Train 4 Life is a 12-week program for people with intellectual disabilities to work out together. Train 4 Life is a 12-week program for people with intellectual disabilities to work out together. Studies have shown that about 75% of the adults with intellectual disabilities and about half of the youth with intellectual disabilities are obese […]
Train 4 Life is a 12-week program for people with intellectual disabilities to work out together.
Train 4 Life is a 12-week program for people with intellectual disabilities to work out together.
Studies have shown that about 75% of the adults with intellectual disabilities and about half of the youth with intellectual disabilities are obese or overweight. The Train 4 Life program is trying to change those numbers.
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — For more than 50 years, Special Olympics has used the power of sports to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. A new fitness program is helping those athletes improve their performance and live healthier lives.
“Confidence is a big … I feel like that’s a big thing with working out, and why people I feel like should work out, because it really increases your self-confidence and makes you feel somewhat more happy. It gives you a thrill, almost,” Buckner said.
“He’s like, ‘Dad, check out my muscles. Look at this. I can flex,’” said A.B. “He’s like, ‘Dad, you know how much I dead lifted tonight? You know how much I benched tonight?’ I see the excitement in his face and the confidence level.”
- CrossFit HSE, Noblesville
- Mad Apple CrossFit, Fort Wayne
- Purdue University Recreation, West Lafayette
- Reclaim, Greensburg
- THIRST, Terre Haute
- Three Cord Fitness, Greenwood
- Unbreakable Athletics Academy, Plainfield
These free classes are available at seven gyms across the state:
“If you’re not ready to sweat and feel sore tomorrow, this isn’t for you,” said 21-year-old Brooke Easterhaus, who is part of the class that works out at CrossFit HSE.
“Some of the other athletes go the same speed as you, or they go quicker, faster to kind of push you forward,” said Easterhaus.
“The program is a holistic program,” said Hilt. “We look at strength, conditioning and the fitness side, but we also teach nutrition, hydration, good mental health. We have phone calls and Zoom calls to really focus on those aspects.”
Train 4 Life is a 12-week program for people with intellectual disabilities to work out together.
Easterhaus has lost weight and gained muscle. She just wishes she was not the only female in the class.
Special Olympics Indiana hopes to eventually expand the Train 4 Life program to all 92 counties.
Blake Buckner, 22, has competed in Special Olympics sports for most of his life. These workouts help him improve more than just his athletic performance.
Katie Hilt is the director of sports and competition for Special Olympics Indiana. She is also the coach for the Train 4 Life program at CrossFit HSE.
