Welcome to our version of a guide for navigating disability fitness, personal training and the NDIS – written for people with a disability who are looking to improve their health and fitness, as well as those looking to support them in this journey. We’ve covered a lot, so if you want to skip to specific sections use the below list. Also, we suggest saving this link as we plan to update and evolve this post as we discover new methods of training people with a disability and covering new information that matters.

Within this article:

1. Addressing some frequently asked questions/inaccuracies
2. About WeFlex
3. Benefits of exercise for people with a disability
4. What makes an inclusive NDIS personal trainer
5. Overview of relevant NDIS supports
6. Best places for NDIS personal training with a disability
7. Using NDIS funding for personal training

First things first, let’s set the scene…why NDIS personal training?

WeFlex itself started as we experienced a lack of inclusion first hand and noticed that the fitness industry wasn’t confident or capable to meet the unique needs of people with disabilities. Since starting in 2020, we have learnt a lot about NDIS personal training for people with disabilities and wanted to share these learnings with you. But before we continue, there are a few things to get out of the way first;

1. It is appropriate and beneficial for people with disabilities to exercise. We will unpack some statistics below and you’ll see that it is crucial that they do. Regardless of the disability – we believe, as long as you have a body you can exercise in some way. What that exercise looks like and how it’s performed needs to be tailored to the disability, but there’s no denying, it benefits us all.
2. There isn’t an ‘official’ class of NDIS personal trainers who are disability specialists. There is no unique registration category (outside of NDIS registered personal trainers) for this, meaning finding and vetting the personal trainer is your responsibility (or you can leave that to us). However, we can reassure you, it is within the scope of practice for a personal trainer to work with someone with a disability, even if they aren’t NDIS registered.
3. The NDIS funding can and does get used for personal training services. There’s a line item for ‘personal training’, as well as therapy assistant for an exercise physiologist, and you can use your core funding for social and recreational use. Meaning both capacity building and core funding can be used to fund your sessions (find out more here). In certain circumstances its even used to pay for a gym membership.
4. The holistic benefits of exercise are great, but they are NOT a substitute for other therapies (like occupational therapists (OTs), speech therapists, exercise physiologists etc.), instead they are an affective and non-clinical supplement to these services.

Quickly About WeFlex

WeFlex began in 2020 when Tommy and Jackson’s father passed away from very preventable health conditions. Jackson was following in his Father’s footsteps and Tommy determined to do something about it. Both Jackson (is) and his Father (was) on the Autism spectrum (his Dad a late diagnosis) and when mentioning his brother’s diagnosis to prospective personal trainers, they refused to support Jack. Some claimed they weren’t ‘comfortable’ working with a disability’, others claimed they weren’t ‘special’ PTs and even some gyms were nervous about Jack visiting.

Eventually they found their home at the local Anytime Fitness gym and Tommy qualified himself as a personal trainer to train Jack himself out of desperation. Jack went on to lose weight, increase his fitness and has been independently working on his health ever since. As a newly minted personal trainer Tommy had to register and complete professional development courses and noticed there wasn’t a single piece of education out there on working in disability. None. Zilch. Nada. From this, WeFlex was born.

We are an NDIS registered service provider who provides personal training services to people with disability, through our team of NDIS personal trainers who have been upskilled in unique support needs. We design and develop this education ourselves with support from the disability communities as well as seeking peak body sign-off. We’ve run over 1,500 sessions since starting and hear almost every day of the amazing impact regular exercise is having on the lives of people with a disability.

The benefits of exercise for people with a disability

There’s no doubt that regular exercise improves every body’s fitness and health. What’s important to know though is that the benefits aren’t just physical, they are holistic. Meaning, that regular exercise (with a personal trainer or not) is beneficial for our:

• Mental health
• Cognitive functioning
• Physical wellbeing
• Prevention or delay of some chronic diseases
• Improved immune system and
• Sleep

In short, regular exercise is the gift that keeps on giving! One of the most unique experiences we’ve heard from a lot of our clients is that the more they exercise the more energy they have in the day – instead of making them feel tired and sore all the time, it actually makes them feel better.

All of the above is research backed, and there’s even some specific studies around the impact exercise has on people with disabilities. For example, in a literature review of existing research, it was seen that regular exercise interventions for students on the Autism spectrum yielded positive results:

“Following the exercise interventions decreases in stereotypy, aggression, off-task behaviour and elopement were reported. Fatigue is not likely the cause of decreases in maladaptive behaviour because on-task behaviour, academic responding, and appropriate motor behaviour (e.g., playing catch) increased following physical exercise.” – Read complete paper here

Declaring that exercise “can be a powerful complementary therapy for the ASD population”. To date, the only negative consequences of exercise on disability that has been seen is when the exercise wasn’t appropriate to the client – which is why picking the right personal trainer and program is so important.

What makes an inclusive NDIS personal trainer?

Personal trainers are a lot like gloves, you have to find the right fit. So it’s important to make sure you make the right choice in choosing a PT for the best results, appropriate adaptability, as well as ensuring you enjoy the sessions. Ideally they will have some level of education around working with your disability, disability inclusion principles and inclusive programming. So what makes a good personal trainer for someone with a disability?

