Working with kids and young adults is central to who I am as an Exercise Therapist™. 

“It’s the thing I believe in and want to do most.”

When I talk about BUILDING STRENGTH THROUGH COMPASSION™, I am talking about working with teenagers and young adults to get them to exercise and feel good about exercise, and most importantly, to feel positive about themselves.

I have worked with teens and young adults with:

• Autism
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Severe body image issues

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

There are a lot of benefits for kids and young adults when they are physically active. Children and teens that are more physically active have shown to do better in school. Daily exercise increases the brain to work faster because it increases the blood flow.

Being physically active has a lot of health benefits:

• Improves sleep
• Improves focusing
• Decreases the risk of Cardiovascular Disease
• Improves mood

Being physically inactive has a lot of consequences:

• Energy imbalance – leading to weight gain
•  Increases the risk of type two diabetes
• Increases the risk of developing lung and colon cancer
• Increases the risk of osteoporosis

Why you should motivate kids now

Getting your kids motivated now will only help them in the future. Encouraging healthy habits while they are young will help them enjoy physical exercise in the future.

They will not only learn these healthy habits but make them apart of their lifestyle as they grow older.

Being active helps the immune system, manages stress, helps maintain a healthy weight, increases muscle strength, and many more benefits that help the quality of life.

It’s important to let your kids and teens choose what physical activity they like to do, because they are more likely to do it. Allowing them to choose makes it more fun for them and they are less likely to think of it as exercise.

Teach your kids now so they can live a healthy life and won't have to worry later!

Tips on getting your children active:

• Doing physical activity yourself to act as a role model
• Getting the family to do activates together
• Encouraging your children to do physical activities
• Letting them choose the activity they want

I have worked with teens and young adults who couldn’t get off the couch, who couldn’t even look you in the eye, and motivated them to train, twice a week, to lose weight, and to talk to me.

These are some of the clients I am most proud of.

I know what those troubled teenage years can be like. Our teenagers today need so much support.

I love working with kids who have challenges, whether it be social anxiety, or being on the spectrum, or just being embarrassed or uncomfortable in their own skin.

I love what I do because I believe empathy is critical. If I can connect with a teen through physical fitness, I know that teen will be more self-confident and both physically and emotionally healthier.

Teaching  Emphasis

I offer teaching focused physical training for adolescent children.

The formative years of a young person that wants to form good fundamental habits that will serve a life-time of health or for athletes that want that step up are critical for a variety of reasons. For all practical views, I am a conditioning coach.

As a coach, I offer supportive and encouraging teaching or coaching that appropriately challenges a young person to excel.

I am a conditioning and strength development expert teaching correct technique with the proper motivation.

I have successfully trained children and adolescents to improve performance in soccer, tennis, track and field, dance, ice skating, golf and gymnastics.

I integrate yoga alignment principles into my teaching, as these techniques require an understanding of balance and strength that centers on one's core.

This physical training will cultivate and increase discipline and determination, attributes necessary to succeed in a competitive world.

I really enjoy working with children and adolescents. Working one on one is best as accountability and responsibility exist as mutual benefits: coach/teacher to student, student to coach/teacher.

For example, I had a young adolescent client who had previously suffered a serious injury and subsequently experienced near-debilitating back pain from attempting to recover on his own.

The problem, in this case, was his self-guided techniques failed to address his cumulative core weakness which resulted in subsequent injury.

Once he became my client, we focused on core work-outs in order for him to support the technical aspects of his sport – soccer.

I'm proud to have been able to help this young man  achieve  a full-ride scholarship at UIC.

Contact me to discuss a program for your child!