All MFN blog Archives - Page 40 of 140

Try These 5 Snacks to Lower Your Cholesterol

Jessica Chapman/4 August 2021/ All MFN blog/

High cholesterol levels can dramatically increase your risk of heart disease. In particular, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the bad kind of cholesterol, and it’s the kind you most certainly do not want floating around in your bloodstream.

The good news is that, by sticking to the right diet, you can reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your blood and keep them at healthy quantities. You should make sure to eat only foods with lots of healthy fat and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grains, legumes (for plant protein), and lean meats like fish and chicken. Just increasing your fiber intake can reduce your cholesterol levels by 10% or more.

If you already have high cholesterol levels, it’s important that you don’t aggravate the problem by taking even more saturated fats in your diet. Try to reduce quantities of dairy and meat in your diet, keeping them at no more than 5% of your daily caloric intake. For someone who consumes 2,000 calories a day, that’s no more than 11 grams.

You should also be careful about which snacks you consume. Many snacks are highly processed, which means they’ll contain high amounts of fat. Try to stick to healthy snack options that are packed with healthy fat and fiber.

In this article, we’ll help you do just that by recommending 5 super snack foods that will keep your cholesterol levels as low as they need to be. They are all homemade, so it’s stuff you can get when doing your regular grocery shopping. They’re also quite easy to prepare and flexible enough that you can use them as inspiration for your own recipes. Each of the snacks below is packed with healthy unsaturated fats, plenty of fiber, and consists of whole grains, vegetables, or fruits. They also have very little LDL cholesterol.

Avocado on Toast

Avocado is a popular fruit well known for its high amounts of healthy unsaturated fats. It has also been shown to drastically lower the amount of unhealthy LDL cholesterol in the body. Taking just half an avocado will provide up to 5 grams of fiber, more than enough to meet your daily requirements. If you take it with some whole-grain toast you can get even more fiber from the mix.

Making avocado toast is very easy. Simply toast a slice or two of whole-grain bread, peel and slice an avocado up thinly and top the bread with it. If you’d like to add some flavor, sprinkle some herbs and maybe a bit of lemon juice.

Tuna Wraps

Tuna is a very nutritious food, with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is a healthy unsaturated fat that drastically lowers bad cholesterol levels in the blood. It also tastes really good if you’re into fish!

To make some tuna wraps, start by making a tuna salad. Get a can of tuna and mix it with your favorite vegetables, such as celery, onion, or something else. Don’t forget to pour some olive oil into the mix too.

For the wrap, you can also get nori, a type of seaweed that comes in thin, edible sheets. Wrap the tuna in the nori and eat to your heart’s content! Alternatively, if seaweed isn’t your thing, you can get lettuce leaves to make tuna sandwiches.

Curried Salmon Salad Celery Boats

While we’re still on the topic of fish, salmon is yet another fantastic option. It is a delicious food and also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Also, just like tuna, it can be used to make nutritious and delicious snacks.

To make salmon salad, get a can of salmon and oil-based mayonnaise. Mix the two together, and throw in some chopped grapes, curry powder, honey, and cashews. Next, take some of your delicious salad and place it on a few celery sticks to make a simple snack for your taste buds and health.

Guacamole

Let’s take a quick moment to revisit the glorious avocado with this simple yet delicious and nutritious snack. Guacamole is simply a fancy name for avocado salad. You can make it by getting a ripe avocado and mixing half of it with a diced tomato, a chopped onion, some minced garlic, and some lime juice to give that extra zing. To give the guacamole even more character, you can mix it with slices of your favorite vegetables, such as asparagus, bell peppers, and carrots.

Oatmeal

If you want a snack that gives you plenty of energy, oatmeal bites are yet another great option. Not only are they very low in bad cholesterol, but they are also a rich source of protein. You can make your own high-protein snack using rolled oats, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, nut butter, dried fruit, honey, and some dark chocolate.

Mix the ingredients into a thick paste that you can easily mold, and then scoop some portions and roll them into balls. Throw them in the fridge for long term storage, taking them out whenever you’re going out and need some energy!