Professionalism

May seem vague, but hear us out. Little things that you can see, like responsiveness, professional attire and showing up on time can be indicative of their performance in things you can’t see; like session planning, reading your notes, writing their reports, etc. If it seems like they take their job seriously, then it’s more likely they will take you and your goals seriously – and that should be your first priority. We always vet for this attribute, and you can read about our process here.

Communication

How they talk is REALLY important. Do they sound condescending or enthusiastic? Bored or engaged? Communication is the not-so secret ingredient for rapport and if you don’t like how they talk we have a problem. Although we need to remember that communication is two-ways, so pay equal weight to their ability to listen too. Are they understanding you? Are they clarifying? Are they taking on feedback? Transparent communication is the ideal. Better to know they can’t do something or are new with a particular support need than find out too late. Communication is key, and it’s something we teach all the time in our Academy.

Registration

Not the most exciting but important nonetheless. There are two types of registration you should check for when interviewing and deciding on a personal trainer.

1. NDIS Registration. This may not be necessary depending on your funding, but the benefits of NDIS registration is that they are literate in the scheme, have and will be audited on their admin, and are subject to the rigorous feedback and complaints structure. Meaning they are accountable. As a NDIS registered service provider, we ensure that all of our PTs are registered on the scheme.
2. Fitness Registration. There are two fitness registration bodies in Australia; FITREC and AUSActive. They are not legally required to be registered but registration again ensures they are qualified, have insurance, as well as first aid certificates. It’s an easy way to ensure these things. We prefer our PTs to be registered but we always check their paperwork.

Attitude AKA ’Adaptitude’

Exercise and fitness isn’t rocket science, and any personal trainer worth their salt would know how to tailor and adapt any exercise for any body even those with a disability. When you interview a personal trainer and tell them what your goals are (both fitness and NDIS related) the PTs reaction should be enthusiastic. It should be one fuelled by all the things you CAN do as opposed to looking at you through the lens of your limitations. An inclusive fitness professional is excited at the prospect of working with you to find a way to achieve your goals. As they say: ‘Adapt. Overcome. Achieve’.

Experience in disability and the NDIS (desirable not essential)

It is absolutely appropriate for you to ask outright – “do you have any personal experience with disability yourself?” or “do you have any experience in personal training someone with a disability”. You can vet them in advance by looking at their social media, they might have posted photos or videos of clients with disability, examples of adaptable training programs or mention it in their bio. Alternatively, the experience might be with a loved one or friend but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

On top of this, their reaction to the question can be informative as well. Not everyone is going to have extensive experience in disability, NDIS personal training, or support needs similar to yours so this is more desirable than essential. We’ve learnt this from working with our accredited disability personal trainers over the years. Many came to us with no experience but were professional, good communicators, qualified and had a winning attitude, and have gone on to provide over a 1,500 fun and engaging sessions collectively to our clients.

Who does what: A quick breakdown of relevant NDIS supports for health and fitness

NDIS Support Services

This is referring to our beloved support workers. Support workers can be a great help in your fitness journey whether it be supporting you going on walks, getting to the gym, engaging with the personal trainer and even meal prep.

NDIS Personal Trainers

This support we’ve already covered. And as we’ve stated, you can use your NDIS funding to access personal trainers, and they can offer a fun and cheaper alternative to other NDIS supports like exercise physiologists and OTs.

NDIS Therapeutic Supports

Exercise Physiologists

Exercise physiologists (EPs) are exercise specialists, and are university qualified and can be NDIS registered. EP’s can be a great addition to your health and fitness team if you have a physical disability or have to manage injuries and conditions that impact your body’s ability to move. They can prescribe exercises and programs which are the most appropriate for your needs. Which a personal trainer can then continue to implement in collaboration with that exercise physiologist.

Occupational Therapists (OTs)

Unlike personal trainers, occupational therapists support participants to develop their capability in a broad range of activities and once again can be NDIS registered. Personal training is definitely NOT a substitute for occupational therapy – however personal training can be an effective supplement to occupational therapy. Improving strength, balance and overall fitness can be a boost to occupational therapy efforts.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists (physio) typically diagnose and manage different types of conditions with the body. They often work with people who have injuries and rehabbing needs. That being said; like an EP they can provide health and fitness programs for people with a disability and suggest particular exercises that meet unique needs, which a personal trainer can assist in the continued use of this programming. You guessed it, they too can also be an NDIS registered physiotherapist.

Best places for personal training

You don’t HAVE to go to a gym to achieve a workout. In fact, there are a lot of benefits to training in other places. When choosing a personal trainer, you also need to consider where you want to conduct the session. In our experience here are the main things to consider with each of these locations. Also don’t be afraid to check out our Instagram and Facebook for a variety of personal training action shots in different locations.

