The aim of the study was to analyse the perception of the barriers and motives for the practice of physical activity (PA) in people with a disability, according to gender and type of disability. The participants in this investigation were 103 people with a disability (33.25 ± 11.86 years) who were habitual users of PA or sports programmes. They completed the questionnaire Motives and Barriers for Physical Activity and Sport (MBAFD). The results showed that personal barriers were more important than environmental ones and that the most outstanding motives were those related to leisure, enjoyment or social aspects. Regarding gender, women perceived more barriers than men. For the people with physical (PD) and intellectual (ID) disabilities, the most common barriers were of an intrinsic nature, and for those with a visual disability (VD), barriers of an environmental nature. With respect to the motives, people with PD gave higher scores to the items related to aspects of physical improvement and rehabilitation. In contrast, people with ID and VD placed more importance on reasons of leisure, enjoyment and social relations. Knowledge of these findings can be a tool to help increase the provision of PA for people with a disability.

Background: cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important components of physical fitness. In this paper, we set out to identify cardiopulmonary tests evaluated for measurement properties in wheelchair users and determine which are reliable and valid for this population. Methods: Articles were collected from PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. The initial search was conducted in October 2022 and updated in July 2023 for recent publications. From 1257 screened studies, 42 met the criteria: (a) participants were wheelchair users, (b) tests measured cardiorespiratory fitness, (c) test reliability or validity was reported, (d) articles were original, and (e) full text was in English. Two independent researchers extracted participant details (number, gender, age, disability) and test information, with a third researcher resolving disagreements. Statistical analyses of test reliability and validity were documented. Results: Methodological quality was assessed using the COSMIN checklist. Evidence levels for reliability and validity were established. Moderate evidence was found for reliability in one field test, and for validity in two lab and two field tests. Conclusions: While most tests show good reliability and validity, sample sizes are small, limiting conclusions. Further research is needed to strengthen the evidence and identify the most suitable tests for wheelchair users. Researchers are encouraged to replicate validation studies to support future testing.

(1) Background: The Sustainable Development Goals highlight the importance of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. Within this framework, it is essential to improve health outcomes for people with disabilities and to continue generating scientific evidence in this field. This study aimed to (I) analyze differences in anthropometric characteristics and cardiorespiratory fitness among adults with disabilities, and (II) analyze the association between anthropometric characteristics and cardiorespiratory fitness in the total sample and by sex. (2) Methods: Fifty-three adults over 50 years of age with disabilities participated in this study. Anthropometric measurements and the 6 min walk test (6MWT) were conducted, recording physical-physiological and mechanical variables (using heart rate monitors and Stryd devices). (3) Results: Significant differences were observed between men and women with disabilities in height (p < 0.001, ES = −1.10), hip-to-chest ratio (p < 0.05, ES = 0.75), mean heart rate (p < 0.05, ES = 0.67), and absolute minimum power (p < 0.05, ES = 0.64) achieved during the 6MWT. A significant correlation was found between anthropometric characteristics and 6MWT performance across the entire sample (r = −0.29 to −0.67, p < 0.05). Among women, these characteristics were associated with distance covered (r = −0.35 to −0.42, p < 0.05), whereas in men, they were associated with relative power (r = −0.60 to −0.83, p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that, in this sample, anthropometric characteristics are associated with specific 6MWT performance variables, with patterns differing by sex.