Jessica Chapman is a college paper writer and editor at BrillAssignment. She also writes best assignment writing service UK reviews. She is into sports and politics and enjoys traveling.

Active Aging Fitness

KOMPAN Fitness Institute/3 August 2021/ All MFN blog/

The future will see an increased proportion of elderly people throughout all modern societies. It is estimated by the WHO (World Health Organization) that in the year 2050 there will be equally as many elderly people in the world as there are children (1). Not only will there be more elderly people but the perception of being old will also continue to change. Previously, age was seen as a natural weakness process and reduction in lifestyle options.

Medical Insurance and Medical Fitness or Exercise Therapy Coaching

Heather Nusbaum/1 August 2021/ All MFN blog/

Can you accept insurance for medical fitness/exercise therapy? Can your clients use their FSA & HSA (medical savings account) for your services? The answer to both questions is yes, however, it’s not an easy yes. The only way for your clients to do these two things is if you are billing for qualified medical expenses.

What are qualified medical expenses? Qualified medical expenses are expenses that mitigate, treat, or prevent disease per IRS.gov Publication 502. The IRS narrows the expenses that are deductible even more by limiting the qualified expenses to supplies (example: KT Tape) or an action being billed that will alleviate or prevent disability or illness. The catch for medical fitness/exercise therapy is that general health and well-being are not qualified medical expenses.

So, how can your client use their insurance or medical savings accounts for your services? The client needs their doctor to provide them with a prescription that identifies your services as medically necessary. The doctor saying you really need to lose weight is not a prescription.

What expenses or activities are covered per the IRS Publication 502? One example is a weight loss program for a client with a medical need for weight-loss. The weight-loss program becomes medically necessary when the doctor has diagnosed the client with obesity, heart disease, or some other disease and has determined that your weight-loss program or something similar will help the client improve or alleviate the disease or condition. What isn’t covered as a qualified medical expense are the dues for your club, the weight-loss program for a client without the prescription from the doctor, or the sessions to maintain good health after you fixed the problem your client had a prescription. The key is that a doctor or medical professional has diagnosed a disease and given the client a prescription for your services.

Accepting FSA & HSA is as simple as contacting your credit card processor and making sure you are set up correctly in their system. Most of the time this is as easy as answering a few questions about what you do. Making the decision to accept medical insurance at your facility is a much more extensive process, one that will require you to have a NPI (National Provider Identifier) number and a lot of extra time for the processing, filing, and record-keeping that goes along with dealing with medical insurance companies.

In short, if your client has a medical necessity for your services and their doctor has given them a prescription, then your client can use their FSA or HSA for their sessions. They also may be able to submit their receipts back to their insurance company for reimbursement. If your client doesn’t have a medical savings account or an insurance company that will reimburse them for their expenses, they can collect the receipts for the services, that qualify as medically necessary, and submit them with their taxes to their tax preparer. There are minimum limits that clients must reach before they can start using their medical expenses as itemized deductions. Their tax professional can help them with this.

To learn more about exactly what is and isn’t considered a qualified medical expense refer to the IRS Publication 502: irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf

Heather Nusbaum is a Certified Management Accountant, Exercise Physiologist, Licensed Massage Therapist, MELT Instructor, and Master Trainer with NASM & ISSA. In 2013, Heather created Paws for Fitness a program to incorporate canines in the workout process. Over the years, this program has become a therapeutic modality within the training protocols of her business Nutree Fitness.

How did Heather go from Accounting and Business to Exercise Physiology? At a young age Heather was diagnosed with ‘Dysfunctional Knees’, this was a label that was attached to describe being in pain 24/7. This pain continued for the next 15+ years. After gaining weight due to age and inactivity, she realized that something had to give in her early 30’s. On her own she picked up and modified a box program and within 1 year had completely removed all the knee pain she’d suffered for the last 15+ years. Over the next few years it became apparent that she could help other people do what she had accomplished by accident, improving their quality of life and moving toward a pain free existence.