Home Workouts & Training

The best part about working out at home? It only takes you 10 seconds to get there. Working out from home can be a great option if you prefer starting out in a safe and familiar environment. You don’t need much equipment to get in a good workout, especially if the personal trainer has experience working outside of a gym (and typically have their own equipment). Some of our clients have started their journey at home and transitioned into a gym once they were more comfortable exercising and developed their rapport with the personal trainer. Also, your place is accessible and you know where the bathroom is!

Outdoor Exercise & Training

There are immense benefits of training outside including the chance for some Vitamin D, variety in your programming, fresh air, and can even help you sleep better. If you live near a nice park area It might be worthwhile undertaking your personal training session there, an added bonus, they can sometimes provide marked tracks and free to use gym equipment. Obviously not an ideal pick if there’s no park near your home, you’re training in the evening (lighting is needed) and it’s not weather resistant either. But. Training outside can be a great way to mix up your personal training program and progress in your NDIS goals.

Gym Training & Workouts

Firstly, we don’t believe in ‘disability gyms’ or specific NDIS gyms, we simply believe in accessible gyms for every body! Gyms offer one major advantage as a location to train in, they’re built for it! Gyms can offer an opportunity to meet other people as many of them have their own communities within them. They have a wide range of equipment and opportunities to learn and develop. Of course, you will need to do your own due diligence on the gym; is it accessible? Are the facilities appropriate to your needs? Is it affordable? It’s a good idea and common for gyms to offer free trials or at least offer a free visit. Our advice. Take advantage of it and try out a few and never agree to join on the spot. Always think about it and come back in. Most gyms also have personal trainers working in them – and they rarely allow ‘outside’ personal trainers to use their facilities. So beware.

Our dream is that one day ALL gyms are accessible, have personal trainers that are NDIS registered or more gyms can allow members to leverage their NDIS funding, the staff are skilled in and aware of adaptable fitness, and most importantly are inclusive.  

NDIS Gym Memberships

This is one the most contentious issues in using NDIS funding for mainstream health and fitness services. Technically, you can use your NDIS funding for a gym membership and it has been done successfully. However, like a lot of things on the scheme it’s all about how you present it and justify it.

This is a topic we are passionate about, so watch this space for future ambitions in making NDIS gym memberships more mainstream and acceptable.

Using NDIS funding for personal training

Fact! WeFlex has over 100 individuals who are using their NDIS funding to get access to an NDIS personal trainer! The truth is the benefits of personal training for people with a disability are so varied that it does contribute to all types of goals (NDIS and personal) and the individuals..

There are 4 different items across both the NDIS core and capacity building support categories you can use to fund your first WeFlex session. Because we work in the general community, at your home and in local gyms (as opposed to ‘special’ gyms’ .. eww) we are supporting the NDIS participant with social and community participation. Which can be funded.

For more information on this, we have written a comprehensive blog on NDIS personal training price guides and accessing NDIS funding here

If you or someone you know is ready to chat with a personal trainer, click here to get in touch

The post NDIS Personal Training For Disabilities – Where To Start & What Next appeared first on WeFlex | NDIS Personal Trainer & Exercise Physiologist.

It was like three days after starting WeFlex – a company that provides personal training services to people with a disability on the NDIS – that it was explained to me that almost NOBODY has personal training funding in their NDIS plan.

I was off to a great start…

However. After a lot of time working with NDIS professionals, I realised you don’t NEED personal training in your NDIS plan to access these services. As it stands, we have over 100 clients and I can count on one hand the number of our clients using that line item.

So, how does it work?

There are 4 different items across both the NDIS core and capacity building support categories you can use to fund your first WeFlex session. Because we work in the general community, at your home and in local gyms (as opposed to ‘special’ gyms’ .. eww) we are supporting the NDIS participant with social and community participation. Which can be funded. Check out the graph below as these are all items we leverage for our clients to access NDIS funding for personal training.

NDIS funding categories for personal training

The NDIS personal training price guide

As it stands the NDIS personal training price guide is a single line item standing on its own (see below), in its own little capacity building category along with exercise physiology under improved health and wellbeing (we have also outlined this above under support category 12). This makes it seem like it is a specific function with a specific outcome for specific goals – but the truth is the benefits of personal training are so varied that it does contribute to all types of goals and people. It is outlined as below

Above image taken from page 86 of the 23/24 NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits Guide (previously the NDIS Price Guide)

More than just improved health and wellbeing

For the NDIS core funding category ‘Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation’ – considering our personal training sessions often occur in the local community whether it be in the park or local mainstream gym – it does assist with community and social participation. Similarly for the capacity building support ‘Increased Social and Community Participation’ it is literally increasing social and community participation – while getting in a good workout.

As for the latter two, ‘Improved Health and Well-being’ as well as ‘Improved Daily Living Skills’ often people have broad goals around improved well-being and are trying to stave off the affects of ageing, degenerative conditions or simply living a sedentary lifestyle. Many participants report that the personal training sessions are supporting them in their allied health therapy, as increasing strength, range of motion and gross motor skills are beneficia in many facets of allied health work.

