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Gyms aren't always accessible spaces, but these PTs are working to change that

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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.

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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 lifts heavy, colourful weights in a gym

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.

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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.

A personal trainer pictured from behind who is working with a client pulling an elastic band

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.

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“Shaz started, and she hasn’t looked back. She looks forward to coming to see me every Friday,” Grant said.

Grant hugs Shaznaye

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.

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“I know for myself there’s often things that I needed to be repeated quite a few times.”

Shaznaye on the workout bike next to Grant

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.

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Grant hugs Shaznaye

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.”

Shaznaye punches Grant in a gym

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.

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“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.”

A personal trainer and his young client playfully box in a gym setting.

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.

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“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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Can’t Get To The Gym RN? I’m Opting For Plank Shoulder Taps After A PT Confirmed They’re The Most Effective Home Move

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Can’t Get To The Gym RN? I’m Opting For Plank Shoulder Taps After A PT Confirmed They’re The Most Effective Home Move

How many times have you said, “I can’t believe it’s December already,” this year? If your answer veers somewhere between “a fair few” and “honestly, I’ve lost count”, you’re in good company. It’s become the seasonal equivalent of asking about the weather – a reliable go-to as the year starts winding down. And while I’ll spare you the usual cosy festive clichés, December is the month when gym plans loosen, and most of us swap weighted plates for quality time and mince pies.

Still, if moving your body is something that helps you feel grounded, there’s no reason you can’t carve out little pockets for it over the festive period (just as there’s absolutely no shame in pressing pause altogether). Research consistently shows that even short bursts of exercise can support both mental and physical health, which is why keeping one or two genuinely effective, at-home moves in your back pocket can be a lifesaver when festive stress starts simmering.

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Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

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Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

Making healthy, sustainable choices for our health and fitness can often feel like a secondary goal, always on the back burner. The philosophy of Stoicism, originating in Greece and refined in Rome, offers a timeless framework for living well. Its four cardinal virtues, taught by philosophers such as Plato, are wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. These virtues can help you navigate health, wellness and fitness decisions with clarity and purpose by helping you:

  • Make healthier choices (moderation in food/drink; exercise)
  • Reduce stress through focusing on what’s controllable
  • Push outside your comfort zone to grow
  • Act responsibly for our community
  • Find peace by accepting mortality

Together, these lead to a more virtuous, less anxious, and purposeful life, which inherently supports well-being and longer, better living. 

Wisdom (Understanding/Learning)

Wisdom starts with learning, but it also requires understanding what is truly within your control: your judgments, actions and responses. Working out for an hour a day is the easy part of the fitness goal. The other waking hours of making healthy choices are the more challenging parts of the goal. In health and fitness, this means focusing on your habits and mindset rather than worrying about uncontrollable outcomes such as genetics or trendy social media posts from fitness influencers selling supplements. In a nutshell, use wisdom in these three ways to improve health, fitness and wellness: 

  • Control what you can control. Do this especially when faced with setbacks, such as a missed workout or a slip in diet. Redirect your energy toward what you can do next, not what you cannot change.
  • Seek facts, not opinions. Approach nutrition, exercise plans and wellness advice with an objective mind that is based on science. Avoid emotional reactions and look for evidence-based information.
  • Make sound choices. Use reason to evaluate what’s beneficial or harmful for your training and nutrition, avoiding extreme diets or fad workout routines. 

 

Courage (to Push Outside Your Comfort Zone)

Courage is not just about bravery. Courage is more about enduring discomfort and doing the right thing, especially when it’s hard. In your fitness journey, this means pushing through challenges and facing fears, such as trying a new activity or simply walking into a gym for the first time. The courage to challenge yourself with activities you are new to or not good at doing will help you become a well-rounded exerciser with performance and longevity goals. Try these three ways to add courage that enables you to make better decisions:

  • Accept the discomfort that comes with growth, whether it’s physical strain in exercise or emotional struggle in changing habits.
  • Remain focused on your goals and health commitments. Prioritize sleep, rest or recovery, and along with not skipping training days, even when external pressures tempt you otherwise.
  • Act objectively and see your circumstances as they are, not how you wish them to be, and respond realistically to challenges. Assess your progress regularly.

Justice (Fairness and Kindness)

Justice is about treating others and yourself with fairness, kindness and respect. In fitness, much is passed down from the older generation to the younger. Be that person who shares what you know with the next generation. This means supporting a positive training environment, whether at the gym, in group classes or among friends and family.

  • Treat others well by showing encouragement to people at every stage of their health journey, regardless of ability or background. This is powerful in people’s lives and makes you feel good, too.
  • Serve others by sharing knowledge, motivating workout partners, family members, and contributing to a supportive culture of activity to help others build the habit of fitness. Justice is also holding each other accountable.
  • Teach and communicate about your experiences, failures, and successes with humility. Having others learn from your mistakes and experiences is a smart way to communicate with the younger generation and beginners to fitness.

Temperance (Moderation and Discipline)

Temperance is discipline. None of these works can be done without discipline. We must learn to manage desires, impulses and habits to avoid excess in anything. In fitness and wellness, this virtue is vital for long-term success and well being. Training needs to be balanced with recovery, and this takes discipline to make some days easier than others. Too much of any good thing becomes a bad thing.

  • Avoid too much food, social media, supplements or even exercise. Balance is key to optimal performance, longevity and long-term goal achievement.
  • Manage impulsive responses to stress, frustration or temptation, choosing actions that keep you on track with your values and goals.
  • Practice discipline by doing things that are good for you, even when you do not want to.  Working out daily is often the easy part. The rest of the day, when food choices are tempting us to cheat on our diet, is the hardest for most people.

For many who find comfort in making the easy options or cheating on diets, you can also experience the same comfort (dopamine hit) by not doing it and choosing the healthier choice. These four virtues work together to flip the switch on how your body responds to new disciplined actions. For example, justice requires wisdom to discern the right action. Then, it takes courage to act on those insights and push yourself outside the comfort zone. Finally, deciding to be disciplined and hold firm is the temperance that avoids selfishness or excess. In your health journey, applying all four virtues helps you stay resilient, make thoughtful choices, and build a sense of purpose and connection.

You can also use the Military.com Fitness Section to aid your health, wellness, and fitness journey. There are thousands of articles and videos full of practical tools for building resilience, mitigating stress and disciplined living for optimal performance and longevity. By focusing on what you can control, acting with courage and kindness to others, and practicing self-discipline, you create a foundation for lasting health and wellness, not just for yourself, but for the wider community as well.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you’re thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.

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This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

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This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

Why you can trust Live Science


Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you’re looking to get back into exercising, or are just starting out, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 may be the best fitness tracker for you. This fitness tracker does a great job of tracking your workouts and summarizing the data in an easy-to-understand format, without overcomplicating anything. The interface is user-friendly, and even those who aren’t into tech should be able to navigate around this smartwatch in no time at all.

While this is a budget fitness tracker, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in features. You can do more than just track your workouts with this smart band: you can also track your sleep, stress levels, heart rate and so much more. There’s also no shortage of sports modes — with 150+ to choose from, you’re bound to find the workout you want on this watch.

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