Autism and the gym

I'm an autistic PT too. I do most of my training outside as I hate gyms. I also specialise in boxing/padwork training. It helps as I trained as an amateur boxer and I'm currently training towards my black belt in taekwondo.

Anyway, l recommend padwork/boxing for your autistic clients. It's a great anger outlet and you learn a skill. 

Good luck with the course!

Drew

Hi Billy

Nice to see another autistic trainer. I've been a PT for 9 years this May and have only recently been aiming my services towards neurodivergent people like myself. I tend to attract my people anyway but as someone else said it can be a very niche market and difficult to pick up clients.

I'm currently struggling a little and suffering from burnout after hitting it a little too hard leading up to lockdown and just after. Energy management is super important.

I'm just about to go back to work as I have a client in 5 mins, but happy to chat if you'd like any tips.

Take care

Paul

I was put off of going to the gym for a long time due to anxiety, but my mum and I joined one at the same time and that got me over that initial barrier. After a few times, I was comfortable being there and it took me some time to learn what routine worked best for me but I found exercises that I liked and I began to go consistently.

I no longer go to that gym, and instead go to a bit of a fancier, pricier one that offers more stuff (sauna, steam room, more classes, etc.) and I'm there pretty much every single day for either a workout or some sort of class, and it's become a big part of my life and it's had a huge positive impact on me, so I'd recommend getting into *something* fitness related to everyone.

I'd like to share a few tips for anyone else who may want to join their local gym but is put off for various reasons:

• If loud environments are a concern, invest in some good noise-cancelling headphones. I've gone with BOSE QuietComfort and they block out the gym's music and the sound of any weights being dropped, and makes a huge difference.
• If your own, or other people's, sweat is a concern for you, most gyms will provide cleaning sprays to clean equipment. Otherwise, bring your own and a towel and wipe stuff down before you use it. Be aware that most people (at least in my experience) will not bother to wipe down equipment after they've used it, and chances are they won't change their ways if you decide to lecture them.
• The vast majority of the time, people are not looking at you and critiquing how you're working out. Chances are they are miles away, lost in thought and just looking in your general direction, or perhaps just your movement in the corner of their eye has caught their attention. Do bear in mind I type this as a man, and women may have a different experience, and if you do have any concerns then alert a member of staff.
• The muscly, intimidating guys are usually the kindest there, at least in my experience. If you're looking at a machine for the first time and have no idea how to use it, go up the closest "big guy" you find and ask him for help, and 9/10 times he'll be glad to help and you'll make a new friend while you're at it.
• If crowded environments aren't your thing, ask staff when the quieter times are. If you have the money to spare, go for a more expensive gym - the cheaper ones are likely to be busier.
• If you're completely stuck on what to do, ask a friend who's knowledgeable, ask a personal trainer, or again, ask one of those big guys.
• Finally, just take the plunge and go for it. Dare to step outside of your comfort zone and get in touch with your local gym and sign up for a month. Once you've been a few times, it'll be much more familiar and friendly to you. Knowing what to do once you're actually there is a big help too, so use the above step to get yourself a workout routine, or there are many great free online resources out there which will help you get started - and don't get bogged down about what is 'best', just find something that works for you personally.

Not as far as I know, we don't have many gyms or anything here, I was refered to a physio by the pain clinic and they didn't know why I was there, what I wanted from them, thought exercise was boring, didn't know what core strength was or why its important and said he's never had a referal from the pain clinic and didn't seem to now what it was.

Another I saw because of frozen shoulders couldn't see why I was there as my grip didn't need any help and was one of the strongest she'd ever felt and my range of movement was "good enough" and she seemed confused and like I was wasting her time for wanting more. The physios here have such low ambitions for thier patients, they seem satisfied if you can wipe our own bum and do the basics that will keep you off PIP. I think this is one part of the health service that seriously needs fixing and it shouldn't be down to social perscribing for people to ge the basic help they need.

Hi Billy.  Nice to see you, as always.

It's really cool that you are doing this and that you are looking to help people who don't like gyms.

In answer to your query, I can tell you that I am only ever minded to exercise / exert myself when outdoors.

Actually, upon reflection........I can make my answer MORE definitive for you = When I exercise......I MUST be outdoors.

Keep in touch here mate.

Yours

Number.

I like independent gyms rather than leisure centres. Mine is pay as you go so there's no obligation to join and attend. I go during the day time when it's quieter rather than busy evenings, but I also have a treadmill at home for times when I really don't fancy it. I am quite into keeping fit, I am also a swimmer and prefer lane swims which are structured, no one is there to socialise or muck around in the pool. I actually like the loud music, especially trance, it helps motivate me, but then I used to be a raver back in my younger days! In fact, turn a gym into a nightclub and I'm there! (I'm also hypersensitive to sound, would you believe it?! But dancing, exercising, running to loud, repetitive music, blocks everything out and it's like a stim to me). I don't know if that helps you at all, just my experience.