This was always a goal of ours, to connect people to their local communities through the gyms and fitness/leisure centres. The benefits of exercise combined with the benefits of improved social engagement and connection to local community. Winner.

WeFlex NDIS personal trainers – A great supplement to other NDIS support services and therapies

If your goal is less social and more health aligned – our personal trainers can pair with an NDIS exercise physiologist and work under their recommendations and exercise prescriptions. The NDIS personal training line item is less than half that of exercise physiology so you can get more bang for buck – if appropriate.

In NO WAY are we saying, personal training is a substitute for existing therapies, but what we’ve learnt is that it is a brilliant supplement for existing therapies. It has shown to help our clients with occupational therapy and other allied health therapies.

If you or someone you know is ready to chat with a NDIS personal trainer, click here to get in touch

To help educate you more we have included a link below to the NDIS Price Arrangements & Price Limits, formerly the NDIS Price Guide. This is updated frequently so stay tuned for the latest version.

Download the complete version of NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2023-23.pdf

About WeFlex

Frequently Asked Questions About NDIS Funding For Personal Training

Does NDIS cover gym equipment?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding to Australians with a disability to help increase their independence and quality of life. While NDIS does not cover the cost of purchasing gym equipment directly, it does provide funding for personal training services which may include the use of gym equipment within a gym or private setting.

For example, an NDIS participant may choose to use their funding to access one-on-one personal training sessions at a gym via WeFlex, which may include the use of gym equipment.

Do the NDIS fund gym membership?

The NDIS supports a range of services and activities designed to improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities, and this can includes gym memberships but it is reviewed on a case by case scenario. We can’t comment specifically, but in our experience it’s more common than not it won’t be covered unfortunately.

You can read an example of the information and a review of a sample case from the NDIS.gov.au website here.

Does NDIS Funding Cover Personal Training?

The short answer is Yes, you can access funding via the NDIS for your personal training. The extended answer is, that it really depends. We recommend reading the above article, discussing with the NDIA directly and talking to our team to work through your plan individually to work out how you may access the funding.

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I started WeFlex almost 3 years ago and I‘ve read every piece of research on kids exercise and disability that I could get my hands on. Sadly, there isn’t a tonne of research out there and some of it is already dated but one thing remained consistent: appropriate exercise and physical activity is always beneficial (no matter how much or how little). Adaptability is key!

I couldn’t find a report that concluded with the notion ‘under no circumstances should kids on the spectrum or with a disability exercise’.  

In fact, they often reported not only the benefits we all experience with exercise and physical activity – like improved mood and sleep. Some research for example showed that the benefits for kids on the spectrum went beyond this and showed signs of improved regulation, on-task concentration, and ‘positive’ behaviours. Neat right? Most kids with a disability don’t need special gyms, personal trainers and NDIS clinicians to help them get active and moving. There is plenty you can do right now at home to begin to introduce it to their lives and routines. Below are just 5 ways you can get your family up and moving to access some of these benefits.

1. Morning walks (or roll). Exercising and moving first thing in the morning is great because it’s done early and so no matter what the day throws at you, it’s already ticked off. It also helps kids go to sleep and wake up. It’s not just the exercise component, but morning sun can assist with vitamin D absorption and improve your mood and ability to concentrate throughout the day. Even if someone in your family is in a wheelchair, benefits are still there. It can also be incorporated into existing routine. If they catch the bus to school, walk/roll to the next stop, if you drive them, park the car a block further away and walk or roll. Start the morning right.
2. Balloons! Not a typo. I’ve done all kinds of workouts over the years yet the toughest one ever had one piece of ‘equipment’ – a balloon. We’re not sure if it’s slightly more famous because of Bluey’s Keepy Uppy game? Nonetheless balloons are awesome (and very cheap) fitness aides. Setting up a game of balloon tennis starts off easy but after a while the shoulder workout kicks in. Bat it to each other, not letting it touch the floor can have you running around upping the cardiovascular output. The games also promotes hand-eye coordination, can be done indoors and little risk of it knocking off that priceless, antique vase. They are also bright which makes it easy for children with low vision to spot. Balloons baby. Ps. If you want to up the challenge…add more balloons
3. Dance parties. If your kids love the Disney movies, YouTubers, Netflix shows etc and loves to sing and dance along to them – embrace it and join in. Not only is it exercise for you, but is for them as well. Dancing is a great workout, can be fun and singing along only adds to the cardiovascular effort. This is also a wet-weather-proof workout. Further to that, there are so many dance tutorials on YouTube to follow along to, which have the added cognitive benefit of learning and memorising movements.
4. If they want to play video games, make them stand. I’ve been reading a lot about sitting vs standing in relation to work and I’ve started to incorporate these learnings into my daily life. Standing to work or play games burns more calories, is better for back and posture, improves balance and builds leg muscles. Even something as simple as getting your child to stand to play games is a sneaky way to incorporate some form of activity or physical challenge into their downtime.
5. Toilet Paper Rolls! So this is one for kids who are a bit more limited in their range of movement, coordination and cognitive functioning. I’ve had a few clients with cerebral palsy who needed a bit more time to get their arms moving. So I grabbed some toilet paper rolls, drew some faces on them and had the client knock them over. It’s fun, easy and promotes movement, reach and coordination. If your child uses a wheelchair and has a table or try you can even mark the location of the rolls each time to hopefully see a progression over time of their reach. You can time how long it takes and finally end the session with a demolition derby where they have to knock over all the rolls as fast as possible. Even kids in wheelchairs with limited mobility can be active and have fun doing so!

