Anxiety, ADHD & Autism? Geelong – Physio-Led Gym Training
- Jess
- 11 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Do you get stressed or distracted in the Gym? You’re Not Lazy — Your Brain Just Works Differently.
Do you get distracted mid-set?
Forget what exercise comes next ?
Or feel like you can’t quite tell where your body is in space?
Or maybe you’ve tried going to the gym before — only to push too hard, get sore or injured, and stop altogether.
If this sounds familiar — you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
For many people, especially those living with ADHD, autism, or sensory sensitivity, traditional gyms can feel like chaos. The noise, mirrors, crowds, and lack of structure can quickly lead to frustration — and sometimes even injury — when your brain is just trying to keep up.
At MOVE Sports Physiotherapy & Pilates in Geelong, we’ve created a different way to move. Our Supervised Strength Rehab program is a calm, structured, physio-led approach designed for neurodivergent movers who want to feel strong, confident, and safe in their bodies again.
Why Traditional Gyms Can Feel So Overwhelming (and Risky) for people living with anxiety, Autism & ADHD
For people who have experienced persistent pain, or live with anxiety, ADHD or autism, the gym isn’t just about fitness — it’s a sensory and mental puzzle. Let's be honest,t it can feel like ALOT and send you quickly into overwhelm and shut down.
Common challenges include:
Distraction: hard to focus with noise, lights, and people moving everywhere
Body awareness (proprioception): you can’t always feel what your body is doing or where it is in space, you don't feel safe in the movements or feel you can ask for help.
Overload: trying to remember your exercises, count reps, and watch your form all at once - eeek !
Sensory sensitivity: loud music, mirrors, bright lights, or smells can quickly overwhelm your system - plus someone starts yelling at you to push harder - no thanks !
Injury risk: you rush through sets or copy what others are doing, but your body isn’t quite ready for that load
These aren’t character flaws — they’re signs that your environment and nervous system need more structure and support. And that's ok !
How We Make Strength Training Neuro-Friendly
For our neuro spicy mates - we have you covered!
Our Supervised Strength Rehab program is designed to meet you where you’re at. It’s not a bootcamp or a loud, competitive gym — it’s a structured small-group setting (max 3 people) led by physiotherapists and exercise physiologists who understand neurodiversity.
Here’s what makes it different:
Calm, Predictable Environment
You’ll train in a quiet, consistent space. No pumping music, no flashing lights, no surprises.Each week follows the same flow so your brain can relax and your body can focus.
Simple, Step-by-Step Support
We teach movements in small steps — no jargon, no guesswork. You’ll always know what’s next, and your physio will guide your form and pacing.
Support for Body Awareness
If you struggle to feel what your body is doing, we’ll help you reconnect safely. We have gone to uni for 4+ years to know movement back to front and we can teach you with different tricks depending what your brain, body and pain are happy with. We also use VALD testing to measure your strength and balance, giving you clear feedback on how your body is improving week by week.
Safe Progression (No More “Too Much, Too Soon”)
Our approach helps you avoid the classic “go to the gym → get injured → stop” cycle.We start small, build gradually, and check in regularly — so your body and nervous system have time to adapt.
Now I will be honest, this can feel super hard - especially if you are an all-or-nothing person. At times, we will hold you back, or slowly, slowly increase the difficulty to make sure your long-term goals are achieved and you don't just boom and bust.
Routine That Regulates
We all know exercise is good for us and has sh*t loads of benifits for anyone who lives with Anxiety, ADHD or ASD. Consistent movement helps regulate focus, energy, and mood. But here’s the hard truth — it’s especially tricky to do this on your own.
Self-led or self-progressed routines often fall apart when life gets busy, motivation dips, or your brain jumps to the next big idea before your body’s even finished the first set.
That’s where structure and support make all the difference.
What to Expect - Geelong Physio Led Strength Training
Step 1: One-on-One Physio Assessment
We start with a 1:1 session using VALD technology to test your movement, balance, and strength.Your physio will design a plan that fits your energy, body, and goals.
Step 2: Learn Your Own Program (3 x 1:1 Sessions)
We take time to teach your exercises slowly, helping you master technique and confidence before joining group sessions. Again, stay with us here. These sessions are magic, we will teach you how to hinge, pick up and load weights safely, squat with confidence - PAIN FREE and maybe even a deadlift - if that is your jam. (PS if it's not - that's ok too - we will be led by you, your body and your goals)
Step 3: Small Group Physio Strength Sessions
Join a small, supportive group at our Geelong gym where you’ll train under physio supervision. Everyone works on their own plan — safely, calmly, and at their own pace. You have full access to the physio, everyone has their own program and is doing their own thing. Support workers are also welcome to the session - we just ask you tell your physio in advance - just so we can keep an eye on how many people will be in the space.
Step 4: Re-Test and Progress This is my favourite bit -After 6–8 weeks, we’ll re-test your strength using VALD measures and update your program.If it’s important to you, we can also track body composition changes to monitor overall progress. These sessions are magic - we will then re-adjust your program, progress and pending your goals, make a plan for you to move beyond the clinic, into the wild, if that's your thing.
Who It’s For
This program is perfect if you:
If you live with anxiety, ADHD, autism, or sensory sensitivities
Feel overwhelmed or distracted in busy gyms
Have you injured yourself trying to train alone
Are you managing chronic pain or long-term injury and don't do your exercises at home (lets be honest - who does?)
Are bendy and need some extra cues to know how to tackle your gym program in the wild
Struggle with coordination, fatigue, or body awareness
Want structure, support, and accountability
Why It Works
Our clients tell us this is the first time they’ve actually enjoyed exercise. Why? Because we remove the overwhelm and replace it with clarity, calm, and connection.
When your environment is right, your brain and body can finally work together. You can get stronger, more focused, and more confident — without fear of injury or judgment.
Ready to Build Strength That Lasts?
If you’ve been to the gym before and ended up injured, frustrated, or lost — it’s not you.It’s the system.
Let’s rebuild it your way. Book your 1:1 Supervised Physio Strength Assessment today. Or if your not sure - no worries.
