Adaptive Exercise

Adaptive Exercise Adaptive Exercise specializes in providing appropriate fitness programs with appropriate levels of support for people with autism and other special needs.

09/08/2026

Throwback to an older video of my client John working on push-ups 💪

This exercise is modified on a few different levels to help John understand the movement, stay in a good position, and complete each rep as independently and successfully as possible.

I’m using visual markers to show John exactly where to place his hands and feet. I also have a pad positioned underneath him so he has a clear target to lower his chest to, serving as a tactile cue for his range of motion.

I’m also providing some physical prompting by holding a resistance band over his shins to give him additional support throughout the movement.

One of the biggest parts of adaptive exercise is figuring out what supports an individual needs to perform an exercise successfully. Those supports can always be adjusted over time as strength, confidence, coordination, and independence improve.

Meet the individual where they are, find the right modification, and build from there. 💪

Monday Morning Recap — A Look Back at Last WeekLast week was my first full week trying to figure out how fitness fits in...
09/07/2026

Monday Morning Recap — A Look Back at Last Week

Last week was my first full week trying to figure out how fitness fits into my new role as a dad.

Going into the week, I set goals of lifting for 200 minutes, running 20 miles, and stretching for 30–60 minutes. I also knew I couldn’t get too attached to those numbers. Right now, plans are going to change, workouts are going to get interrupted, and adjustments are going to have to be made.

All in all, I’m pretty satisfied with what I was able to get done while still being there for everything that comes with having a newborn.

Lifting was definitely the easiest thing to work in because I could pause and restart whenever I needed to. A 30–40 minute workout might take me three hours from start to finish now, which is a pretty big change from what I’m used to, but it works.

Running was a little harder to fit in, but thanks to my lovely wife, I was still able to get two good runs in during the week.

I’m also trying to balance Colby’s schedule through all of this. He’s been used to his longer walks and PT exercises lately, and while we definitely didn’t get as much in as usual and our walks weren’t always at their normal times, we made it work. Getting out for family walks with Miles and Colby has already become one of my favorite parts of this new routine.

The biggest reminder for me this week was that consistency doesn’t always mean sticking perfectly to the original plan. Sometimes it means adjusting the plan, taking what the day gives you, and doing what you can without losing sight of what matters most.

🏋️ Lifted: **185 minutes**
🏃 Ran: **13 miles**
🧘 Stretched: **10 minutes**
🫁 Breathwork: **4 days**
👥 Clients trained: **0**
🐕👶 Family walks with Colby & Miles: **Daily**
🔄 Adaptations made: **Countless**

Not exactly the week I would have written out a month ago, but right now, I’d call it a pretty successful one.

Consistency doesn’t mean your routine has to look the same every single week.Life changes. Work gets busy. Family obliga...
09/04/2026

Consistency doesn’t mean your routine has to look the same every single week.

Life changes. Work gets busy. Family obligations come up. Plans shift. The goal is learning how to adapt instead of feeling like the whole week is lost.

One thing that helps me is setting my fitness goals at the beginning of each week. From there, I can move workouts around, shorten sessions, combine things when needed, or adjust the overall plan based on what life throws at me.

That doesn’t guarantee I’ll hit every goal every week — and you won’t either.

But having a plan makes it much more likely that you’ll stay consistent over time.

This is something I’ll be practicing even more now as I adjust to life with a newborn. The schedule may look different, but the goal stays the same: keep finding realistic ways to move forward.

Adapt the plan. Don’t abandon it. 💪

09/03/2026

Throwback to Chris putting in some great work with SandBell sumo squats to an overhead press.

For this exercise, I have Chris squat down to a stool for a clear tactile cue and touch the SandBell to a low step at the bottom of each rep. From there, he stands tall and presses the weight overhead.

Those added cues help create a more consistent movement pattern while working on lower-body strength, coordination, core control, and total-body strength all in one exercise.

Simple modifications can make a big difference when it comes to helping someone understand a movement, build confidence, and perform it more independently.

