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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You see, Jackie Boy is autistic, and I am not. Technically I’m ‘neurotypical’ but Jackie Boy refers to me as ‘neurotypical-ish’. Why? I grew up in a household with both a Dad and little brother on the spectrum – and we joke that it’s rubbed off a little on me.

That one difference between us became glaring when our Dad passed away. He died of (very) preventable health conditions and at the funeral it hit me. My whole life I was encouraged to exercise and be healthy. I played sports my whole life, lost many vegetable stand offs at dinner – but Jackie Boy was held to a different (lower) standard. He was left to his interests (drawing) and as long as he ate something he was good. And now at Dad’s funeral – I’m a healthy and fit young man, and Jackie Boy was a sedentary and unhealthy young man.

Honestly, taking Jackie Boy to the gym was something I never really considered – it was just off my radar completely. Even as a support worker, ‘exercise’ was usually a walk around the block. I had the unsettling realisation that my standards for Jackie Boy were low as well when it came to health and fitness. At the same time, he had a realisation about his health seeing Dad get buried well before his time. And Jackie Boy’s health and fitness journey began – inspiring the establishment of WeFlex.

Since starting this business and working with all kinds of clients to get fit and healthy one thing has become obvious. ANY BODY can get fitter and healthier. Since starting, Jackie Boy has lost around 14 kgs, exercises daily and has reigned in his eating. Outcomes that were once considered impossible (hello low expectations). The truly remarkable part is the unintentional benefits from his improved health. Such as:

• Better sleep
• He’s less anxious in public
• Improved confidence (maybe a bit too confident)
• He regulates his emotions better
• Increased social network – making friends at his local gym

And these aren’t just anecdotal either. There have been extensive reviews of research done on the impacts of exercise on people living with disability and the results are incredible. In a cohort of people with ASD they found that regular and intense exercise saw decreases in aggression, stereotypy (repetitive behaviour), elopement (flight), and off-task behaviour with increases in concentration, behaviour and emotional regulation. It turns out the people society has spent the least amount of effort encouraging to exercise would benefit the most – which in turn benefits their family.

The best part is health and fitness is relative to the person. Some of my best and fittest clients began at zero. Like, it took two turns to get them inside the gym zero. By setting simple, achievable goals with the person you can eat this elephant one bit at a time. The best example of this is Chris Nikic. In 2020, he became the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman. Not a ‘special needs’ Ironman. And actual Ironman. When asked how he did it, he explained the 1% rule. Every day he aimed to get 1% better. Going from a regular kid to an Ironman athlete 1% at a time. Now, I’m not suggesting you sign up for an Ironman, but instead consider ways we all can get 1% healthier every day.

To help you with this, I’d encourage you think about health in 4 goals.

1. Improve your sleep

Sleep is essential, and there is research suggesting that most people aren’t getting enough. The risks of that are decreased emotional regulation, low energy, difficulty to concentrate or remember and we also typically eat worse when we’re tired too. The benefits of improving your sleep? Pretty much the opposite of this! Better mood, mentally sharper, more energy and there’s even evidence that sleeping longer helps you lose weight. What can you do that is simple, easy and zero cost?

• Set a consistent sleep schedule – ensuring you’re getting between 7-9 hours a night.
• Get lots of natural light first thing in the morning (outside is best) and decrease light towards bedtime.
• Don’t eat right before bed.

2. Manage your stress

Stress can be seen as quite a vague term, but don’t underestimate the impact it has on your body. Stress is connected to your nervous system which is arguably the most powerful and influential system in your body. Too much stress can release excessive hormones like cortisol that can lead to a number of health problems like; headaches, heart disease, weight gain and disrupted sleeping. What are some simple ways to support your nervous system?

• Deep breathing or just focusing on your breathing
• Getting outside
• Meditating
• Exercising
• Drinking lots of water
• Quality sleep

3. Improve your diet

This one is pretty obvious – but is often neglected. We are all guilty of not really paying attention to what is going into our bodies. Essentially good nutrition is concerned with two things; getting enough energy for the day and consuming the right mix of nutrients (like protein, fats, etc) as well as vitamins and minerals. It’s easy to fall into the trap of eating enough energy that is nutritionally deficient or eating a brilliant range of nutritious foods, but not enough of them. Things you can do starting today:

• Drink more water. It’s very hard to drink too much water, but very easy to not drink enough.
• You want a plate that is colourful (not with skittles) with fruits and vegetables. Always balance.
• Don’t starve yourself. Everybody wants to lose weight yesterday and so starve themselves to do so. It doesn’t
• work, and you’ll be miserable. Eat healthy and often.
• Help your digestive system out by NOT lying down after eating for 30 minutes.

