It may seem counterintuitive, but physical disability needn’t be a barrier to physical fitness.

Consider Marcus Meyers and Jarret Beck, who took a break from a brief workout at ProMedica Wildwood Athletic Club recently and sat at a round table.

“Another thing Marcus is able to do is sit on a stability ball unsupported now,” said Mr. Beck, who is Mr. Meyers’ personal trainer.

“Now they’re going to want to see that and I’m going to get nervous,” the client said with a laugh.

“But you can do it, man,” the trainer confidently reassured him.

Mr. Meyers, 28, has a condition known as spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects his muscles leaving him in a wheelchair. He started working with Mr. Beck in September and has seen improvements in his abilities over four months, including more self-confidence, increased exercise capability, and feeling less alone than he once did.

Mr. Beck works with Mr. Meyers on balance, strength exercises involving one side of his body at a time, push ups, planks, and squats while he holds onto a fixed object.

Aside from the mutual trust between trainer and trainee, the two have become close friends, which was evident as they laughed together moving from machine to machine across the exercise room.

After the pair worked together that very first day in September, Mr. Beck wrote a letter recognizing how the personal trainer encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone.

“I felt a sense of pride and like my disability didn’t exist,” he said, adding he worked with four other trainers before Mr. Beck. “That really gets me emotional sometimes because I feel like society often times underestimates me as having a special condition and not being able to do things.”

Terri Wertz, wellness director at Wolf Creek YMCA, said people with disabilities workout at the facility each week, either on their own or with a YMCA personal trainer.

She said the facility’s staff works with disabled clients to make doing everyday things easier, like grocery shopping or getting in and out of a vehicle.

“The stronger we can get them the better their life is,” Ms. Wertz said, adding the YMCA not only offers personal trainers but “programs like Zumba classes as well.”

While some people with disabilities also suffer from depression and a lack of self-confidence, fitness experts say getting into the gym can seriously improve a person’s mental state.

Regular exercise is important for everyone, whether disabled or not, said Dr. Dominique Lash of Mercy Hospital, who specializes in restoring functional ability and quality of life to those with disabilities.

She said everyone has the ability to improve their health by exercising, which can boost good cholesterol, decrease the risk of stroke and diabetes, and help prevent specific ailments like colon and breast cancer.

“Whether you have a disability or not [exercising can] benefit [you],” Dr. Lash said.

While exercising can increase a person’s energy and improve mood, too much of it can cause injuries.

“It’s important to know your body and to know your limits,” the physician said.

Mr. Beck, a Montpelier High School graduate and recent Bowling Green State University alumnus, said he’s always had a passion for taking care of his body after his involvement in high school sports like football and baseball. He realized he could make a career of it and majored in exercise science at BGSU.

“He’s doing things he never knew he could do ... like standing up and doing the exercises,” said the trainer. “He doesn’t ask too many questions. He just does it.”

Before Mr. Meyers worked with Mr. Beck he would set limits for himself and felt alone. The trainer has since inspired his client to overcome preconceived limits.

“It’s important to be open when working with someone with a disability,” Mr. Meyers said. “Jarret never tells me ‘I can’t.’ He always says ‘We'll work on that, buddy’ or ‘We'll get there’ and he never tells me ‘no.’ With a little bit of help anyone can do what they want to.

“There’s a running rule we have and it’s [that] I won’t say ‘Thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ ‘I won’t’ or ‘I can’t.’ ”

Contact Geoff Burns at: gburns@theblade.com or 419-724-6110.

First Published January 23, 2017, 5:00 a.m.