Getting kids to move and bend their knees to gain strength can be very challenging. Okay, try getting kids on the autism spectrum to exercise. “Ha!”, as Isabel would say in Mozart and the Whale (I can hear her now!)

Well, founder of Autism Fitness, Eric Chessen, has great ideas about how to help motivate those on the autism spectrum get into exercise and bend their knees. This is great core and back exercise! He uses fun props, like stars to stand on, colorful balls and other fun items.

Eric Chessen, M.S. is a Fitness Specialist and Consultant dedicated to working with the autism population. He is the Founder of Beyond Boundaries Fitness, providing exercise and wellness strategies for individuals with ASD, and the creator of Beyond Boundaries: Fitness for the Young Autism Population, a DVD that provides parents and educators with fun and effective methods for developing exercise programs in the home or classroom. In addition to working with his clients, Eric consults, lectures, and offers workshops around the country.

One of his primary goals in his quest is to teach parents, educators, and fitness professionals how to create exercise progressions and regressions. The following video demonstrates Eric’s development of exercises, based on the five foundational movement patterns of pushing, pulling, rotation, squatting and locomotion.

Take a look: