Normalising Disability

Anytime Fitness has looked to challenge stereotypes with its ‘Any Body, Any Time’ campaign.

Tommy Trout shares fi ve ways operators can make people with a disability feel comfortable in a fi tness environment

It’s not uncommon for people to make assumptions about the state of mental health when it comes to people who are living with a disability. A lot of this stigma often revolves around the nature of the disability and the stereotypes it carries.

For example, people on the Autism spectrum are often portrayed in the media as robotic and emotionless, therefore they seem unaffected by issues like depression. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, a 2020 report by the Australian Institute of Heath and Welfare showed that people with a disability are four times more likely to experience high or very high psychological distress.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve come a long way in our understanding of mental health and how it impacts everybody - it’s significant. The mental health benefits of exercise are also significant and extend to all of us, disabled or not. Typically though, disability communities are often cautious due to their unique needs, sometimes due to compromised immune systems but also because they are rarely included in marketing material which does little to make them feel welcome.

However, with around 20% of Australia’s population living with a disability, here lies an exciting opportunity for the fitness industry to make them feel welcome and supported in a fitness environment.

This is something that Anytime Fitness Australia have taken on as a challenge in their Any Body Any Time campaign and, more recently, our collaboration with Anytime Fitness has taught us about the barriers that keep Aussies living with a disability from engaging with the industry and the opportunities within each.

Seven years ago, when my brother Jack (who is on the autism spectrum) and I first walked in to Anytime Fitness Drummoyne, they were very supportive of having us in their gym. The team were very receptive to hearing our suggestions and feedback as to how to make the gym even more welcoming to those with a disability.

Over time, I decided to put the WeFlex program together, and Anytime Fitness, the first people who I presented it to, were more than happy to get on board and implement the program. Now, we send their clients to WeFlex accredited trainers who are trained to work with certain disabilities.

Here are some of our findings:

Accessibility: Is more than just ramps. Accessibility can also cover the volume of the music, the brightness of the lights and the configuration of the door at the top of the ramp.

Inclusivity: What good is an accessible fitness environment if the space inside isn’t inclusive? Accessibility is getting inside - inclusion is about how you’re treated once you’re there.

Representation: When was the last time you saw someone with a disability in the marketing of a fitness brand? Even better, when did you last see a photo where the disability

wasn’t the focus? We need to normalise people with a disability exercising like anybody else.

Professional Development: Get your staff upskilled on disability inclusion and the unique needs of people living with disability. At WeFlex, our programs for trainers are co-designed or being facilitated by someone living with a disability.

Employment: An effective way to normalise disability in fitness environments is to hire people with a disability.

This sends a powerful and inclusive message not just to prospective clients but also existing ones. This workforce is one of incredible, untapped potential.

The fitness industry in Australia has an incredible opportunity to evolve into a truly inclusive and pioneering space for people with disability, especially with clubs like Anytime Fitness Australia leading the charge.

For us, while WeFlex was born in an Anytime Fitness club, what we achieved can be replicated in any club environment.

It was a game-changer for us, and can be for the millions of people living with a disability in Australia. Tommy Trout is the founder of WeFlex.

Tommy Trout (left) and his brother Jack.

The WeFlex story

WeFlex was founded by Tommy Trout whose brother is and late father was on the autism spectrum.

With his father having died early from preventable health conditions, Trout went out of his way to try and help his brother get fit and healthy. During a lengthy hunt for a suitable gym, he frequently found that once trainers learned that his brother was on the spectrum, he would get turned down as the trainers did not know how to accommodate his needs.

This led to Tommy becoming a personal trainer himself so that he could train his brother. They also found Anytime Fitness in Drummoyne who were more than happy to have his brother as a member. Going on to found WeFlex in 2020, he created a program with training modules designed to upskill trainers by teaching them how to work with people who have a disability, developing the program in partnership with both clinical experts and people with lived experience to create modules that see trainers learn from people who have a disability. AUSactive Chief Executive, Barrie Elvish sees that an individual’s ability to push through physical, mental and emotional circumstances while also recognising the cues to manage their mental health and capacity to cope with stress barriers as being of vital importance.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 3.4 million Australian adults saw a medical professional last year for their mental health.

Elvish explains “mental health takes in everything from your current mood, how you feel about yourself and the world around you, diagnosable mental health conditions such as anxiety, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, depression and OCD related behaviours.

“But mental fitness is different. Mental fitness focuses on how you approach mental health and the way you keep yourself mentally healthy. Importantly, it’s something we can actively work on and improve.”

AUSactive last year partnered with independent research house The Leadership Factor and Deakin University to commission one-of-a-kind benchmark research to assess the true state of the nation.

Conducted in October 2021 with more than 1,000 Australians, the survey found that Australians are increasingly aware of the importance of mental health, with 57% of Australians reporting having a greater focus on their mental wellbeing as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Elvish added “extensive research shows that regular exercise is associated with a lower likelihood of developing depression or anxiety. Mounting evidence is also linking physical activity with positive mental health and a sense of purpose in life.

“Positively, the survey found that 54% of Australians report that exercising regularly and staying healthy is a core part of their identity, with just 20% disagreeing.

“The survey found that 45% of Australians who didn’t do any strength training each week identified as languishing, compared to 27% who met the recommended guidelines of strength training on at least two days a week.

“Relatedly, 74% of Australians who belong to a fitness centre or studio report that regular exercise helps give them the energy they need to be supportive to their loved ones and family, compared to 40% among those without membership.”

From a commercial perspective, in July, Ty Menzies, Global Chief Executive at Lift Brands wrote about the importance of mental wellness, stating “for many individuals the physical results are no longer a key motivator, with mental wellness being the sole target of their fitness journey.”

Market researcher IBISWorld recently reported that many young adults are now taking up low to moderate intensity non-sport activities for overall mental health and emotional wellbeing.

People living with a disability

•42% of people with a disability would rate their health as poor or fair compared with only 7% of the general populati0on •32% of people with a disability experience high or very high psychological distress compared with 8% of the general population •72% are overweight or obese compared with 55% of the general population •76% have an increased risk of poor health due to their waist circumference compared to 59% •72% do not do enough physical activity for their age compared to 52% Source. Health of People with a Disability, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, July 2022