The Naturopathic Chef: Mega Hydration Electrolyte Refreshers

Tina Martini/30 July 2021/ All MFN blog/

For the summer heat, these drink recipes assist with both cooling the core and replenishing of lost minerals and antioxidants. The Agua Lettuce is also an antiaging beauty secret due to the high content of Chlorophyll.

MS and Circuit Training

David Lyons/29 July 2021/ All MFN blog/

I was recently told that a very high percentage of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) DO NOT exercise. As a fitness professional with MS, that blew me away. I wish I could find the actual percentage but I don’t think that’s a statistic high on the priority list for any studies! But with all the time I spend in the MS community educating about fitness, I tend to believe that this is a fact, as I hear so many say they don’t exercise because they don’t know how. This is where I have found my niche to fill the gap.

According to Multiple Sclerosis News Today, “The first study on the benefits that exercise can provide to people with MS was published by University of Utah researchers in 1996. The participants improved their cardiovascular, bladder and bowel function, increased their strength, experienced less fatigue, developed a more positive attitude, and suffered fewer bouts of depression”.

With information and proof like this, why don’t more people with MS get into the gym, exercise at home or do some form of fitness program? My answer is lack of knowledge and fear. When you don’t know where to start, don’t understand how to find an exercise program that fits you, or you are not educated on the benefits of exercise for MS, you become immobilized and therefore do nothing. I believe this is the main reason why the percentage of MSers who aren’t exercising is so high.

This is where becoming a MS Fitness Specialist makes a ton of sense. Providing a proper workout plan for those with MS is not just a great thing to do, but a much-needed service.

There is a very good selection of workouts that can benefit people with MS, and one of these programs is circuit training. This type of workout gets your heart rate up and strengthens your muscles at the same time. You will never get bored in a circuit training program.

With little rest between each exercise, you rapidly go from one exercise machine to another to work different muscle groups. Depending on the intensity of the workout, you may use 8 or 12 different machines performing a different exercise and muscle group each stop.

I have my clients do 10-12 reps at each machine, using a time under tension (TUT) pace, lasting between 120–144 seconds, before moving on to the next stop.

To keep things exciting and motivating, you can change it up a bit by switching the exercises you do for each body part. A circuit training workout can be done at the gym with equipment, at home with dumbbells and resistance bands, or on an outdoor fitness trail by alternating push-ups and squats with fast-paced walking, jogging or biking.

You will need 20-30 minutes to take a MS client through the workout. The great thing about circuit training is it is easy to adjust the level of intensity by the rest time spent, the pace you perform each movement (TUT), and the speed in which you go through the circuit. A program like this works all areas of your body so you get an effective full-body workout in a short amount of time, as long as you select an exercise for each muscle group: core, arms, chest, back, shoulders and legs. The cardiovascular aspect of the program is taken care of in the time spent at rest. The less rest between sets and exercises, the more your heart rate will be elevated and the more heart-healthy cardio benefits you will receive.

There are many benefits in a circuit training routine as it is aerobic, low-impact and strength training all wrapped up in one program. You get the benefits of muscle building and toning along with a cardio workout. So, if you’re looking for a full-body workout for a MS client that can be don in 30 minutes or less, circuit training checks off all the boxes. The exercise options are endless as well with the variety of machines, resistance bands, free weights and bodyweight movements that can be incorporated into this style of program. Circuit training is an excellent workout choice for MS once you completely understand how to do it at a level that is safe yet challenging for the client you put through this program.

I want to see the percentage of people exercising with MS to overshadow the percentage that do not. You have a tremendous opportunity to be a solution to avoid in the fitness industry by becoming a MS FitnessSpecialist and working with a community that needs you.