Let’s recap!

Movement doesn’t have to be regimented or gruelling or even feel like they have just climbed Everest! Incorporating play and engagement into daily life are ways you can promote any level of movement and exercise whilst having fun.

If you manage to smash the above out of the park and feel like your child is ready to work with a NDIS personal trainer let us know Otherwise, stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to get the kids moving at home or outdoors! Together, WeFlex

About WeFlex

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Carers Australia, the peak body for Carers in this country (amazing org look them up) released last year the findings in their latest piece of research Caring For Others And Yourself: 2022 Carer Wellbeing Survey where they surveyed close to 6,000 Australian carers about their health and wellbeing. Some of the surprising but not that surprising outcomes were:

• Carers where more than twice as likely (55.2%) to report a low wellbeing compared to the average Australian adult (25.4%)
• Carers were 2.8 times less likely to have good/excellent health (17.1%) compared to other Australians (47.9%)
• The age cohort of carers that have the most declining wellbeing is actually those aged 35-44 who mostly cared for their children with disabilities whilst also having to care for other children, work or manage a single income household all while the cost of living increases
• As for psychological distress those at highest risk of high levels of psychological distress were; carers aged 25-34 (71.0%), unemployed carers (63.1%), carers who identify as LGBTQIA+ (60.3%) and carers aged 35-44 (60.3%)

Although there were some improvements amongst young and older carers – it is a sobering reminder of the impact a caring role can have on a human.

Most of the carers I know (and I include myself) would be uncomfortable even acknowledging this impact. I love the people I care for deeply and would choose to do it again and again. And this heroic – slightly martyrish – outlook on the role and responsibilities of a carer are somewhat to blame for these poor health and wellbeing outcomes.

Time to think about you first (controversial…I know)

So, here’s a question for you: if you began taking better care of yourself tomorrow – getting a full nights sleep, good diet and regular exercise would that make you a better or worse carer? If you were slightly healthier would that have a positive or negative impact in the household?

And no, I’m not suggesting that we all have time to make fresh nutritious food for every meal, or that we all have an extra few hours a day to go exercising. But you’re not much use to anybody if you burn yourself out. Then YOU will NEED a carer. And the cycle continues. So this isn’t a rallying cry for selfishness but rather one for getting closer to self-centred. So where to begin?

1. Sleep. Sleep isn’t a part of the mix of good health, it’s the bedrock of it. When you don’t sleep well, your food choices aren’t typically stellar the next day – nor are you bounding with energy to go for a walk or exercise. If you can find an extra 15 or 30 minutes each side of going to bed and waking up – take it. Put down the phone before you get into bed. Consistency in bedtime is even better. Get sleep right and the rest will follow.
2. Activity. Even 30 minutes a day can have a huge impact on your wellbeing. It doesn’t need to be arduous either. Go for a walk, follow along to a YouTube dance class in the living room, something. Anything. Even breaking up that 30 minutes into 3 x 10 minute sessions achieves the same affect. More than anything, we are training our consistency and ability to set aside some time, to defend that time from demands of others and to then show up to the workout.
3. Diet. As a major stress eater (sweet biscuits and cinnamon donuts) this one has always been difficult for me. A simple strategy that has worked wonders for me is to have tasty and healthy snacks around the house. Fruit and nuts are my new go-to. But also when we eat can have an impact as well, eating a lot before bed can actually impair your sleep – as can alcohol. If you close up shop in your belly 90 minutes before bed you should find better night’s sleep ahead of you.

Next steps (literally)…

It’s really easy to forget to look after yourself when caring for others. It’s even easier to feel bad about that and guilty, and then do nothing about it. A few times in my life I’ve had intense caring roles that took a major toll on me – but the idea of caring for anyone more than my loved one was almost unapproachable for me.

More than anything we need to start tackling this mindset of blind and complete sacrifice for others. Because it’ll just make us more unwell and isolated, which will make us worse carers as well as obviously unhappy. Find the little things you can do for yourself and make it a priority. Communicate those needs and slowly but surely carve out enough space for your own wellbeing and walk your way slowly back to (self) centre.

You deserve it.

Together, WeFlex

About WeFlex

The post Hey Carers. You need health and fitness too! appeared first on WeFlex | NDIS Personal Trainer & Exercise Physiologist.

Since I began going to the gym every week, my overall well-being has greatly improved – I feel healthier, more positive and better about myself. As a person with Autism, this can be a harder than

But I couldn’t have achieved this without the help of someone – my brother – who assisted me along the way. He is someone I can ask any question I have of him without feeling embarrassed or silly and who knows me well enough to explain what workouts and exercises to do and how to do them.

