Recently I’ve been connecting with adult autistics who have experienced or are experiencing burnout that interferes with gym or strength training performance. They are often recently diagnosed with autism, or may even not yet be diagnosed, but have deep suspicions that they fall on the autism or neurodivergent spectrum. The underlying issue is not overtraining, but a combination of factors that are particular to autism, particularly highly independent, high performing individuals.
Receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood can be a cathartic but overwhelming experience at once. What does it mean with respect to what has happened in the past, how situations, interactions, relationships, and self-reflection occur? What does it supply for the future and how much can or really needs to change? And, finally, how is this impacting the ability to successfully navigate a fitness routine and active, training lifestyle?
Strength training and fitness may already play a foundational, prioritized role in your life. Or perhaps it did, then didn’t. Maybe you’ve bee struggling to integrate fitness into, or back into your life and don’t quite know what the block is, but it’s there, and it is overwhelming, and you aren’t getting the answers or support needed. Is it the wrong programming, insufficient motivation, a combination of these, or something else?
The phrase “getting it” has a place here. Because “it” is really a combination of several factors. As you already know or likely suspect, fitness and strength training for autistic adults isn’t a well established area of consideration. Where information does exist, it may not pertain to your needs, or is inadequate in actionable steps. Equally, from the coaching/motivation perspective, even commentary on “sustainable” fitness that “meets everyone where they’re at” may still feel off, because identifying “where you’re at” is a moving target.
Let’s revisit the autistic burnout piece and answer 5 questions;
- When were the first symptoms of burnout, specifically from or around strength training?
- Did they occur before, during, or after training?
- Was there a single, acute experience or period of particularly high stress, or a gradual build towards burnout?
- Where were you in your fitness journey? Just starting out, in a maintenance phase, or building towards some high level goals?
- What are the one or two biggest blocks in the way right now?
This exercise may not determine the specific course of action needed, but can act as a GPS or navigation system for identifying the onset and current status of burnout, and lead us to some ways of overcoming those blocks. Adult autistic burnout and it’s relation to fitness is not uncommon, however the strategies required to progress forward require an individualized approach.
Is it about changing programs? Changing environments? Changing training times? Perhaps even changing from barbell to dumbbells. Surely burnout is not going to alleviate from changing lbs. to kilos, but it may benefit from changing perspectives. So let’s discuss coaching.
Getting back to “getting it,” I’ve spoken with numerous autistic adults who have experienced acrimonious relationships with strength coaches or fitness trainers. It isn’t that the coach doesn’t care, but that the coach isn’t getting it, or isn’t getting it right. They don’t have the correct tools in their toolbox for the specific needs of an autistic athlete, particularly one experiencing burnout or who has in the past.
The coach may have highly effective programming, but it is not (or cannot) be followed. The coach may be hearing but not listening, or not catching on to the details that will lead to the necessary breakthroughs. Again, not fault, but either inexperience or inadequate practices.
So you want to start, or restart strength training. You are training, but it feels off and you just don’t know what to do about it. Or maybe you want to want to train, but motivation isn’t something that can be ordered off Amazon.
What if we could discover together what those training barriers are, and create strategies around programming, focus, and determination that gave you ownership, confidence, and clarity around training?
If that’s what you’ve been searching, let’s talk. Reach out to me directly below.