David Lyons, BS, CPT, is the founder of the MS Bodybuilding Challenge and co-founder of the MS Fitness Challenge with wife Kendra. He has dedicated his life to helping people with MS understand and be educated on the importance of fitness in their lives. He is an author and sought after motivational speaker, dedicated to helping others by sharing the lessons gained from his life experience. His most recent book, Everyday Health & Fitness with Multiple Sclerosis was a #1 New Release on Amazon at its release. He is the 2013 recipient of the Health Advocate of the Year Award; in 2015, he received the first ever Health Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Lifetime Fitness Inspiration Award in Feb 2016. In 2017, David received the Special Recognition Award from the National Fitness Hall of Fame.

trainer-and-client-exercise-fitness-machine

Healing is a Skill

Dr. Donald Richardson/28 July 2021/ All MFN blog/

One aspect of training and conditioning the human body the right way, that I find particularly fascinating, is the anabolic effect that occurs, and the healing response that it creates. Anabolic, or anabolism, refers to the metabolic process of building up tissue structure in the body. You can easily remember that anabolism refers to building up when you think about anabolic steroids – the performance-enhancing drugs that bodybuilders, baseball players, and others have used to gain bulk. However, we are not talking about artificial anabolism through taking anabolic steroids here; we are talking about the body’s natural and healthy anabolism. Many times, this anabolic effect gets discussed among athletes and strength coaches in terms of getting bigger, faster, and stronger, or amongst fitness enthusiasts in terms of shedding fat, looking lean and ripped, and feeling great. However, when we think about anabolic response from an injury standpoint, one of the best parts of an elevated anabolic effect is the tissue growth and healing response it stimulates.

To further discuss anabolism in the body, we must understand that metabolic processes are controlled by our body’s hormones. Hormones regulate many of the major physiologic processes in our bodies. These processes include metabolism, appetite, strength, lean muscle mass, body fat percentage, body composition, tissue integrity, heart rate, blood pressure, energy and fatigue, mood, sex drive, emotions, and stress. Many factors affect hormone levels, including nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and physical, emotional, and mental stress. We cannot control all of these factors, but we are able to control some of them.

One major factor influencing hormone regulation that we as humans are (for the most part) in control of is physical activity, aka exercise. The type of exercise is important. The intensity and the duration of exercise are the two main factors to consider when thinking about how hormones will be influenced by exercise. This is why I say training the body the “right way” will produce an anabolic effect. We will get back to exactly what the “right way” is in terms of hormone regulation in the next section. For now, let’s finish discussing how these hormones are promoting a healing effect in the body.

Basically, exercise is really a form of trauma to the body. Correct exercise training is a controlled, mild form of trauma done in a very specific way to produce a very specific result. So one main, and very cool, thing that happens when you consistently train your body the right way is that you are actually teaching your body how to recover from damage. You are training your body to recover from trauma. You are literally teaching your body how to heal in a more efficient manner. The way I see it, healing is a skill. You can train yourself to be better at that skill!

Dr. Donnie Richardson, DC, CCSP, DACBSP, CSCS, is a Sports Medicine Specialist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Dr. Donnie has worked for the Many United States National Teams since 2008, serving as both a team doctor and sports performance coach, traveling both nationally and traveling internationally all over the world with our countries top athletes. Dr. Donnie also owns and operates his own private practice in Los Angeles, Universal Sports Performance, offering services ranging from sports medicine, injury diagnosis, physical rehabilitation, physiotherapy, injury prevention, sports performance training, personal fitness training, nutrition and diet programming, among other health care services.

A Pandemic Post Mortem

Shira Litwack/27 July 2021/ All MFN blog/

Positive points to ponder “post-mortem-ing” the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am NOT claiming an end to the pandemic, but we are starting to achieve a semblance of normality. Let’s see how far we have come.

Finding the silver lining of the pandemic

I am not minimizing at all the gravity of the pandemic. Many people died from COVID-19. We also lost many loved ones from other ailments, mental and physical, because of the lack of accessible medical care. No question, it has been a tragedy.

Lessons learned: When we learn from something so impactful and tragic, it comes with unparalleled growth and strength. Research suggests that negative experiences in life serve to boost meaning and appreciation. Difficult times stimulate deep introspection and bring an understanding of how those experiences fit into a broader narrative of the self, relationships and the world — a respected pillar of the meaning in life. We become stronger physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually from braving life. There is no better teacher in life than the school of hard knocks.

