Surely sighted people aren't given fitness oportunities. If they want to keep in shape, they take up a hobby that helps with that, join a gym etc. The volition is on their part, not someone to give them a chance.

Isn't it just the same for us? I'm lucky enough to maintain a healthy weit by walking, the odd cricket game in the summer, having an active child and dog who want to go places and an exercise bike at home for the winter months. Should that change, I could join a local gym, swim more, etc.

As others have said, blindness makes exercise a bit harder, but is in no way a complete barrier. Others have offered running partner, gym, and walking suggestions, so I won't cover those. What I will suggest is at-home exercise.

It's easy to tell you to just buy a treadmill or stationary bike, but that may not be an option. Good ones aren't cheap, and you often need to work with a sighted person to set them up and add tactile markings. What you can do instead is use your body and surroundings. Push-ups need nothing more than a flat surface. Jumping jacks (also called star jumps) are good cardio and leg muscle work if you do enough of them, and you just need a floor that can handle being jumped on. Find something heavy you can wedge your feet under and you can do sit-ups. Lay on the floor on your back, and you can do flutter kicks, leg raises, bicycle kicks, twists, curl-ups, cockroaches, bridges, and more. Flip over onto your stomach and you can do front or side planks. There are tons of other options, from stair-stepping to burpies to jumprope to simply running up and down the stairs (please only do this last one if you feel very comfortable on the stairs you use).

The main thing with all these is to learn how to do them properly. Doing them wrong will be ineffective at best, and could injur you at worst. Don't let that stop you, though. Find a friend, or set up a one-time visit with a coach, and have them show you the forms. Once you know the exercises, you can follow any at-home HIIT (high-intensity interval training) plan you find online. You could also make up your own, perhaps with the input of a trainer if you can find one willing to advise you.

Between that and walking, especially if you can walk quickly, you can stay healthy for cheap. If you can get a treadmill or other equipment, so much the better. I have a treadmill and love it for the days I can't go for a long walk, or am just bored of it and want something different. But I got along for many years without one.

I have to ask: what about being blind makes it hard to gain weight? When I started reading your post, I thought I knew where it was going. But I've never heard someone say that their blindness keeps them too skinny.

Are you worried you are underweight and looking to gain muscle? Or are you worried about an underlying health condition? For example, some people with Type 1 diabetes may be underweight and not know why before their diagnosis.

If you want to build muscle, there are resources on that, although good ones for the blind are more difficulty since most are videos. You can talk to a nutritionist to see if you are eating the correct portions of foods, or talk to a personal trainer for training as well.

Having read the first line of this I thought it would be about having trouble keeping weight down. Either way, frankly, yes, I would not be surprised to find that people who have disabilities that make it harder to exercise, including sight problems, are more likely to be overweight. I'm taking no political position on that at all beyond the pretty obvious fact that it isn't good for your health and no matter what other life stuff you may have going on, being out of shape makes it all way harder.

I go running with one of a couple of people as partner, both of whom are way taller than me (everyone is way taller than me). As such I always end up running huge strides, drowning in sweat and completely exhausted, but it's great. Exercise produces feel good endorphins and I totally recommend the runner's high.

I also go to a gym. The one I use is not actually the closest one to me but they have treadmills that it's actually possible for me to set a speed on without help, which is really useful. Otherwise again I end up running at the speed the last six foot four guy set which is a death sprint for me. Rowing machines are good for upper body too.

But as retrolental said in the previous comment these are not opportunities I was given somehow, I just realised I needed to stay in shape and went to the gym. I tried a couple of different ones until I found a place with a good attitude. I'd never used a gym before, I just got some advice from the staff. Running is a bit different, you need a buddy who's into running, but hey, go to the gym and you might find someone who is.

The only thing I don't really like is swimming. When your ears get full of water and you can't hear anything, you can't see anyway, and there are no references because everything is water, it's a bit offputting and I am not a fan of it. But I know people who love it, so go figure. It's certainly really good exercise. It's better when there are lane markers.

Your vision shouldn’t dictate the amount or type of food you eat, nor if you live a healthy and active lifestyle. You can sit on the couch and do nothing regardless of having 20/20 vision or no light perception.

I don’t think blindness has anything to do with any of these. Sure. You can make it an alibi but is it true. Probably not. You could say I am blind so I don’t and can’t work out but that’s an excuse. It’s almost like saying I am an asian so I am nerdy so don’t work out. Wait what? Hahahah!

I would say get an apple watch though or something accessible to track your work out sometimes the machines tracking isn’t accessible but an apple watch is nice and give you goals to follow.

i wish i had that problem. even though i'm quite strong, and i do weightlifting, i tend to be heavier. maybe that's cause of all the muscle i've packed on, but i think it's as much to do with the fact that i still eat a bit unhealthy for my body. hahaha. it's nothing at all to do with if you have sight or not. you have to put the effort in and learn what you need to learn, to get anywhere.