4. Increase your physical activity

One of the biggest determinants of health is sedentary lifestyle – basically how active are you day-to-day. A sedentary lifestyle will drastically increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity as well as poor mental health. An active lifestyle on the other hand will have the opposite effect and will ward off the premature development of conditions like osteoporosis. Again, you don’t need to sign up for a triathlon (but if you want to get in touch with WeFlex we’ll support you!). Here are some simple tasks you can do starting today:

• Go for regular walks
• Limit the amount of time you sit in one go – every two hours stand up and move your body
• Stretch
• Engage in activities that are incidental exercise, like gardening
• If keen, visit your local gym or look for workout at home videos on YouTube

The best part is that it’s all at your pace and is not one size fits all. WeFlex is here to support you in your goals – no matter how big or small. We are thrilled to be partners with Northcott and will be looking to provide WAY more information to support you on your fitness and health journey moving forward.

Together, WeFlex.

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I still remember that night when my brother and I found out about his diagnosis. We just had dinner at a Thai restaurant and decided to pay Dad a visit, as his house was close-by. When we came inside, we saw him resting in his chair, covered in a blanket and he didn’t look good. He sat us down and told us. I remember him humourously quipping that he had “caught it from Phil” – Phil was our other aunt’s husband who at that time had also been diagnosed with cancer; he is now in remission.

They discovered Dad had cancer when he came to the hospital after breaking his leg. Apparently, he had gotten up too quickly, and as a result, had snapped a bone in his leg. As they were running tests and doing the scans, they found the cancer had spread throughout his body. Because this, for the rest of his life, he was required to use a wheelchair.

Everything afterwards that night was a complete blur for me. Out of nowhere, I had been emotionally sucker-punched. I don’t remember how I felt or what I thought – I guess I must have been too dizzy to even think straight.

As the weeks went by, my siblings and I did everything we could to spend as much time with him. I visited him and watched all of the old classic movies – the same ones I had watched growing up with him and his favourite films, such as Jason and the Argonauts, The Life of Brian and Robin and Marian. We basically watched all if the classic stop-motion Ray Harryhausen movies.

One night, a few months into his treatment, when all my siblings and I where at his place, he sat us down around him and informed us that, because of the chemo, the doctors believed that he could last another two years.

I felt a small sense of relief. It may not have been as good as a full remission, but let’s face it, we all knew that was never going to be on the table. Another two years would have been perfect – I would have been able to spend more time with him, and prepare myself more for his inevitable death.

Unfortunately, it was all short lived. A few weeks later, my father had come down with an infection, which caused the cancer to spread more rapidly across his body, diminishing the time he had left to live from two years to a matter of a few weeks.

When my brother and I visited him, as he slept in his hospital bed, we didn’t think much of it at the time, as we didn’t comprehend the severity of it. However, that very quickly changed when my mother entered the room looking very serious and solemn.

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I found out. I was in front of the computer doing my usual thing. Not mincing words, she told me how the infection had compromised his immune system and that he now only had about a week left.

The news shook me to the core. I was devastated beyond belief. It felt as if a giant bird, with razor-sharp talons had pierced through my stomach and grabbed hold of my intestines, violently squeezing them without mercy. I remember bursting with tears.

He was initially given one week to live, but luckily, he was able to last two.

During his last few days, I made it a priority to say my last words to him. I told him how much I loved him and cherished him, and how I was proud to be his son.

He couldn’t speak or move, all he could do was hold on for dear life, but his body was deteriorating.

One of the most emotionally painful experiences I ever experienced was the last night I ever saw him alive. He was nonverbal and wheezing as he struggled to breath. My siblings and I sat around his deathbed, teary eyed as we watched our father breathing his last breathes, feeling completely powerless to help him.

A day later, on August 3^rd, 2011, my father had finally succumbed. He was finally at peace.