So what have we learned from the pandemic?

Sure, health is everything. The greatest wealth is health…

We all have spoken these words. My hope: this pandemic will convince people to put “lowering chronic inflammation” at the very top of their health priorities. COVID-19 proved to be far more aggressive and fatal to some because of a cytokine storm… a massive inflammatory response. Those who have pre-existing conditions like diabetes or heart disease — all inflammatory conditions fell prey much easier. However, younger “stronger” people also suffered the cytokine storms of COVID-19. Everybody needs to be conscious of lowering their levels of inflammation.

I have penned many articles here on MFN about inflammation – and how we need to manage it. I was also honored to be part of the book released this past February The Successful Body – where I contributed a chapter on chronic inflammation. My #1 goal is to make “lowering our levels of inflammation” into our daily health vernacular.

Being our own health advocate. Be independent, take charge!

All of a sudden this unknown force called COVID-19 swooped in and overnight there went our access to doctors and diagnostics. A perpetually social species, the human species was forced into hibernation. This was a very long pandemic. We had to learn to cope; get medical attention while doctor offices were closed and hospitals were strongly encouraging people to stay home.

Thank goodness for telehealth, remote diagnostics, in-home testing. We would have lost many more lives if it were not for telemedicine. Telemedicine usage has increased by over 3000% since the end of 2019.

Telehealth and remote health have existed for a number of years, but there was a strong resistance. People (hopefully) will take charge, and now realize the need for being more independent and proactive in getting healthy and getting healthcare.

Creative thinking, paradigm-shifting & self-discipline have had the ultimate workout!

Getting our exercise and physical activity
Self-discipline to not sit on our glutes all day
Not watch TV
Not to eat nonstop, drink alcohol, smoke (the toughest challenge for many)
Working from home
Schooling kids from home
Shop for our needs
Got better with tech!

Adaptation is the greatest evolutionary advantage. We most certainly exercised our ability to adapt!

Gratitude and Appreciation

Research has found neurological reasons why people benefit from expressing thanks for our lives, especially in times of challenge and change, providing longer lasting positivity.

Harvard Medical School:
“With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals – whether to other people, nature, or a higher power”

We learned to manage the material needs, but now we really appreciate each other — how vital friendship and touch are to every aspect of our entire being.

How strong we are… this was more than life throwing us a curveball, this was a sucker punch. Pat yourself on the back for getting up, having to be more creative about how to earn your living, staying healthy, having some semblance of a social life, being with loved ones. We had to totally rewire our lives. We have charted new territories, within all the challenges and limitations of a pandemic. Kudos!

Shira Litwack has been in chronic care management and prevention for 30 years, specializing in lifestyle habits including holistic nutrition, medical fitness and oxidative stress reduction. She is frequently called upon by the media, has her own podcast bringing current research to the public. She has created and provided oxidative stress assessments, to help clients identify potential health risks. From these, she provides guidance to lower inflammation. Shira is now a product specialist with a major COVID-19 test kit supplier, working with epidemiologists educating people on COVID testing, and setting up and designing protocol for COVID testing clinics

Exercise is great, but it shouldn’t injure you!

Charlie Rowe/26 July 2021/ All MFN blog/

“Many people trying online routines during the coronavirus pandemic are finding it’s not so easy to do them right.” A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, titled “New Home Workouts Come With New Aches and Pains”, has pointed out an unfortunate side effect of folks exercising at home during the pandemic shelter-in-place order.

They are getting injured.

Social media has been saturated with home-based exercise programs as the fitness industry works hard to get, and keep, individuals exercising during this intense, but temporary, period of partial social isolation and staying at home.

We wish we could tell you that under any and all conditions you should always be pursuing exercise because it is always good for you…

It’s not!

“This is chess, not checkers” —Alonzo Harris: Denzel Washington’s Character in the movie, Training Day

Of course, we commend everyone who has made the wise choice to begin and sustain a regular routine of physical exercise.

