Fitness
Gyms aren't always accessible spaces, but these PTs are working to change that
Many people would see cerebral palsy as a barrier to a physically demanding career.
But Connor Johnstone has refused to allow his disability to hold him back.
He’s a fully qualified personal trainer with a degree in sports science and a masters in strength and conditioning.
Connor Johnstone also competed in the 2024 World Para Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Abu Dhabi. (Instagram: Connor Johnstone)
Now he’s determined to help other people with a disability who struggle exercising in the gym.
But he hasn’t always been so self-confident.
“I may not have been able to perform the movements in the gym that everyone else could, so that used to always be at the back of my mind, or I felt like I wasn’t smart enough,” he said.
“I think that’s just, all those things you tend to label yourself [with], rather than what actually is reality.”
Connor wants to help others who are struggling to exercise in the gym. (Instagram)
Encouragement from his parents and therapists helped.
“One of the biggest things for me is always trying to find a way to adapt,” he said.
It’s something he also teaches his clients.
“At one of my other practices, there were a lot of children with autism, and I was finding fun ways to do things because they don’t find generic exercises as stimulating or fun,” he said.
Connor Johnstone helps a client work out. (Supplied)
Challenging perceptions
Shaznaye Bin Kali, 15, also challenges perceptions of what a typical gym-goer looks like.
She lives with hemiplegia, a condition that has affected the left side of her body, impacting her arms, legs, and facial muscles.
But at her weekly sessions with her dedicated personal trainer, Grant Gillon, she’s found a space where she feels empowered and supported.
“Shaz started, and she hasn’t looked back. She looks forward to coming to see me every Friday,” Grant said.
Shaznaye Bin Kali with her personal trainer Grant Gillon. (ABC News)
Shaznaye said she enjoyed playful banter with Grant as she exercises.
“I like lap pull downs, bench press, jumping on the bike, tennis, footy, and frisbee,” she said.
Empathy helps
One of the things that bonded the two was Grant’s later-in-life ADHD diagnosis, which he believes has helped him positively connect with clients who have a disability.
“How I think is very similar to a lot of other people with disabilities, and I can be quite sporadic, and I often need to take a step back and try and settle myself,” he said.
“I know for myself there’s often things that I needed to be repeated quite a few times.”
Shaznaye Bin Kali working out with Grant Gillon. (ABC News)
Grant said he’s learned to be more accommodating.
“That’s probably the biggest one. And thinking on my feet,” he said.
Grant said if things don’t work out during his training sessions with clients, he tries to “keep the momentum going” by moving onto the next thing.
“You can’t dwell too much on it,” he said.
Grant’s ADHD diagnosis has helped him connect with clients. (ABC News)
Grant said working with Shaznaye meant a longer set up time to make sure she could train safely.
“We make sure that she’s got a firm grip, or often, I’ll be holding my hand over the top first making sure her grip doesn’t fall off,” Grant said.
“And sometimes we’ll be changing different attachments and handles to see if we can actually get her a little bit of a better grip.”
Grant says he likes to make the gym accessible for everyone. (ABC News)
Grant said he wanted to become a personal trainer because fitness had always been an important part of his life and he wanted to make sure others had the opportunity to participate.
“[The gym] is not always accessible to everyone,” he said.
“I guess that’s probably one of the main motivating factors [for me].”
Push for more PTs with a disability
Grant would like to see more disabled personal trainers in the industry.
“I think the one thing that hinders some people is that they feel inadequate, which can depend on the disability,” he said.
“People might think they won’t be respected due to their disability, or they don’t feel they’re up to par.”
Grant Gillon loves his work as a personal trainer, especially helping clients like Shaznaye Bin Kali. (ABC News: Mitchell Edgar )
Grant’s advice to any aspiring personal trainer who has a disability would be just getting out there and getting involved in learning through experience.
“I’m very passionate what I do, and I enjoy seeing results,” he said.
