and agility and conditioning exercises. Coaches should consider exercises for an athlete based upon the athlete's stage of development and level of ability. The exercises described below are acceptable in a general strength training program for Special Olympics athletes. Please refer to Teaching Skills in the sport specific coaching guides integrating these exercises into event/sport-specific training.