Exercise is simple, right?

It looks so easy when the trainer and therapists are doing it on the video.

There is a name for the exercise, there is a way it is supposed to be done, you do it, and it helps you!

Right?

Apparently not.

Physical exercise is certainly presented like checkers: a relatively simple and easy game that doesn’t require a lot of skill and deep thinking… some quick fun for the family.

But physical exercise is really more like chess. Chess is a complex game that requires deeper thinking, patience, and skill. So is physical exercise.

Why?

Because the human body is really complicated!

Because exercise places stress on your body.

There are hundreds of muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones, and on and on.

These structures and tissues have varying properties and tolerances for handling stress.

Some are better at it than others. If you haven’t exposed some of them to the demands of the physical stress of exercise in awhile, or you have had surgeries, previous injuries, or diseases that negatively affect some of your body’s tissues then they just might not be ready.

Instead of being a great thing to do to promote health and wellness, physical exercise becomes a process that degrades it.

But there is a solution.

1 Take honest stock of your own body. Ask yourself some questions:

How long has it been since I really exercised and moved the way that an exercise is “supposed” to be done?
Have I had injuries or surgeries that could have compromised parts of my system

2. Put the ego aside. Expediency is the wrong mindset for exercise. Physical exercise is a long game.

3. Start slowly and do not assume that because an exercise looks easy it will be.

4. Pay attention to body signals. You’re the expert on your bodily experience. Trust that. If it doesn’t feel right to you stop or modify.

5. Take on the perspective of what is the least amount of exercise I need to do to reach my goal, not the most. Overdosing exercise is the problem.

6. Seek professional guidance and support from a qualified healthcare professional and trainer.

Get a thorough pre-exercise assessment to identify any areas of your body that need to be shored up prior to engaging in unrestricted physical exercise.

7. Take Dr. Nicholas DiNubile’s Advice: “The managed dose of exercise that will do the most for you – without harming you – needs to be measured out for you alone.” (1)

If you have been injured while exercising, see your physician to make sure nothing really serious has happened that will require medical attention. When the doctor gets done, and there is no serious problem, seek out an Exercise Professional from the MedFit Network to discuss how we can help measure out the right dose of exercise – just for you – so you can exercise safely and effectively for life.

Co-written by Charlie Rowe and Greg Mack.

Charlie Rowe, CMSS joined Physicians Fitness in the fall of 2007 after spending 9 years as the Senior Personal Trainer at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. He has also worked within an outpatient Physical Therapy Clinic coordinating care with the Physical Therapist since joining Physicians Fitness. Charlie has earned the Cooper Clinic’s Certified Personal Trainer, the NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Health Fitness Specialist, Resistance Training Specialist Master Level, and American Council on Exercise Certified Orthopedic Exercise Specialist Certifications.

Greg Mack is a gold-certified ACE Medical Exercise Specialist and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. He is the founder and CEO of the corporation Fitness Opportunities. Inc. dba as Physicians Fitness and Exercise Professional Education. He is also a founding partner in the Muscle System Consortia. Greg has operated out of chiropractic clinics, outpatient physical therapy clinics, a community hospital, large gyms, and health clubs, as well operating private studios. His experience in working in such diverse venues enhanced his awareness of the wide gulf that exists between the medical community and fitness facilities, particularly for those individuals trying to recover from, and manage, a diagnosed disease.

References

(1) DiNubile, MD, Nicholas A. Framework: Your 7-Step program for healthy muscles, bones, and joints, 2005, Page xix.

When To Pass “Go”: Criteria for Baseline Mastery and Coaching The Neuroadaptive Population

Eric Chessen, M.S./23 July 2021/ All MFN blog/

“So every few weeks you change things up, right?”

A common question asked by parents when I begin working with a new athlete in my program.

“I change the exercises once we see independent mastery. Variety is just variety without pre-requisite skills being developed. So yes, I’ll add some new exercises…when it makes sense.”