He was able to do this because we have developed a lifetime of trust and understanding.

Unfortunately, many people with disabilities who want to attend the gym to improve their health will not be this fortunate.

That’s why developing a strong rapport, trust, knowledge and – most of all – respect between client and personal trainer is essential.

Creating connections with those on the Autism Spectrum

With clients who are on the Autism Spectrum, building and fostering trust and respect will require time, patience and understanding.

According to The Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT), the Pennsylvania-based resource organization, the “best way for you to gain the respect of someone you support [who is on the spectrum] is to build a relationship of mutual trust.”

Mutual trust means acknowledging that both you and the person you support have strengths, weaknesses, hopes and needs that are important to well-being and a positive life.

In order to foster this connection, ASERT suggests taking the following steps:

• “Speak to the people you support as you would to any other adult, taking into consideration their personal communication style.”

• “Provide opportunities for those you support to be involved in independent decision making.”

• “Always honor an individual’s right to privacy.”

• “Have a conversation about the language you use to talk about autism or other conditions the person experiences.”

But most of all, it is important for those who work with people on the spectrum to take some time to get to know the people they support as individuals, to learn about their preferences, their sensory and communication needs, and apply what their learn to inform your training.

Conclusion

By achieving this level of trust and understanding, trainers will be able to communicate with their clients who are on the spectrum and help them reach their fitness and NDIS goals.

Jackson Trout

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Regular and appropriate exercise is beneficial for every body.

Controversial, I know!

What is not controversial is the impact regular exercise can have on people on the autism spectrum. Aside from the usual benefits anyone with a working body receive from exercise, there have been numerous studies showing that regular exercise can be a great support to people on the autism spectrum beyond better health.

In a 2010 systematic review of 18 existing studies on the impact of exercise on people on the autism spectrum, researchers at the University California found a consistent trend across the studies where ‘positive behaviours’ would increase, and ‘negative behaviours’ would decrease following exercise intervention.

“Following the exercise interventions decreases in stereotypy, aggression, off-task behaviour and elopement were reported. Fatigue is not likely the cause of decreases in maladaptive behaviour because on-task behaviour, academic responding, and appropriate motor behaviour (e.g., playing catch) increased following physical exercise.” (Lang, et al 2010)

(Just quickly, stereotypy is a repetitive movement or action like clicking a pen in their ear or clapping. It’s better known as ‘stimming’ [self-stimulation].)

Extra resources for Autism personal training

So now that the benefits are clear, so is the case for being more inclusive of people on the autism spectrum in our gyms, and for ourselves as fitness professionals. Working with a client on the autism spectrum, IS within the scope of practice for a personal trainer. Fitness and health services should be available to everyone, regardless of their needs/preferences or their disability. You follow the same pre-screening process as you would any client. To be extra prepared, here are some additional documents/questions you might want to consider when onboarding.

• Behavioural Support Plan – This is a document that gives all stakeholders working with the client guidance around what to expect, how to prevent behaviours of concern, and how to respond to them consistently. Not everyone has/needs one.
• Sensory Preferences – We all have sensory preferences and it is never out of place to ask about theirs outright. Usually, it’s just some simple adaptations to accommodate these.
• Ask about their needs – Again, it’s entirely appropriate to ask about a client’s support needs. And it doesn’t need to be complicated. “What can I do to best support them enjoy their first session?”. The parent/carer/support worker will most likely appreciate you even thinking to ask.

Planning your first Autism personal training session

Once you’ve ticked off these boxes – and you’re comfortable to proceed – it’s time to plan your first session. WeFlex has developed several professional development courses around the unique needs of clients on the autism spectrum for our accredited fitness professionals and NDIS personal trainers (PTs). Here are some of the tips we give PT’s before their first  session.

1. Rapport first – A successful first session isn’t a rigorous workout; it’s building rapport with the client and boosting the odds of a second session! Establishing trust, communication and understanding is the primary goal. The sweaty workouts will come later.
2. Take it slow – The first session might not be more than them driving past the gym, let alone going inside. Change and new sensory experiences can be uncomfortable for people on the autism spectrum, so take it slow and follow their lead. You’re in this for the long haul.
3. Communicate – Probably doesn’t need saying but it’s crucial. Don’t shy away from communication around their needs either. “Is it too loud in here?”, “Am I explaining that ok?” Communication is an excellent opportunity for them to give you feedback and help you, help them. Keep in mind that everyone communicates differently, so we need to remain adaptable to the communication preferences of our clients.
4. Support their Sensory Experience – If you know their sensory preferences, then keep it in mind – or better yet actually plan around it. If someone avoids sensory experiences, sticking to one quiet area of the gym to start with might be a good place to start, as they acclimatise and get used to it (as one example). If the sensory environment changes around them – communicate and adapt.
5. Have fun – Everybody loves having fun and it is a great way to build rapport and have them engaging in exercise. Incorporate your client’s interests into the session to help with engagement.

