BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — For some people, walking into a gym can feel overwhelming. Fitness Unplugged, a Bakersfield gym, was built specifically for those people.
Owner Jason Coontz opened the gym to give people who don't feel comfortable in traditional gym settings a place where they belong.
"Our motto is 'A safe place to do hard things,'" Coontz said. "And the reason that we opened this gym was to give individuals that don't feel like they're safe in a regular gym, a safe place here."
Coontz works with people of all ages and abilities, including those with physical disabilities and individuals on the autism spectrum. He said a "safe place" looks different for every person who walks through his doors.
"If they are overstimulated with anything, we can fix that because we have control of the environment, because the gym is not really mine, it's actually their gym," Coontz said.
That philosophy is personal for Coontz. Living with ADHD, he said traditional gyms often felt too overstimulating, and he didn't discover his own love of fitness until his mid-twenties.
"I spent a lot of time with those individuals in high school because I was in special ed classes," Coontz said. "So, I spent a lot of time with them learning behavior patterns and really understanding them. It took a long time for me to realize that I'm extremely similar to them, and I wanted to provide a place for those individuals could have fun, like I figured out how to have fun in the gym."
That understanding shapes how every client is coached at Fitness Unplugged. Coontz tailors each program to a client's individual interests, sometimes easing them into more structured exercise without them realizing it.
"I let them mess with things they seem interested in messing with," Coontz said. "And then I slowly start to build the program off those interests to see if we can get more reps involved with those. Sometimes it's lifting heavy weight, but kind of sneaking it in there, so it doesn't seem like they're working out."
Coontz said many of his clients on the spectrum arrive nervous, but that feeling fades quickly.
"It's always very similar," Coontz said. "They are terrified at first, and by the end of the first session it almost seems this is more of an exciting place to come."
Coontz is also a vendor with Kern Regional Center, meaning many families who receive services through the center can access his programs without paying out of pocket.
"I almost don't even know how to put into words... just because it's one of the most special things that has ever fell into my lap," Coontz said.
His long-term goal is to open additional Fitness Unplugged locations across Bakersfield and help other gyms build similar inclusive programs in their own communities. Coontz said being able to provide a place where people feel safe, welcome and included is something he never takes for granted.
If you are interested in learning more about the gym, you can find them on Facebook & Instagram. To check out their website, click here. You can also contact Jason Coontz directly at (661)808-1674.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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