“I don’t see what I do is anything like amazing or special. I almost feel selfish because it’s something that I really enjoy.”
Connor feels the same way.
“If you’re passionate about something, you can always make it work.”
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Fitness
When Walking for Weight Loss, Should You Keep the Same Pace or Mix It Up? A Trainer Explains
Movement is beneficial for both the mind and the body. Walking, a free and low-impact exercise, is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to reap the benefits. Just 11 minutes of walking per day can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and premature death, research found.
That’s why we launched our Start TODAY app with walking as its core feature. Regardless of whether your goal is to improve mobility, build strength or lose weight, every workout program incorporates walking podcasts to help you get your steps in.
Walking can also improve mood, reduce stress, boosting creativity and encouraging socialization. Now that you’ve found the motivation to get your steps in, it’s time to consider your pace. How quickly you walk can be as important as the amount of time you spend hitting the pavement (or treadmill).
Stephanie Mansour, Start TODAY Fitness Trainer, says the best way to up the ante on your walks is by interval walking.
By regularly increasing and reducing the pace of your walks you’ll “burn even more calories, boost your metabolism and get an even better cardiovascular workout — plus, reap these benefits in less time than doing steady-state cardio,” she said. Learn exactly how to make the most of your walks while picking up the pace.
Trainer Tip of the Day: Mix Up Your Walking Speed
Walking at various speeds is a form of high intensity interval training, or HIIT. This type of exercise requires you to switch between low-intensity exercise and high-intensity moves that will continue to burn calories long after the workout is complete, Mansour said. HIIT has been shown to reduce body fat, benefit your heart and boost metabolism.
Just because walking is often seen as a low-effort exercise doesn’t mean it can’t count as a HIIT workout. You just have to know how.
Luckily, Mansour has done the work for you! She created indoor walking workouts with Al Roker in the Start TODAY app that utilize the interval-style training method. Plus, she recorded guided audio HIIT walks you can follow to incorporate interval training when walking outdoors.
Why It Matters
Walking at any speed has its perks, but when you aim to raise your heart rate during a walk, research has noted greater advantages when compared to walks done at a slower pace.
A brisk walk can improve memory, decision making and bone density. Studies show that walking 80 steps or more per minute reduces the risk of serious illness at a higher percentage than walking 40 steps per minute.
How to Get Started
First, familiarize yourself with what a brisk walk is. A brisk pace typically ranges between 3 to 4 miles per hour, but it’s not one size fits all. To help you determine what it looks like for you, check in with your body. You should still be able to speak while walking without having to catch your breath. If you find yourself breathing heavily or unable to speak, you’re going faster than you need to.
Next, be sure to adequately stretch and warm up. Once that’s done, you’re ready to get going. Incorporating speed work into your walks can be as simple as alternating between a steady pace and a power walk.
You can try to mix up your pace every two minutes, or if you don’t want to time yourself, use your surroundings to track your intervals, Mansour recommended. Walk first at a steady pace, then, once you pass a stop sign, walk briskly until you reach the next stop sign. Continue this way throughout your workout.
If you want to take all the guesswork out of your walk, press play and zone out with guided audio HIIT walks on the Start TODAY app, where Mansour cues your speed changes and shares form tips. Or interval walk right in the comfort of your living room and get your steps (and laughs) in with Start TODAY’s Chief Motivation Officer, Al Roker.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
Stone says that you don’t need to use much weight. Just a pound, or a kilo or two, will do it. Start slowly and increase the weight gradually.
“I would also strongly suggest that if you’ve never lifted weights before, go find somebody who knows something about it,” Stone adds.
Free weights and barbells are a good choice is you’re relatively healthy.Credit: iStock
Weight machines
This is probably the least intimidating option for the beginner. The machines offer stability and a fixed pattern of movement and they give beginners a chance to get familiar with the movements involved in strength training.