Do you have a program called gp referral where you are? A doctor can refer you for it for your arthritis and you’ll get plans and sessions from a trainer who is qualified in training people with conditions like yourself 

I am a personal trainer and a gym manager with autism. I also have a few personal training clients with autism which is awesome. If you would like any help and advice I am more than happy to help 

It may just be me, but two aspects which I don't find comfortable or welcoming about the gyms which I have visited before are:

1) when they are in the same building as swimming pools / steam rooms (shrieking young swimmers, chemical smell of pool water treatment and high humidity), and

2) gym personnel who insist on telling me what equipment would be "ideal" for me (...when they have not even asked me / listened to me about what might have brought me to the gym in the first place).  For example, for some reason (forever a mystery to me), a gym instructor kept on, and on, talking about a piece of equipment with a vibration plate - despite my having explained my vestibular experience included getting a travel sick feeling from even using old fashioned bathroom scale!  (The person completely seemed to overlook that I hadn't come to work on core strength - but needed to work on improving and evening-out my upper body strength ...as I had been doing too much heavy digging on my allotment and noticed I had favoured one arm too heavily rather than spreading the wear).

I use a small city gym that is not frequented by ‘posers’ so it is actually a nice atmosphere. No one is looking at anyone else and there isn’t a competitive vibe. It’s not an expensive gym so the equipment is tired but functional. There is a ladies only mini gym that I sometimes use, but not that often, though I can tell some women feel more comfortable in there. There is background music but it is low - good for me as an autistic person, though sensory overload isn’t why they do it, I think it’s so that it doesn’t drown out people’s headphones. I could do with the lighting being dimmed a little as it is quite bright, but I appreciate other users might not like that. I also appreciate that there is a ‘gym etiquette’ panel on the wall with general dos and don’t, which is useful. However, one thing they could add is not to hog a machine by sitting at it typing on your phone and not using it while others are waiting - drives me nuts, but I don’t like confrontation so don’t want to say anything - especially as so many people do this so feels like fighting a losing battle. 

I agree about how you would teach, I find a lot of sporty/gym types really competitive and that really puts me off and is something I find quite scary. Having so many skeletal problems I would like to be able to try somethng and be respected when I say no, because I can feel it not doing any good.

It’s great that you are hoping to work with autistic people when you are fully trained, so long as it doesn’t make your gym too niche to be profitable.

I would love to use the equipment in a gym but I just don’t like the noise, lack of privacy and pretty much else that goes with it. I used to go to a gym when I was younger, but in those days they weren’t as large, noisy and bright as they are now. 

At the moment, I exercise in my home and I have a lot of exercises to do, mostly physiotherapist prescribed. It is something I need to keep up for life.

My ideal exercise space would be outside. Occasionally I go to a place where you can take your dog for a walk on a winding leafy trail. Exercise equipment is strategically spaced along the route, it makes the time fly and I really enjoy it. I just wish there was somewhere like that closer to hand.

Love that this is a thread. I have never actually been to a gym to workout because my anxiety about it is too high. My biggest worries about it are the changing rooms and people watching me exercise. I'm aware these are things you wouldn't necessarily have control over unless you were creating your own gym but I feel it's still worth mentioning. Changing rooms would 100% need to have cubicles. I would never in a million years feels comfortable changing in front of other people. It would also be amazing if there could be a section of the gym that could have equipment partitioned or in booths or something that would make it feel less like people were looking at me. 

Aside from that, from a personal training perspective, it would be the way you instructed me that would make a difference. I can find verbal instructions difficult to follow. I would need to see exactly how something is done and then I'd need you to talk me through it step by step as I was doing it. Some visual prompts might be helpful as well. I find too many instructions over whelming so fast paced workouts with lots of instructions would be very challenging to me. I would not do well with an instructor that really pushes and is very loud. I need gentle encouragement and understanding or it would make me give up and not go back.

From a sensory perspective as much as I agree that loud music is overwhelming, I would want some kind of music or something in the background as I find silence off putting.

Hope this helps in some way and good luck.

My experience of gyms is that they can't get rid of me fast enough, as soon as they hear I have osteoarthritis they get jittery, I've been told that I can only use the exercise bike and the treadmill or that their insurance won't allow them to accept me. Sometimes they tell me I can pay extra to use thier pool, but as these are all cholrinated I can't chlorine gives me contact dermatiis in place you didn't know you had, let alone that they could itch and flake that much.

I would love someone who could do some remedial forms of exercise with me, I have hypermobility in some joints as well as OA. I've tried physio's and have found them useless, one didn't even know what core strength was! Sports physios and the like are useless as I don't do sports so I have no sports injuries and they just dismiss me.

I've looked for remedial yoga classes and haven't found any.

