Tips on Staying Active for Special Needs Families
“Only about 25% of children get the recommended amount of daily activity, with children who experience developmental disabilities being even lower. ”
Written by: Connor Kavanaugh, Special Needs Planner
September 10th 2020
This year has been something out of a strange Syfy movie, and with the upcoming election, I have a feeling things will only be getting stranger! It can be challenging enough for families to find new ways to keep their children healthy, happy, and properly planned for in a non-pandemic world, but these times are just different. Unfortunately, special needs families seem to have been hit even harder. According to the Washington Post, parents across the country who have students with special education needs say the stakes are high if schools do not reopen soon. They say their children are not just falling behind academically and socially but are missing developmental physical milestones and losing key skills necessary for an independent life. Many families have personal support work hours that they can’t find personal support workers to fill! All of this is incredibly overwhelming, but hopefully my message today will put a bit of a light at the end of a tunnel that seems never ending. In fact, what is most likely the furthest thing on your mind to add to the family to-do list is exercise, yet that is exactly what might be needed.
Exercise is the one thing that is scientifically proven to positively impact our mood, health, and outlook on the world. WAIT! DON’T STOP READING YET! I promise this will not be a plea to “get out there and workout!” It is much simpler than that and can be a lot more fun. Life is incredibly hard, but one thing that is in our control is taking care of our physical health by giving ourselves and our children the proper nutrition and a healthy dose of physical exercise. But before we go into the fun part of exercise, lets look at the science. According to countless studies, regular exercise is directly correlated with lower anxiety, depression, and higher levels of confidence! All of these can be absolutely essential in these high-stress times, and will be important if we want to come out of the COVID era even stronger than before.
Only about 25% of children get the recommended amount of daily activity, with children who experience developmental disabilities being even lower. Surveys suggest that people are not as active as they were before COVID, which is likely due to both fear and inability to participate in preferred activities due to restrictions.
The fun side of exercise is the kind that doesn’t feel like exercise at all, but by the time you’re done you feel tired, happy, and fulfilled. (Find new ideas here!) These activities can include playing tag, going for a swim, see who can jump the highest, hula hoop, shooting around the basketball, or you can even compromise and play Wii Sports! For many of our families in the PNW, there are even more options that might be better for your sensory-sensitive loved ones. Going for a hike can be both visually and auditorily stimulating, or you can take a family walk outside with noise canceling headphones! Let’s face it, who couldn’t use a break from homeschooling, the endless scary news stories or the general monotony of isolation? Also, by getting the whole family out for a 30-minute walk, you are not only fitting in exercise but also finding a great way to spend time together.
Physical activity should be part of your child's daily routine. Some tips for increasing your child's physical activity include setting limits on screen time, encouraging your kids to take breaks from sitting throughout the day and going out for short activity sessions to break up the monotony. No one knows your child as well as you do, so helping to incentivize physical activity can only be done by those who know what motivates their own children! But I think a great motivator just might be a little ice cream?
You can also look for child-oriented fitness or dance classes online (Find more here!) to add some variety to your routine (Also, you can check out some of our favorite partners Every Body Athletics and Specialty Athletic Training). With some creativity, you and your family can find ways to have fun and be physically active! For families with children that experience disability, this topic is even more important. Engaging in physical fitness activities and learning about proper nutritional support for special needs families just like yours can help not only your children, but your own mental health as well! If you’re focused on the foods your child is eating, then you’ll start to see changes in their behavior as well as in their overall health. It’s not just about adding more fruits and veggies to their diet (although, that’s of course a big part of it). It’s about ensuring that they’re eating the foods with the nutrients that will best help them!
Action Items and tips to help you follow through!
Make a 30-day commitment with your child! (Tips on motivating here!)
Write down what you eat for one week! (Learn the benefits here!)
Create a fun obstacle course!
“Sing along” workouts help make the time pass quicker!