“Machines are a good way to start,” Escamilla says. “They’re safe and easy and you don’t need a lot of technique or skill to do them.”
Escamilla points out they also reduce the risk of injury, isolate muscles and help build confidence as you’re starting out. The machines also are more time effective.
“Start here and then you can gravitate to free weight and other options,” Escamilla said.
Resistance bands and tubes
These are the most portable options. They can help to build muscle, improve flexibility and balance, and don’t require signing up for a gym membership. The bands or tubes are made of elastic and come in a variety of sizes and resistance levels.
Bands also come in fabric models.
“They take up no room to pack and they’re super-cheap,” Escamilla said. “You can take them with you as you travel – just throw them in your suitcase.”
You can use them to work your legs, arms, back, chest and shoulders and other muscle groups. They can be used in many configurations and may be less intimidating than dumbbells or barbells.
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“The bands won’t cut it for a 300-pound (140kg) football player,” Escamilla says. “But they’re good for your average person — your average adult.”
Body weight resistance
The idea with every weight-resistance exercise is to overload the muscles. Your own body weight can be used to do this.
Exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges and planks and others fall into this category.
“Your body weight can be used as a form of resistance,” Escamilla said. “You can get a good workout doing these and you need almost no equipment.”
No matter the option, Stone emphasises the need to vary your exercises — both the types and the number of repetitions. You can also vary locations, perhaps choosing an outdoor gym for your workouts.
Outdoor gyms are often found on beaches such as the one at the popular Barceloneta beach in Barcelona, Spain.
“You can’t do the same number of sets and repetitions all the time and expect to get better results,” Stone said. “You get stale and monotony can set in.”
AP
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Fitness
Post-cancer exercise plan lowers death and recurrence rates, according to a study | – Times of India
Regular exercise has numerous benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that cancer patients who participated in a structured exercise program had better outcomes, living longer without cancer recurrence and having a lower risk of death. The study’s findings suggest that exercise should be a key component of cancer treatment, helping patients live longer and healthier lives. By incorporating exercise into their care plan, cancer patients can potentially improve their survival rates and reduce the risk of recurrence of cancer.
The study tells how regular exercise lowers the risk of cancer recurrence
The clinical trial, conducted across multiple countries, followed nearly 900 patients diagnosed with stage II and stage III colon cancer. Participants had completed surgery and chemotherapy and were split into two groups: one group received structured exercise coaching twice monthly for the first six months, then monthly for three years, and the other group received usual care without specific exercise guidance.
The results of the study were striking
Those in the exercise group had a 28% lower risk of cancer recurrence or developing a new cancer. More significantly, they had a 37% lower risk of death from any cause during an eight-year follow-up period. Cardiovascular fitness and endurance also improved in the exercise group, as shown by a better six-minute walk test and VO₂ max results.
Experts suggest structured exercise should be a part of a cancer recovery plan
As CNN spoke with Dr. Leana Wen, the potential for exercise to revolutionize cancer treatment became clear. The study’s findings are significant, showing that exercise can substantially reduce the risk of recurrent or new cancers and death. According to Dr. Wen, these results could change cancer treatment protocols. Currently, patients often receive general advice to exercise after treatment, but many don’t receive structured support. She suggests that patients should have “exercise prescriptions” and healthcare providers should track their progress. Insurance companies might also consider covering health coaching for cancer patients, potentially reducing the need for costly treatments.
Why exercise helps fight cancer
According to Dr. Leana Wen, exercise doesn’t just make you feel good, it alters your body at a cellular and hormonal level, helping to:
- Regulate hormones like insulin and estrogen that are linked to cancer growth.
- Reduce chronic inflammation, which contributes to cancer progression.
- Enhance immune function, supporting your body’s ability to detect and destroy abnormal cells.
- Support a healthy body weight, which is a major factor in cancer recurrence.
- This multi-layered impact makes exercise a powerful, non-pharmacological tool for improving cancer outcomes.
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