If there’s one thing I can’t do it might be avoiding long-winded sentences.

For the autism and other neuroadaptive populations, developing strength and enhancing motor skills does not come easily. Pre-existing deficits in motor control and stability can present a challenge for engaging in a variety of physical activities. Many individuals with ASD often find physical activity aversive due to myriad factors. Among these are;

New/novel tasks and environments

Instructions that may be unclear

Elevated anxiety and uncertainty

The pathology behind movement limitations is a combination, mostly a feedback loop, of muscular and neurological impediments. Differentiation in neuronal firing for those with autism causes a delay in neuromuscular performance, often resulting in movement that can be described as “clunky,” “inhibited,” and compensatory patterns are often observed.

Given the importance of fitness, particularly the development of strength and stability for neuroadaptive populations, it is critical to implement programming that addresses strength deficits and contraindicated movement patterns. An effective approach progresses or regresses exercises based on current level of ability.

Criteria for Baseline Mastery (CfBM) is a protocol borrowed from the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). CfBM provides us a clear description of when a skill is mastered and what the requirements are for that goal. Mastery, in this definition, means that the skill can be performed to a particular level independently.

In our Autism Fitness™ programs, we use CfBM to set goals, track progress, and provide appropriate progressions and regressions for each athlete with every exercise. With squats, we very often reduce range of motion (ROM) by having the athlete squat to a box or similar stable platform. Depending on trunk stability, an upper body support may also be required. Having the athlete hold onto a band (held lengthwise by the coach), provides additional support. What we’re after is the athlete’s best performance of the squat with a complete reduction of compensatory movement.

Establishing a standard for performance enables us to set both general and specific goals for each athlete. For squats, as with most of our strength-focused exercises, we use 3 sets of 10 reps as our goal. Within those sets and repetitions, we are looking for stability and control throughout the entire range of motion (hips below parallel). While 3 x 10 may initially read like a standard-issue hypertrophy protocol (not necessarily bad, either), there is further reason to embrace this scheme. Three sets provides enough stimulus for the athlete and enough observational opportunity for the coach for integrity or technical breakdown of the movement. If and when the athlete is able to maintain technical control of the squat for 3 sets of 10 reps, it will be abundantly clear that they have mastered the skill, at least to the current level of challenge.

We use 10 repetitions because it takes us far enough away from maximal loading to be safe (especially for detrained athletes) and an excellent range for improving general strength and muscular development. If an athlete can perform 10 consecutive squats below parallel maintaining rooted foot position and spinal integrity, we have valid claim to progressing the exercise.

For those with neurodevelopmental challenges, it may take months to improve on a particular exercise. Strength and stability aside, proprioception (the real-world “mind/body” relationship) often presents as a particular obstacle. Our athlete may confuse squatting with bouncing or sitting, intentionally or unintentionally rushing through the exercise.

We have to be careful in assessing the underlying reason for the bounce and/or sit squat. When we consider through the lens of the PAC Profile™, we ask whether this is a physical, adaptive, and/or cognitive concern. For each possibility, we can apply particular questions.

Physical: Is the squat progressed beyond the current capability of the athlete and are they compensating as a result?

Adaptive: Is the athlete sufficiently motivated to complete the exercise at their current level of ability?

Cognitive: Does the athlete understand the expectation for performance of the squat? Are we certain it is clear for them?

Our goal for each athlete, strictly from the physical perspective, is safe and effective performance of each exercise or movement pattern before adding variety. Building a foundation of strength, stability, and motor planning can have restorative and preventative benefits and enhance quality of life at any age.

Eric Chessen, M.S. is the Founder of Autism Fitness. An Exercise Physiologist with an extensive background in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Eric has coached successful fitness and adapted PE programs for the neurodiverse population over 18 years. Eric is the creator of the Autism Fitness™ Certification and PAC Profile™ Method. He is also Director of Neuroadaptive Programming for Inclusive Fitness. He resides in Charlotte, NC. Go to AutismFitness.com for more information.