Podcast: The Happy Sensory Corner of Special Ed.

Mark Gray is a personal trainer who specializes in helping busy people — including parents — prioritize movement and live pain-free.

Topics that are especially close to his heart, both professionally and personally:

• Gamifying exercise to make it fun for kids with autism and developmental delays

• Why doing short bursts of high-intensity movement helps re-activate brain development

• How to build a consistent habit even when life feels chaotic

He’s had his own health struggles and now helps others avoid long-term consequences by making small, doable changes.

We talk about how to turn 10 minutes of movement into something your child actually wants to do, how to lower their “motivation threshold,” and why it works better when you do it with them. This episode will help you build a realistic habit of exercise at home — one that supports brain health, strengthens your bond, and feels like play instead of pressure.

Episode Highlights

3:03 – Kim introduces the brain-health benefits of exercise: “High-intensity exercise helps activate a hyper-repair mode in the brain… which makes sense, because your whole body is in repair mode.”

6:18 – Mark shares how childhood sports injuries led him to focus on sustainable health and injury prevention: “I wanted to help people not just be fit, but live pain-free and actually enjoy the life they have.”

15:27 – Kim gets animated debunking a theory about concussions in rugby vs. football and links it to brain health: “So maybe that whole theory just flies right out the window.”

18:55 – Kim shares a breakthrough from Claudie: “We came across studies showing that intense exercise triggers the same neuroplasticity window as sensory enrichment… so now we ask parents to go until the child’s flushed and breathless.”

21:44 – Mark offers a playful twist on squats: “Throw a beanbag between reps. Now you’re dodging, squatting to save your life — way more fun than just ‘one more squat.’”

27:00 – Kim reframes an old belief: “I used to think there was only one type of exercise that helped the brain. But now I realize if we’re too rigid, we lose consistency.”

29:49 – Mark shares a practical rule: “Schedule 10–15 minutes like a non-negotiable. If you wait for perfect, you’ll get stuck.”

35:18 – Kim shares his own trick: “I leave gym shorts at the end of my bed. My only goal is to wear them. Then somehow, I end up working out.”

38:00 – Kim speaks directly to the emotional reality of parents: “So many parents feel like they don’t deserve self-care. But if you do it for your child, it’s easier. It fits with how you’re already thinking.”

41:15 – Mark explains his sneaky strategy: “I’d add extra weight to the machine without telling my clients. Because often their mind gives up before their body does.”

49:58 – Kim demos a live ChatGPT prompt: “Give me fun ways to make squats better for kids with autism.” And the results are golden: “Animal squats, treasure hunts, storylines — boom, five ideas in seconds.”

54:36 – Mark: “When you compare exercise with fun, it becomes a winning combo. You don’t want to do this for two weeks — you want it for life.”