This page is dedicated to the work I do specifically with my brother. Autism is no excuse to not be FIT. SpectrumFit is our business and journey together.
ACE Certified Health Coach
09/06/2017
Josh and I showed up to serve our community this morning!!!! Food delivery and stocking was done so we got a head start on packing up the food for the students that receive weekend bags each week.
Josh packed all 25 while I held the bags open and tied them. Didn't take long for him to figure out what and how much of each food to put in the bags.
Gail Huggins
08/28/2017
Back at the Church Food Pantry today and wow, what a blessing it was to have so many volunteers! Josh continues to meet new people, mind his manners, and though a little slow moving this morning, he helped prep several food boxes and practiced his counting skills.
He even told Ms Christina that he was proud of the work SHE did today. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Positive words absorb so quickly and it's obvious he is absorbing her positivity and inclusion of him too! ❤️
08/24/2017
Today, we went back to the church and packed weekend food bags up for children in two neighboring elementary schools! 25 kids in total will have food to sustain them through the weekend.
Josh helped with the bags, carrying them, stood in agreement as we prayed over them, greeting school staff, and holding open doors.
08/21/2017
It's Monday and that means Food Pantry Volunteering at Celebration Church in Orange Park.
Josh was so happy to go back and "work" and really did great! He met several new ladies, did great with his greetings and his manners.
We weren't as fast paced busy as we were last week, and that helped build a process and structure for him. He picked it up quickly and was excited to help.
I'm once again so thankful and proud of him, and thankful that our church has this ministry that allows us to give back, by helping build his skill set as well.
08/16/2017
Now that Little one is in school, Josh and I have the opportunity to step out the home and find some new ways for him to interact socially (with adults), and to learn/refine new life skills!
I'm sooo very thankful that there's a few opportunities at our local church that allow us both to serve and help and learn!
Today, we arrived at the church to meet with the sweet Jen, and we had a quick review over the weekend backpack ministry that we will be helping with for children from neighborhood schools! Josh helped carry the bags out to her car and stood with us as we prayed for the children receiving them.
BUT the bulk of our time was helping the amazing Christina with the now open Food Pantry! Josh helped pack groceries into bags, stock the shelves with water, and push the carts of food out to those who were waiting - he even helped load the groceries in the car for one of the recipients!
He DID amazing and as we left he asked when we would go back! 😁❤️😁 my heart is sooooo thankful and proud and happy and full! Two years we've worked to get him to this point AND to have the time and place to accept how I wanted to work with him.
Every week, we'll be there helping and learning!
He was SO HAPPY to hug Ms Christina and I only wish I had gotten that smile. But in the meantime, here's a few smiles I did get!
PS.... there's not a soul out there that can tell me his diagnosis and disabilities mean he has no purpose or abilities to offer the world!
08/11/2017
It's this guy's 24th Birthday 🎉 ! And I couldn't let the day pass without celebrating in our little yearly way...
So donuts instead of cake and he was as happy as can be with the simple chocolate sprinkles!
And it's worth noting that after he ate Subway for lunch and I didn't make him eat extra veggies that he sat in his chair and declared:
"Gail, I don't have to workout today since it's my birthday!"
🤣 🤣 🤣
Well, alright then... I told him he had to still do something but that he could choose - workout, bike riding, walk dogs, or..... he interrupted and said he wanted to play soccer! So that's what he did with the kids!
Happy birthday 🎂 to my baby brother, Josh!!!!!!!!!
08/01/2017
So, after a conversation with a friend yesterday, I realized that I hadn't given much of an update on Josh and all he's been doing lately.
It's summer, which means we've been surrounded by all his nieces and nephews a lot. Socializing at its best for sure.
We've gone to free bowling almost weekly, cheap movies several times, and lots of puzzles and games and we have kept up with at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
We continue to work on his dog walking skills too. Today, he did really well with SheRah. He usually walks Laela or pulls the wagon, but not today. I'm also never far away and always super aware of our surroundings "just in case."
06/12/2017
A few months ago, I hosted a free walk and water virtual marathon and when I host these types of events, I usually commit to walking my dogs for a certain mileage each week since I’m usually already in the middle of my own workout program.
Ever since then, we’ve stuck with that commitment for the most part. Our goal: to walk the dogs for a total of 3 Miles per week.
While we walk, Josh is usually either learning to lead one of the dogs or pulling the wagon (depends on everyone’s mood for the day honestly), but regardless, the physical activity and fresh air is good for everyone’s spirit! We work on lifting his head, looking straight ahead, stopping and looking both ways, but more importantly paying attention to surroundings and listening for my promptings.
05/23/2017
A quick little update to close out this Monday!
Mom and dad found a exercise bike that also works the arms so that now Josh has an alternative to the rower!!!
I didn’t even have to ask what he wanted to do or give him a choice... today, he immediately went straight for the bike.
We learned a couple things:
-It definitely worked him more than he’s used to.
-We will start with smaller increments in time on the bike until his arms and legs adjust.
-he enjoyed it until his arm started hurting (his right arm that he doesn’t use often - he definitely worked it today in a new way).
We’re finally picking up a few of our past learned movements and revisiting them. Josh’s memory is serving him well and for the most part, I’m very impressed with how quickly he’s been adjusting.
He did his 30 minutes on the rower and then we had a good general stretch and breathing session. (We are very purposeful in adding breathing into our stretches to encourage his awareness of deep breaths, but also to it helps to calm him and I down after our workouts *brains need oxygen)😉
Then these video moves we practiced his balance movements- they not only challenge his core strength, but his focus, and most importantly reinforces that Josh does in fact have control over his movements and body. We practiced before I recorded him and he did better, but he was tired and distracted towards the end.
There’s a mind body connection and our hope is to encourage the physical use of our body to strengthen the mind, and its ability to adapt.
05/15/2017
This ... this song... my pray is to simply love like Jesus!
http://ow.ly/QAD730bJDVa
Love Them Like Jesus (Live) Listen to music by Casting Crowns on Pandora. Discover new music you'll love, listen to free personalized radio.
We haven't tackled anything new in the fitness arena with Josh the part couple weeks, but we have finally made more progress increasing his water intake. And yes... he has the same complaint most of my clients and challengers have too when they start increasing their water, "I have to p*e a lot because one drinking more water."
And Yes.... that's normal and ok and is encouraging his body to flush the toxins and junk out of his system.
But for the fun of it, here's a video of Josh bowling this morning! He probably bowled his best game yet! He was watching the movements of the lady a few lanes over and mimicking her sp*ed and "technique" as best he could. Even my Liam was super proud of him (which you can hear in the video clip.)