Personal trainer with Asperger's opens gym for people with special needs

Mark Fleming was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at 11 years, a diagnosed which helped explained why he had always exhibited poor movement coordination, difficulty maintaining balance and the frequent falls. But Mark had always loved sports and exercise so, through hard work, he eventually became a certified personal trainer, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in exercise science and human performance from the University of Alabama.

From his own personal experience, Mark knew that many people living with disabilities had a sedentary lifestyle. Because there are few programs dedicated to encouraging people with disabilities to stay active, “A lot of the time, people with disabilities stay at home a lot and become sedentary”, Mark explains.

So, he decided to take matters into his own hands, and launched his own in-home personal training program dedicated to people with autism. He has now rented a space and opened a gym called Equally Fit, where he welcomes everyone with special needs that want to stay active. Mark creates personalized exercises plans for each of his clients, taking into account their individual needs and capabilities.

Mark’s main goal is to empower the disabled community: “It’s just to try to provide individuals a way to stay active, no matter where they are in their life. Just seeing individuals get healthy, it’s awesome — the healthier these individuals are, the more likely they are to live their best lives.”

Adapted from: https://blog.theautismsite.greatergood.com/puzzle-piece-fitness/
https://www.myautism.org/news-features/trainer-with-autism-helps-others-...

More information: http://www.equallyfit.com/#/

https://youtu.be/DtVwotqjaQM