I wouldn't like the noise, the smells and stuff like that or the posing. I don't like communal changing rooms and showers either, reminds me of school. The whole atmosphere of gyms feels very intimidating and the cost puts me off too.

The gym is a difficult place for me to go. I go there once a week with my mother since it’s about social contacts for her. But I’d not be able to go there several times a week I think. Thankfully I enjoy running and home workouts. I found that having some weights and a stepper at home really pays off for me since my gym offers every class online via zoom. That’s a great way to participate in classes, but I also realise that this isn’t an option for everybody since even the basic equipment can be quite pricey.

I think the most overwhelming thing for me is the loud music from the classes. I don’t feel confident enough to train for myself, so that’s also not really an option, but I found that some noise cancelling or filtering earplugs do quite a lot for me and I go to a rather small women-only gym.

Good luck for your journey as a personal trainer! It’s quite a fascinating profession with many variable options.

I love the idea of a fluid alarm. I think all gyms should have these. I need to look into virtual exercises I can participate in as sometimes it’s hard finding the time/energy to actually go into the gym.

Billy, come and train me; I have been trying to get back in the gym for months or at least start using the equipment I have in the other room. When you qualify, feel free to practice your gym motivation. I need some anti-ADHD persuasion. 

I get what you're saying about the gym environment. I am naturally a big bloke and combined with my autistic traits (staring a little too long, a permanent scowl, etc.), I attract the stereotypical gym rat that you have described. One thing that always makes me chuckle is that the rowdy ones always travel in big packs—which, to me, says more about them than anything else.  

Don't let the size comparison trouble you in any way. The most important thing is to keep going. Every day that is not your first will always be somebodies, and you will always be in front of them. 

I hope that helps; best of luck!

Hi Billy, glad to hear you have found a gym you can enjoy and be comfortable in.

I find the gym an intimidating place because there's usually a lot of noise, from the people exercising and the equipment, also the music playing. A new gym started up in my town in 2023 and last year I finally got round to going in there, and the guy who runs it is really nice and understands about my autism so suggested I go in on Saturdays and Wednesdays (quietest days) and also turns down the music when I'm there.

He also offers virtual exercise something I do when my anxiety is too bad for me to go out. This is something I find really useful, and so do other gym members. This is something you could potential do for your own thing when you're setup and ready?

The gym I go to also features a fluid alarm that sounds regularly to remind you to stop and have a drink so you don't dehydrate. I personally find this very useful as I forget to drink anyway most of the time.

Billy87 said:

I can find it an intimidating place, loud music (usually painfully bad RnB, not like it's anything decent like a bit of punk rock), posers, guys with way better bodies than mine etc. It's often put me off getting fit. 

This reflects almost any gym I have ever been to. I use a chain of gyms here in Brazil called SmartFit and they have hundreds of gyms just in my city so as my work takes me to different areas I get to see different ones.

This atmosphere does reflect what the vast majority expect a gym to be and as they make up the majority of the fee paying base then it is only understandabe that it is what the gyms will cater for.

I use decent earphones, my own cleaning stuff for the seats / bars etc and a towel for my own sweat - I just wish others wouldn't use a machine and leave it covered in their stinking body juices when finished.

Seeing others more developed than me gives me the inspiration to keep going - if idiots like them can get a ripped body then I can too - so the onus is on me to make the workout effective. So far it is working.

Some gyms offer quiter sessions and getting to know the manager in charge does help them consider these and publicise them - other people who don't like the loud music will probably also be interested so it can be a selling point albeit with a time window.

When you do become a personal trainer it is worth considering building a knowledge of when the gym is quieter, when there are events that cause it to get busier as people prepare (eg pre marathon) and how to help people cope with the sensory overload.

Sensory wise there is the cleanliness aspect (maybe bringing alcohol spray and cleaning wipes to get them started), noise from the steroid muppets throwing down their weights or grunting like a bull in heat, the music (recommending bringing cordless headhones) and a clean towel (some people hate to sweat). By addressing a lot of these and asking about the persons personal preferences it is likely to lead to a much more effective session.

Some autistic people hate being touched and often training can require this (directing the right grip, helping then they are failing in a rep etc) so it would be good to avoid personal contact if possible or at least advising that it may be required in advance if they are at risk of hurting themselves.

Sometimes even personal space can be a problem which makes it difficult when the gym is busy and cramped or you need to be close to spot them. For these people it is probably better for them to train at home if they possible can.

Lastly remember to agree a signal from them that they are getting close to a meltdown and you need to get them out of there to somewhere they can breathe. You may need to observe them and ask them if they need to break - they sometimes lack the presence of mind to recall the sign when they are struggling.

I do tend to load videos onto my phone to watch on long, boring cardio workouts so this can be a way to overcome the dullness of it.

That's my thoughts on the subject - I hope something is there that you haven't considered yet.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27546330241240648?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.5

I have been reading the above research paper to try and help me to work out what it would take for me to feel able to add more activity into my week.