David Geslak

If you think it feels great making the fit fitter, consider how rewarding it could be to share your knowledge of movement to empower and advocate to those who are frequently overlooked: people with disabilities. It can also be a smart business strategy. Fifteen percent of the global population lives with some form of a disability, including 61 million adults in the United States (CDC 2022).

Between the pandemic and the smart home gym revolution, personal trainers have seen many of their clients “virtually” disappear. While the market for personal training has clearly shrunk, there is a community that was never considered part of the market in the first place: those with autism. Autism spectrum disorder is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the world, with recent data reporting one in 44 children diagnosed in the United States (CDC 2022; Christensen et al.

Why delivering autism exercise programs in your campus rec center requires a different approach. As we all know, many people have left their trainers and turned to virtual training. However, there is a segment of the population who needs in-person training. For those with autism, supporting research shows in addition to the health-related benefits, exercise improves focus, on-task behavior and language development, and reduces maladaptive or stereotypical behaviors (1-5).