Copyright © 2024 Machine Shed Fitness | Powered By 
Life likes to be unpredictable; throwing random wrenches into your day when things are going well. Other times, life simply complicates things from the beginning, as if you drew the short straw. Upon the first impression of those with disabilities, I'm undoubtedly sure that's what many of your minds instantly believe, myself included. But over the past 2 years of training adaptive athletes at the Machine Shed, my mindset, and outlook on life have shifted for the better.
Before training those with disabilities, I assumed that they'd be extremely difficult to work with, and to a point, they are. However, the difficultness isn't negative. Instead, the difficultness stems from the constant creativeness in movement modification and the understanding of those movements. For example, one of my clients has cerebral palsy and possesses a severe tone that makes body control frustratingly difficult. Moreover, she is wheelchair-bound. In comparison, her workouts vary considerably from my other clients whose limitations aren't physical but mental. And further, the varying degrees of mental disability develop an additional layer of a challenge when doing workouts. Therefore, it's clear to see why many shy away from training adaptive athletes. All of my clients either have some sort of disability or are over 50 years old. As stated above, the difficulty in sessions isn't due to lack of communication and unwillingness to comply but, creativity and understanding. As such, working with these clients has been very rewarding. One of the reasons why is due to their gratefulness. Finding a gym with the correct resources or the desire to be adaptable is challenging; very challenging. The individual is already at a disadvantage and adding on the fact that they can't just waltz into a gym, asking questions makes exercising seemingly impossible. That is why advocation for those who have disabilities is important but this population can be overlooked. Therefore, this puts a damper on exercise availability and opportunity. So, when they can find an eager individual to work with them, it's not hard to see why they are grateful. This gratefulness extends further to their parents. Since starting to train my younger adaptive clients, I've had all the parents portray their thankfulness. They've stated how much their child's confidence, movement quality, and strength have improved. They seem happier and more sure of themselves; definitely more positive. As for my older clients, it's the same. Our conversations have covered the topic of their happiness and their noticed improvements in activities of daily living, countless times. It makes me happy to witness their growth because my mind continually compares my older clients to my parents. I think about how I want them to be treated and how badly I desire them to continue doing the things they love. Thus, I'm grateful that they feel comfortable training with me and venture from their homes.
Next, despite their predicaments, they are some of the most cheerful people that I've ever met. Their minds are free of the pessimism and the cruelness that this world can bring. Every single one of them will come to their session with a positive attitude and an open mind. I'll always receive a cheerful "hi!" or "hello!" as they walk through the front door. Sometimes, the greeting is even accompanied by a nickname. This glow continues to be prevalent during the training session and doesn't diminish when frustrations arise or when I make them perform challenging things. By choice, they continue to believe in me and will execute what I request of them to the best of their abilities. They are resilient. Subsequently, when they accomplish a new feat or skill, it makes me smile thinking how excited they get. It's comparable to the feeling of being on top of the world, unstoppable, with the biggest smile plastered on their faces. For example, the giddiness that my client Olivia had when I had her do a modified 21.3 and 21.4 still makes me smile when I think about the moment. More moments are watching Sam do tire flips then proceed to flex his muscles after or watching Mitch grow in confidence during box jumps. Finally, helping Jack with air squats and balance, Derek's grin when I tell him a great job after doing snatches (Yes, he has great coordination!), and Mary's hardheadedness (Some might say stubbornness.) are things that make each one of my clients unique. Furthermore, I've recently begun training my cousin and aunt. After being with me for 6 weeks, they've excitedly told me about all the things they've been able to accomplish: climbing up the stairs without holding on to the railing or not being ailed with the nightly painful cramps. I look forward to the handshakes, the hugs, and the lightheartedness that each session brings.
The growth I've been able to witness over the past 2 years is truly remarkable. Some might say that they've all become different individuals; especially my younger clients who I have been training the longest. I can truly say that my day becomes brighter because of them. They are a bright light in a dark world. Moreover, while working with these clients has allowed my training repertoire to grow, I've also changed. My listening skills, creativity, and patience have immensely improved because of them. I'm excited to continue providing exercise opportunities for those with disabilities, being an advocate, showing them what they can accomplish, and helping them feel like they belong. If there's anything that I hope you can take away from reading this blog, it's this: talk less, listen more, and always be kind to others because life is unpredictable.