If your partner is having a rough day, what do you do to brighten it? You might swing by the store and grab some their favorite flowers  for a thoughtful surprise. Maybe you decide to take them out on a date and help them clear their head of whatever has been bothering them that day. For me, I throw on an Amy Schumer movie or Netflix special and know that it will bring a smile to my wife's face.

Amy Schumer is my wife's favorite comedian and has an uncanny ability to make her laugh really hard. Like deep belly laugh, tears flowing hard. She also just so happened to be pregnant at the same time as my wife, Mary. Mary was having a rough pregnancy day (the ones where her hormones were racing AND the baby wouldn't stop trying to make more room in their crowded uterus suite) so we cuddled up on the couch and turned on "Growing", Amy Schumer's Netflix special. Little did I know that by watching it, I would find out that Mary wasn't the only one that had something in common with Amy and that I did as well. Our love for autism. 

During the show, Amy opens up a little bit about her personal life. She talks about her pregnancy and being recently married. She also shines light on an unexpected topic, her love for autism. 

"And once he was diagnosed, it dawned on me how funny it was because all of the characteristics that make it clear that he's on the spectrum are all of the reasons that I fell madly in love with him."

Schumer discusses how her husband is the "dream man". His lacks awareness of social norms, is apologetically blunt, and is unable to lie. These are all of the characteristics that led her to fall in love with him. 

 When I first started working in the field of autism back in 2007, the boy that I was working with shared many of these same characteristics. He was blunt, unable to lie, and often experienced the world differently than myself. He had not developed the social filter and was unaware of social norms. My experience working with him was life changing and inspired me to create Specialty Athletic Training in 2012.

Specialty Athletic Training was created to provide access to healthy living to individuals with special needs. I saw the need to serve this community and provide personal training services that were individualized to their needs.  But it was also created selfishly for myself because of the joy it brought me working with them. 

I loved the bluntness of Benjamin (the inspiration behind Specialty Athletic Training). If I had a tuna sandwich for lunch, you better believe he'd let me know that my breath smelled bad. If I was trying to break the silence during a long car ride, he'd reinforce the fact that he wanted silent time. He would say what was on his mind and I found how much easier it made communication. 

But I also fell in love with his heart, which is what I have found to be the common denominator in all the children and adults that we have the opportunity to work with. They are the most genuine and caring people that you will have a chance to interact with. In a world that can be often filled with chaos and darkness, they are a positive light and teach me daily how to love life and what is really important.

Author B.J. Neblett said that, "We are the sum total of our experiences. (They) make us the person we are, at any given point in our lives. And, like a flowing river, those same experiences, and those yet to come, continue to influence and reshape the person we are, and the person we become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will be tomorrow."

Because of Benjamin and all of the other people that I have had the opportunity to work with since creating Specialty Athletic Training, I am a much better person from the sum of those experiences and am glad that they will continue to influence and reshape me for the years to come.

Patrick has been a staple of the Lewis & Clark College community since 2003, the first year that I stepped on campus for my Freshman season on the Pioneer football team.🏈

Patrick has made several "homies" over the years at L&C, me being one of them. Today he made another one, Rory.

We're looking forward to watching their bond grow over the years and eagerly waiting to see the dance moves that Patrick will be teaching Rory in the very near future! ​

"It depends." This is our most common answer when asked about recommendations for training a client with a disability. 

"How many sets and reps should we do?"
It depends.

" What exercises should we have them do?"
It depends.

"Do they learn best with verbal, visual, or physical prompts?"
​It depends.

Training this population is no different than training any other. You have to take into consideration their exercise history, their needs, and their goals to properly design a program for them. Every person is unique and their training program should be too. How do we train and select the exercises that we use with our clients? It depends.

Are you an athlete that is trying to improve their athleticism? Are you someone that is trying to improve their overall fitness? The front squat is our favorite squat variation for athletes and general population clientele. Here is one of our trainers demonstrating what it looks like using a barbell, but you could also use a dumbbell, kettlebell, or medicine ball to do the same exercise. For more variations, make sure to check out our YouTube channel! 

​1) To begin place the bar on the rack approximately armpit height. 

2) Grasp the bar with closed pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

3) Begin to rotate arms under and around the bar so that the bar is placed slightly below shoulders.

4) Keep elbows lifted up and forward, wrists should be hyperextended. 

5) Lift bar away from rack, take one step backwards. Position feet shoulder width apart.

