Gym manager develops fitness program to raise awareness for autism
A gym manager in the Redlands has developed a fitness program to help educate others about the challenges people with autism face.
Redlands Coast
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THE manager of a Redlands gym has developed a fitness program to help people understand the challenges people with autism go through.
Club manager of Anytime Fitness Capalaba Kimberly Leonard developed the program, which five other gyms across Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich will use on Tuesday as part of World Autism Day.
Leonard said she developed the program to help educate the world and better understand people like her son, Lochlan.
“Go Blue For Autism is our day to stand collectively and do that,” she said.
“Raising funds for services is so imperative, I remember the early days attending the free workshops Autism Queensland offered and they helped make sense of the new path our lives had taken and gave us tools to be able to better support Lochie.
“We have been incredibly lucky with the services and support we have been able to access for Lochie but so many others aren’t in the same position to do so.
“Go Blue is about raising funds and awareness but it’s also a way as a community we get to let those families and individuals that we see them, we’re helping and we’re all in this together.”
The gyms, including Anytime Fitness at Cleveland, will host group fitness classes with activities designed to raise awareness of the communication, auditory and visual processing challenges of people on the autism spectrum.
“For example, one exercise will require participants to wear headphones with blaring music while the trainer gives verbal instructions to highlight the problems some autistic people have in filtering out background noise,” Leonard said.
“Another will involve balls or streamers being thrown in front of people sporadically during the exercise to distract them and simulate visual overload.
“The event will also include a Chin Up Challenge and 10km Bike Ride Challenge.”
Anyone can attend the class for a gold coin donation.
For more information visit Anytime Fitness Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/766627910397277/.
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