In summary

Honestly, I could go on forever. If you would like to learn more about being an NDIS personal trainer or are keen to explore opening your practice, business, gym etc to clients on the autism spectrum or those with another disability – WeFlex is here to help. We are an NDIS registered personal training service provider and committed to supporting the fitness industry in being more inclusive.

Together, WeFlex

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She was a very accomplished woman whose achievements are frankly too great and many to be surmised in one blog. For those who are interested, she has her own Wikipedia page. Aunt Sue was also a woman who was famous for getting straight to the point and not sugar-coating anything. A trait I knew all too well in all the years I got to know her.

She was never shy of being completely direct with me, and she had no hesitation to critique or reprimanded me when she saw fit. One of the ways in which she was direct with me, was about my weight. Aunt Sue had no issue reminding me that my health was something I had to take seriously, and she used to force tap my stomach to remind me.

When I began my weight-loss journey back in 2021, it was her opinion that I was most enshrined too. If she noticed a difference in my appearance, then I knew I was doing something right. It was opinion I was most adamant on and she never beat around the bush.

Aunt Sue, for years, had been vigorously tapping my protruding belly and insisted I do something about it and in fact, it was her that led to me the discovery of the exercise bike. Upon her insistence, I began looking up methods on reducing belly fat and read about the positive effects of using the exercise bike.

I visited her every weekend to help out with the garden and other chores around her house, just like I had for the past seven years, but now I waited patiently. As the months went by and my figure began to slim, I waited for my aunt to notice.

The day came a month later when I asked her how I looked, reminding her of my new weight-loss program. She looked at me, from top to bottom. In the nano-second before she answered, I was a bit nervous. If she didn’t see any change, then was I really doing anything, or was I just wasting my time and not taking my weight-loss as seriously as I thought I was.

However, before I could fret, she nodded and told me that she did see a difference. She then encouraged me to keep going. It was a minor exchange of words, but it had a profound effect on me.

It inspired me to continue, that I was on the right foot, and that all I had to do was to keep going. As the months went by, I noticed she tapped my belly less and less – probably because there was a lot less of it than before.

Aunt Sue meant, and still means, very much to me, and not a day goes by where I don’t think of her.

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Plateauing 

My body was getting bored and had started plateauing… but what does that actually mean?

After learning and understanding the science and mechanisms of metabolism, I continued onwards with my exercise routine. As the weeks went by, I went down from 109kgs, to 108kgs to 107kgs. Everything was on the up and up for me. It was only a matter of time before I finally dropped down to that desired 103.

As I continued to lose weight, I began noticing others complimenting my weight loss and how I was looking better than I ever had before. However, the opinion I was most concerned with, was my Aunt Sue, who is not one to spare my feelings and sugar-coat anything. When she told me that even she was noticing my weight loss, that’s when I knew I was really making a difference.

Everything was going as planned, until one day when I weighed myself and noticed that I hadn’t lost any weight. I was confused. I could have sworn I would have lost another kilo just as I had every other week prior. I retraced my steps to try and figure out why. Did I overeat the night before? Did I not exercise like I had been? It didn’t help when I weighed myself a few days later and saw that I had still not lost any weight. I didn’t understand.

I kept my exercise routine, I went for seven kilometre walks, did a vigorous thirty mins on the exercise bike, and I ate appropriately, and yet I was still failing to lose any more weight. I wondered if I even could lose anymore weight. Before, I was worried about losing too much weight when I wasn’t exercising and now, I was worried about not losing any weight, even when I was exercising.

I was getting discouraged, and fast. However, much like last time, I decided that if anyone were to know what was going on, it would be my brother. He explained to me the concept of ‘plateauing.’

“Simply put, our bodies are adapting machines. It’s how as a species we’ve been able to survive so long. If you do things to your body consistently, it starts to prepare for it. If you were to eat dinner every night at the same time, it wouldn’t be long before you are salivating and hungry five minutes beforehand. It’s the same with exercise. If you were to exercise straight after waking up – it might be tough to being with, but before long your body will be waking up with more energy. Why? It’s adapting. However, sometimes your body can get too good at this and you may find it harder to break down the muscle or push your cardiovascular system – resulting in a plateau of performance. It’s for this reason you need to make sure that you regularly (but not too often) mix up and change your exercise regimen. By doing so, you will be challenging your body in new ways, targeting different muscles or the same muscles in a different way.”

My body was getting too bored with the usual exercise routine. It wasn’t burning fat at the rate I was used too. In order to break the plateau, I had to start doing more than what I was doing.

I decided to expand my existing exercise program by, instead of doing thirty minutes on the bike, some days I would do a full hour. I didn’t find this arduous, or difficult, it just meant I got a bit sweatier on some days.

Eventually, I was able to break my plateauing. I went from 107kgs, down to 106kg! By staying consistent and adapting, I would be ready to face the dreaded plateauing when it popped up again.