6) Starting downward movement of the squat, begin descending toward the floor like you are going to sit on a chair.

7) After thighs are parallel to the floor, start the upward movement by pushing up through your feet until back at starting position.

8) Step forward and rack the bar after recommended repetitions are complete.

Looking for a healthy dinner for you to enjoy with your family? JaCee has taken out all of the hassle and made it easy for you by providing step by step instructions. Give the Turkey Taco Bowls a try and let us know what you think!

In 2007, I was working as a 1:1 aide for a thirteen year old boy with autism. I noticed that the expectations for him were set far below of those of his peers, especially in his physical education class.

I had an idea about creating a business that served the disability community that provided a fun and safe place for them to learn how to exercise. Many said that it was a great idea, but impossible to create a business providing the service that I had in mind. Thank goodness that I didn't listen. 

With the support of my wife Mary and friends, on June 12, 2012 I filed for an LLC in the state of Oregon and made my idea a reality. Specialty Athletic Training has now served over 375 individuals of various ages and disabilities, and have 5 locations throughout the states of Oregon and Washington. 

Here's to seven years of making fitness fun, inclusive and providing the opportunity to live a healthy life accessible to everyone. Thank you for all of your continued support and love!

​Living in the Pacific Northwest, we experience true weather seasons throughout the year. Each season has their own pros and cons. Summertime is a beautiful time to be in the PNW and is my favorite season. Just thinking about summer makes my nostrils flare with the anticipation of BBQ in the air. However, not everyone loves the sun and heat of summer. The heat can be overwhelming at times and can make it hard to get outside and exercise, leading to many days in the air-conditioned house living a sedentary lifestyle. Sound familiar? Here are five tips to help you stay healthy and active as you beat the heat this upcoming summer!
 
Get your steps in – Go for a morning walk or run. Exercise is a great way to start your day and you’ll avoid the heat by doing early. Enjoy walking but not a morning person? Go to your local mall or a department store. They are generally air-conditioned and large enough that you won’t feel awkward walking the same loop a couple of times.
 
How many steps should you try to reach? The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends reaching 11,000 to 14,000 steps a day. Does that seem unattainable for you or your child? Start with a smaller goal that you feel is achievable and use that as your baseline. Increase that number by 250 steps each week until you reach the recommended daily steps. This may take months to reach and that’s ok! The most important thing is developing the habit of moving your body!

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Trust your heart - It is important to keep an eye on your heart rate as you exercise. The increased heat will be driving your heart rate up without exercise, so make sure that you are not pushing yourself to overexertion. It can also let you know if you could be working a little harder to reach your desired goals. Wondering what your target heart rate should be? Visit www.heart.org and type in “Target Heart Rate” for more information.
 
Many of our clients have a difficult time understanding their body and self-regulating. It can be tricky as a trainer, or a parent, to know if your child is moving enough to increase their heart rate to the desired level. Heart rate monitors solve this dilemma. Not only is it a great visual and tool for you as the parent, but understanding the target number and seeing their heart rate in real time can also serve as a great motivator for the child.  
 
Hydrate – It is important to drink water year-round, but especially as it begins to heat up. Your body will be naturally displacing your fluids trying to cool your body off, so make sure to drink extra water if you are spending time outside. The ideal amount of water that you should be drinking will vary based on your body and activity level, so your best indicator is your urine. If you’re not peeing clear, drink more water!
 
Fuel up – Do you have a long day of activities planned? Make sure to fuel your body appropriately to sustain your energy level. You should be eating protein with every meal accompanied by a good amount of vegetables. Always carry snacks with you to prevent becoming hangry and turning into the Hulk. Nuts are a good quick snack that are packed with energy. Allergic to nuts? Try a protein bar of your choice.
 
Monitor – Invest in smart technology that will help you stay on track. There are several great products out there that will help you monitor all the above. They all have different ways for you to stay motivated and consistent.
 
For heart rate and step tracking, Fitbit has a ton of products that are high quality with different options for your needs. They have simple trackers that look like a bracelet (less invasive) to watches (our favorite for learning to tell time). The Fitbit app will also sync with another app that I recommend using to track your daily calorie intake, MyFitnessPal. MyFitnessPal is a free app that does a great job of helping you track your daily nutrition, hydration, and is very customizable based on your own fitness goals. It can scan bar codes, which allows you to input your meals with ease with accuracy.