Looking Back

Looking back on my father and how he lived most of his life, it’s sadly not surprising he only lived to 62, which is considerably below the average Australian life expectancy of 82. He was hardly anyone’s idea of a healthy man. He never exercised, hardly ever went to the doctor for check-ups and ate whatever he wanted, which was barely ever healthy.

He lived a very sedentary lifestyle, a lifestyle he undoubtedly developed after decades of being a games developer, since the early 80s. He would spend hours sitting in front of the computer every day, and would drink 10 to 15 cans of diet coke a day – and no, that isn’t an exaggeration. As a young man he was a pack-a-day smoker until he quit.

Around the time I was born, he had a brief throat-cancer scare that was resolved quickly with an immediate operation. As the years went by, he would later have a triple by-pass operation and multiple strokes, and a year before he died, he had developed diabetes.

Learning From my Father’s Mistakes

Looking back on the way he lived, my brother and I wonder how he was able to live for so long; and can’t help but wonder if he would still be with us today if he had put in just a minimum of effort into looking after himself. It was this fact that initially raced through my mind after I got my body scan results back in 2016.

In 2016, at the insistence of my brother, I got a body-scan and was informed by a physician, who evaluated the results, that I was in great danger of potential future strokes and heart-attacks if I didn’t start taking better care of myself.

As I remembered my father’s terrible health, it dawned on me how much I was emulating him to a tee. Just like him, I too was living a sedentary life, spending hours upon hours – almost the entire day – in front of the computer screen, drinking nothing but soft-drinks, creating a soda can landfill beside the computer desk. Unless I wanted to join my father in an early grave, something had to change, and that something was how I took my health for granted. Since then, I have made changes and great strides to improving my overall health and to become considerably less sedentary than I was before.

I guess, in a way, my father has become a role model for me in the sense of knowing exactly how not to live. As much as I love and cherish him, my father was no example for me on how to take care of one’s health, and knowing him the way I do, he probably would agree.

Sometimes I wish someone had taken him to get a body-scan at some point in his life and give him the urgent wake-up call that I received. He would probably be still with us today.

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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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I started going to the gym shortly after I was diagnosed with a condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia when I was 10 years old. I wasn’t allowed to do sport at school anymore, so I needed to find a way to stay active.

My dad suggested going to the gym and helped me find a trainer. Although they were lovely, they didn’t always understand how to work with someone who had physical limitations. And if they did, it would usually be how to train someone with an injury, rather than a physical disability. However, it was my only option in a small city.

When going to the gym, I found that the goals were always to ‘get bigger’, ‘get stronger’, ‘do more reps’. But all I was trying to do was maintain my health and wellbeing. Practical things that would help make my day-to-day life easier, like transferring from my wheelchair to my bed. Most of the sessions were taken up by trainers helping me on and off the machines. Besides getting in a machine, I rarely got out of my wheelchair.

When I moved to Brisbane, I found exercise physiologists that were trained to work with disabled clients and had a lot of knowledge about different disabilities. They knew the everyday problems that someone in a wheelchair would face. For the first time ever, I was able to set goals that were actually useful in my day-to-day life. One goal was to maintain my transferring ability, another goal was to work on my standing ability.

With their help, I was able to practice standing for an hour twice a week. I hadn’t stood for over 9 years. This means I can now do standing transfers which has helped me navigate my day so much more efficiently. I can now get in and out of cars, which I had nearly given up on. That in turn, saves me money on taxi’s and it means I can now go out with my friends.

In order to get better at standing and transferring, my EP’s helped me to realise that I actually needed to work on balance and co-ordination rather than the muscular strength that comes from lifting weights on machines.

They are constantly coming up with creative solutions to target specific areas that I need to work on. For example, they often get me out of my wheelchair and sitting on a bench where I lean at different angles, trying to reach their hands. While this might not seem like a ‘gym workout’ for an able-bodied person, this has helped immensely with my core strength, which actually keeps me safe. My condition affects my strength and muscles, so having the core stability to keep myself upright when I sneeze or cough at the table, can actually prevent me from getting a concussion or injuring myself.

Working with EP’s who are specifically trained, means they also know how to get me in and out of my wheelchair safely, and can even offer advice on how I can do this more effectively and safer while I’m at home.

Without the help of a specially trained EP this wouldn’t have been possible. I encourage anyone with a disability to find someone that can help them in this way.

Thank you Sam for writing this blog for us! Please checkout out her socials here:

• Instagram
• TikTok

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