Everything was looking bright, until one day when I fell off the wagon…

To be continued…

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For most of my adult life, I never took my health as serious as I do today. I used to assume that I must have inherited my maternal grandfather’s longevity genes – he lived to 105 – and therefore, I too, would live to 100. I assumed, that since I had never needed to go to the hospital for anything, I must been in tip-top shape. Well, there was one incident where I needed to go for an emergency trip to the doctor due to a sudden case of testicular torsion, but that’s another story. I also assumed that since I was not cartoonishly overweight and obese – like those infamous stories of people being so morbidly obese that they couldn’t physically exit their own house – that I must be relatively healthy and thus had no reason to think seriously about my health.

However, looking back, making such an extreme comparison in my mind was not a realistic indicator of whether I was healthy or not. If anything, it was nothing more then a diversion from any serious consideration of my health. Unbeknownst to me, I desperately needed a wake-up call that would shatter my comforting obliviousness about the severity of my health situation.

In 2016, my brother and I went to get full body-scans in the city, where they would do a complete scan of our entire bodies. My brother had suggested that we should get body scans for a while and when I finally agreed, I arrogantly assumed that I would be given a clean bill of health. I was not in any pain and I wasn’t sick all the time, so how unhealthy could I actually be?

Well, that state of comfortable thinking all came crashing down when the physician – not holding back anything – informed me that I was anything BUT healthy.

Being completely frank and not sugar-coating anything (believe me, the last thing I needed was anything coated with sugar), he informed me that I was on a dangerous trajectory with my health, and that if I did not make any drastic changes, I was looking at possible and potential strokes and heart-attacks in the coming years.

To say that I was shook afterwards would be an understatement. I was completely shattered. I remember leaving there almost staggering, my mind racing like it’s never raced before. I distinctly remember the first action I did after the consultation; I remember rushing to the local IGA and buying a can of sliced beetroot – something I hadn’t eaten since I was a kid.

The results of my body-scan finally forced me to take my health seriously. The idea that I could be facing a possible stroke and heart-attack in the near future made me realise that I needed to get my act together. Improving my health was not something I could delay or put on the shelf to deal with later, no, I needed to get started with it now!

I started by taking small steps, like eliminating all sugary soft drinks out of my diet. I also began going on long-distant walks more frequently. As the years went by, I became more conscious about what I ate and what I drank. I began going to the gym more often with my brother and recently I went through a complete weight-loss challenge.

Looking back, as much as the results of the body-scan in 2016 devastated me, I shudder to think of what my life would have turned out to be if I hadn’t gotten the body-scan. There’s no doubt in my mind that I would have continued living as I did, completely uninterested in my health and taking care of myself. I would have continued drinking excessive amounts of soft drinks and eating fast food, completely oblivious that I was on a conveyer belt of death – heading blissfully unaware to an early grave.

I guess you could say that the body-scan and blunt physician saved my life. It gave me a brutal wake-up call that I didn’t know I desperately needed. That is why I think everyone should consider taking a full body-scan – sometimes all you need is for the truth to be there in your face.

By Jackson. T. Trout

Read Jackson’s personal experience with weight loss through his eight part series! Click to read Part 1 – Introduction

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I did the exercises in the morning, I walked a 7km trail, and kept an eye on what I ate, and yet I was still hardly making a dent in my overall weight. All I had achieved was losing a single kilogram and most of that time was kept trying not to regain it.

It was obvious that something was missing. Even though I was doing everything I needed to not gain weight, I wasn’t doing enough to lose weight. Something had to be done. I needed to do more than what I had originally planned.

And that’s when I discovered the bike.

Now, discovering the wonders of the bike, is something I owe to my beloved aunt. You see, my ailing aunt, who my brother and I visit and help with gardening every Saturday, has always been observant and critical of my weight. She had a habit of aggressively tapping my stomach to remind me that I had to do something.

So, with my aunt tapping my stomach in mind, I looked up the most efficient exercises for losing belly fat. One of the exercises that caught my eye was cycling. The reason it grabbed me was because I had an exercise bike already.

I contacted my brother, who knows a thing (or two) about exercise and weight loss. He confirmed the bike was a good addition to my exercise regimen and gave me the thumbs up.

The first time I went on the bike, it felt exhilarating because I got sweaty and puffed, which is a good sign that you’re doing a real work out. From that day onwards, I decided to incorporate the exercise bike into daily routine. I began doing 30 minutes a day and let me tell you: what a difference it made!

Only after a few days I began to finally see the kind of results I was hoping to see. As I weighed myself every morning, my weight began to drop. I had lost more weight in a week, then I had lost throughout the weeks before I discovered the bike.

I had found the winning strategy for me was to have a consistent exercise program which was manageable and was showing results. The incentive of knowing what works made it easier for me to continue doing the bike every day.

All I had to do was stick to it and stay consistent. As my brother told me, “Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity.”

However, despite figuring out the right physical, exercise program, I realised that I had to re-evaluate and modify other aspects of my weight-loss regimen to make it more effective. So, I decided to reassess my diet and make some changes that would better help me.

To be continued…

The post My Weight-Loss Journey: Part 3 – The Bike appeared first on WeFlex | NDIS Personal Trainer & Exercise Physiologist.