From Audio Description to Movement: Challenges and Design Principles in Video-based Body Exercise for Blind and Low Vision Users

The proliferation of online workout videos has revolutionized fitness practices, yet their visual-centric design creates significant accessibility barriers for blind and low vision (BLV) users. Through interviews and co-watching sessions with eight BLV participants, we identify three key challenges in video-based exercise: (1) unclear motion instructions, (2) misaligned pacing, and (3) lack of performance feedback. To address these challenges, we propose five design principles for accessible video-based exercise: clear movement descriptions, step-by-step breakdown, rhythm guidance, personalized adaptation, and trust-building feedback. We operationalize these principles through an AI-driven audio guidance system featuring: (1) standardized motion descriptions, (2) personalized pacing control, and (3) real-time corrective feedback. Our work provides insights for designing inclusive fitness experiences for BLV users.