Frequently Asked Questions

Adaptive fitness is exercise and training modified to meet the needs of people with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. This might include adjusting equipment, different cueing and communication strategies, and finding exercise substitutions and modifications instead of excluding a client from participating.

The AdaptX approach is "understand the diagnosis, but train the individual."

Adaptive fitness describes training in a gym, training studio, or similar setting. Adaptive sports means competition or organized athletic participation in a traditional sport that may or may not be modified for an athlete with a disability. Wheelchair tennis versus tennis is one example.

Para sport is a narrower term again. It constitutes the different competitions recognized in international Paralympic competition.

Visit the Course Catalog tab underneath Education to see the price of every course we offer.

Check out the free resource, Inclusion 101, to get an idea of what the learning portal and material look like.

The Fundamentals course is essentially a bundle of about a dozen of our individual courses.

For learners who are not interested in taking the entire curriculum but want to learn about a specific topic, individual modules and courses are available for sale as well. Completing these individual courses will not earn you any of the continuing education credits.

Our courses on Osteoporosis and Spina Bifida are not included in the Fundamentals curriculum.

The Fundamentals course, which is our main curriculum, is approved for CEUs through ACE, NASM, NSCA, NCTRC, and CanFitPro.

Individual courses and modules are not CEU approved.

If you are interested in the AdaptX course and cost is a barrier, email brendan@adaptx.org.

The Fundamentals certification course is reported to have taken students 13 to 16 hours to complete.

Individual courses take 1 to 2 hours.

If you intend on taking the full CEU-approved curriculum, then the Fundamentals course has already structured the modules in the manner that we wanted.

If you are just looking for shorter or more specific learning activities, you can take whichever courses you would like. We do suggest that all learners take Inclusion 101 as a foundation.

You do not need any prior experience or certification to take the AdaptX course, just a desire to improve the health and fitness of individuals with disabilities.

The AdaptX course is considered a continuing education resource and not a substitution for a nationally accredited personal trainer licensure or fitness professional credential. After completing the course, AdaptX is not liable in any way for the services that you provide and how you apply the material. Coaches who complete the AdaptX curriculum are not covered under the AdaptX liability insurance policy.

The AdaptX course was designed with this audience in mind, but it has been completed by physical therapists, occupational therapists, adaptive PE teachers, special education teachers, and more.

If you envision yourself working with diverse clientele in a fitness or rehab environment, we believe that the material is beneficial.

Yes. There are no global restrictions to taking the AdaptX course.

Our curriculum is online and self-paced to allow us to reach a wider audience.

We are working on adding more in-person learning opportunities. At the moment, observation is always welcome at our headquarters in Lancaster, MA, where dozens of individuals with disabilities train throughout the week.

AdaptX is the intersection of literature and practical experience. The course is created by a diverse and distinguished team of more than 30 educators with practical experience training hundreds of individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities and building inclusive fitness businesses.

The Rick Hoyt Research Lab and our continuously evolving curriculum allow us to fill in the gaps in the literature as well as update the content to match the most recent research.

We are mission-driven, not profit-driven. AdaptX is a non-profit organization dedicated to making fitness accessible. The revenue model does not rely on creating a recurring revenue stream through re-certification processes and CEU requirements. Proceeds are reinvested into the community through our grant programs.

Yes. You will continue to have access to our learner portal, where you can reach the courses that you have purchased as well as a variety of other features.

Those include a certified-coaches database, future live presentations, discussion boards, job opportunities, and more.

The Unified 5K Series is a nationwide inclusive road race series where people of all abilities, with and without disabilities, run, roll, or walk side by side in the same event.

Races are held across multiple U.S. cities each year. Adaptive divisions are built into every race, so athletes with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities are recognized and celebrated.

Absolutely. A large share of our participants are running, rolling, or walking their first 5K.

The pace is welcoming rather than overly competitive, and the format is built around inclusion, not finish times. Whatever your pace or experience level, you will fit right in.

We do complement that environment by attracting a field of adaptive athletes who are striving for a PR.

Yes. We designed all of our courses to be wheelchair accessible.

If a course has characteristics that would require a certain level of ability and experience, such as uphill sections or sharp turns, these will be specified.

Yes. Volunteers are a huge part of what makes Unified 5K races possible, from bib pick-up and course support to helping guide adaptive athletes.

You do not need any racing or athletic experience to volunteer. Sign up through the race’s RunSignup page or reach out to the local race contact, and we will match you to a role.

Groups are welcome, and we make it easy to register together.

Reach out to brendan@adaptx.org to learn more. We will help coordinate bulk sign-up, bib assignment, and day-of logistics for your group.

The Unified 5K offers 7 adaptive divisions so athletes can compete in the category that suits them properly.

Every division completes the same course at the same event, alongside the open category of runners who do not identify as disabled.

Definitely not.

If you would like to be recognized in one of our 7 adaptive categories during the medal ceremony, we would need you to share that information during registration.

No. You can opt to be included in the open field if you do not want to be listed or included in an adaptive division.

If you have not already registered, we would recommend registering in the open category.

If you registered in an adaptive division but do not want to be eligible for winning a category award, you can email brendan@adaptx.org.

Yes. During registration you will have the opportunity to specify what type of mobility aid or adaptive equipment you plan to use.

We appreciate that the biomechanics and bioenergetics of running as a BK versus an AK athlete are significantly different, and therefore not necessarily a fair competition.

Historically we have not had a large enough amputee field size to justify separate divisions. In the future we certainly hope to. The same goes for the severity of a participant’s vision loss or neurological condition.

Registration fees are not refundable unless the event is cancelled due to weather or an unforeseen circumstance.

Registration cannot be deferred to a future year’s event.

Registration cannot be transferred to another participant.

You can edit your registration in RunSignUp, or email our team and we can modify it for you.

At the end of the race you can visit the registration table. If we have extra inventory, you may exchange it, but it is not guaranteed.

If the t-shirt deadline has not passed yet, you can email our team and we can edit your registration.

We partner with many like-minded charitable organizations and companies to make these events successful.

AdaptX is the sole beneficiary of registration and fundraising proceeds unless otherwise specified. Unified 5K Brunswick, which benefits Maine’s Adaptive Outdoor Education Center, is one example.

No. There is no fundraising obligation.

No. You can set a goal for your fundraising efforts, but you are not obligated to reach a certain amount.

There are incentives at different levels, and our peer-to-peer fundraising coordinator, Justin, can support your efforts. He can be reached at justin@adaptx.org.

Yes. If you would like to specify where your contribution goes, email brendan@adaptx.org.

No — we do ask applicants to list their diagnosis, but we do not require medical proof of disability.

We do ask applicants to share about their financial situation but do not require applicants to submit tax documents or other proof of income. Our goal is to make sure that this grant program has the largest impact possible, so we would prefer to support individuals who otherwise would not be able to access these opportunities due to socioeconomic barriers.

We will start with 1-year contracts and will mutually agree upon ongoing support.

If you have questions as to which grant application is correct for you, email brendan@adaptx.org.

We ask that recipients utilize the funding within the following calendar year. If you are selected during this cycle, we ask that you use the funds before the end of the next year.

We will provide you with AdaptX-branded apparel that we would love for you to wear in your community and in competition. Our marketing team will also work with recipients on strategies to communicate the impact of our grant program and if you are comfortable doing so, share your story.