Tuesday Look Back at Last WeekThis past week, I got less structured fitness in than I can remember, but for the best pos...
09/01/2026

Tuesday Look Back at Last Week

This past week, I got less structured fitness in than I can remember, but for the best possible reason.

On Tuesday, we welcomed our first child, our son Miles, into the world. He decided to arrive a little sooner than expected, but Mom and baby are both doing well. Thank you to everyone who has reached out, checked in, and shown our family so much support.

Needless to say, fitness was pretty far down the priority list last week. I trained just 4 clients, didn’t keep up with my usual breathwork, stretching, running, lifting, or any of the other routines I normally track.

What I did get plenty of reps in with: changing diapers, helping with feedings, supporting my wife, running on very little sleep, and learning all of the other things that come along with becoming a dad for the first time.

For the next several weeks, I’ll also be taking parental leave to spend this time with my family. My posts may not be quite as frequent for a little while, but I’ll still be as active as I can and will continue working behind the scenes toward our mission at Adaptive Exercise.

Sometimes progress looks a little different and right now, I wouldn’t trade this chapter for anything.

**Monday Morning Training Recap**This past week was another busy one with training, work, a full client schedule, and wi...
08/24/2026

**Monday Morning Training Recap**

This past week was another busy one with training, work, a full client schedule, and with our baby just around the corner, plenty of other obligations mixed in.

I had a specific plan going into the week and, aside from falling a little short on my stretching goal, I was able to get everything done. There were definitely a few days where I had to adjust things around my schedule, but I was able to stay consistent and put together another solid week of training.

My clients had a great week as well and were especially motivated. A few clients hit new PRs, we rolled out some new exercises and progressions, and we had a great group at class on Saturday. It's always awesome to see clients pushing themselves, trying new things, and continuing to build confidence in what they're capable of.

Colby is noticeably happier now that he's able to walk for up to 20 minutes again. We're back at the park every morning, and I think we both really missed having that routine. There's something pretty great about starting the day with a walk together and getting back to some sense of normalcy.

**Weekly recap:**

🏋️ **24 client sessions trained**
🏃 **25 miles ran**
💪 **200 minutes lifted**
🧘 **35 minutes stretched**
🏋️ **1 group class**
🌬️ **Daily breathwork**
🥶 **A few cold showers**
🐾 **Daily morning walks with Colby**

Another busy week, but another week of getting the work done. With everything going on right now, I'm continuing to focus on staying consistent, being flexible when I need to be, and making the most of the time I have.

** **

08/20/2026

Taylor making straddle steps look easy while holding a 12 lb med ball! 💪

The only modification we used here was a set of colored rubber footprint visuals to help show him the movement pattern and where to place his feet. Once Taylor became more comfortable and consistent with the exercise, we were able to fade those visuals out completely.

This is a movement we originally used more as a cardio exercise, but now that he has it down, it has become part of how we get warmed up and ready to work.

A great example of using visual supports to teach a skill, then gradually removing them as independence improves!

08/19/2026

Throwback to an older video of my former client Juan working on modified wall squats.

Over the years Juan and I tried countless squat variations. Some worked better than others, but one of the biggest challenges was getting him to bend through the movement rather than excessively hinge forward. He also had a tendency to drop his bodyweight quickly instead of lowering himself with control.

We eventually changed the setup to this modified wall squat, and it really clicked.

I had Juan press a sandbell into the wall and keep it there throughout the entire movement. This helped limit excessive hinging and encouraged a more upright position. I also cued him to slowly lower himself until his backside touched a stool underneath him, which gave him a clear target and helped improve his control.

With these modifications, the movement became much more consistent and controlled, and Juan was able to knock out multiple sets during his workouts.

Sometimes finding the right exercise isn’t about forcing the “standard” version to work. It’s about changing the setup, adding the right supports, and finding the variation that helps the individual understand and perform the movement successfully.

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Worcester, MA
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