Barriers to sport participation:
(1) pain and impaired mobility during periods of active disease
(2) long-term disability and impaired mobility from residual joint damage
(3) low exercise capacity, both aerobic and anaerobic
(4) the belief that exercise may cause disease progression
(5) low motivation based on poor self-image, habit, etc
(6) overly protective parents or guardians
(7) lack of resources for suitable sport participation (swimming pool, etc)
(8) lack of people to support sport participation in special need groups
The more barriers that are present, the less likely that the patient will engage in sport.
Identification of a person's barriers is the first step towards their removal.
