Right Fit wins NATIONAL AWARD

for AUTISM FITNESS PROGRAM

Willowbrook, IL, September 16, 2010 – Right Fit Sports Fitness Wellness has been awarded the coveted “Best of the Best” by Club Industry Magazine for its nationally respected autism youth fitness program.   
 
 
 
Right Fit’s “Raise the Bar” program, uses physical fitness as a therapeutic tool to motivate, educate and reinforce positive behavior in youth with autism. Children participate in a series of specialized fitness activities that keep them active and help them with life-coping skills.
 
 
 
“Raise the Bar” was honored as the magazine’s “Best Children’s Fitness Program in the U.S.”  Right Fit is featured in the September issue of the publication and will be honored at Club Industry’s national meeting in Chicago on October 8.  The“Best of the Best” contest recognizes the best programming at fitness facilities in the U.S. and provides concrete examples of programs that have proven successful results.
 
  
 
Suzanne Gray created Right Fit’s “Raise the Bar” program in June of 2004. She used the idea that simple motor skills associated with “play” could help children with autism spectrum disordersgain body awareness and muscle strength.
 
 
 
Gray’s program incorporates seven a-la-carte interchangeable movement experiences that are fun and success-oriented. There are eleven Right Fit exercises that include arm “bar” raises, toe touches and a focus on breathing and posture. “Raise the Bar” expanded the program off-site and offered it as a summer fitness camp.  Participants were given a pre- and post sensory motor screen and postural fitness assessment. Using these tools to evaluate if a student improved from their previous state, Right Fit was able to see positive results after just one camp session. Those results included better eye contact, improved balance, strength, endurance, posture, increased attention, self confidence and more!
 
 
 
“In working with children with autism spectrum disorders, our goal is to limit aggressive and self-stimulating behavior and encourage positive behavior, “says Gray. “These children love to move. And I believe that movement is the universal language that bridges barriers and enhances life.”
 
 
 
It is due to her passion for fitness and helping those with mental and physical challenges that makes Gray so devoted to Right Fit’s “Raise the Bar” program. Using her award as a springboard, she hopes to expand the number of classes and participants in the next year. Gray has reached out to local schools and hospitals to educate others about how to incorporate fitness into the lives of children and families suffering from the challenges and obstacles of autism.
 
 
 
Mary Carol Grabill, Hinsdale, says her son, Tommy, gets excited when its time to participate in the “Raise the Bar” program. She says his training sessions “have improved his overall fitness and make him feel good about himself.”
 


ABOUT SUZANNE GRAY



Gray has more 30 years of exercise science experience, including teaching and coaching at the J.C. Orozco Academy, Chicago, where she created the “Magnificent Workout For Kids” a fitness program for inner city youth.  Gray has also been active in exercise fitness programs in many Chicago communities. She coached the Hinsdale Central High School’s Varsity Pom Dance Team and served as the Sport and Fitness Administrator and Youth Fitness Coordinator at the Five Seasons Sports Country Club, Burr Ridge. She has just written a book, 101 Fitness Activities and Games for Youth with Autism, which will be published by Healthy Learning. To obtain a copy, or obtain information on “Raise the Bar” fitness program for youth with autism, call 630-850-4050.
 
 
 
About Right Fit Sport Fitness Wellness:

Right Fit Sport Fitness Wellness, Willowbrook, IL,  an affordable, all inclusive, researched- based fitness and health company that provides comprehensive fitness, sports performance and wellness programs to youth and adults of all ages, with an emphasis on individuals with special needs.   The programs help teach the benefits of proper posture, daily exercise, efficient movement patterns, and balanced nutrition as essential parts of a healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to increase self-esteem and establish lifelong health benefits for all clients. For more information about Right Fit, please visit the website at www.right-fit.com.