What are the key benefits of physical fitness in neurodiverse children? Oh man! Where do I start?
First off, the same benefits anyone else gets from exercises so will kids on the neurodiverse spectrum also reap. People are people no matter how typical or diverse our brains are. So, all the benefits of exercise such as cardiovascular health, muscle strengthening, endurance, stability, coordination, clearer thinking, range of motion, weight management, life longevity, and overall feeling good are what anyone who engages in regular exercise and physical activity will benefit.
We all agree exercise is good for us, correct? We can settle on that fact and move on to the other cool stuff? Great! Why is it especially beneficial for neurodiverse children? Well, you clicked on this link to find out so let’s get into it.
Let’s look at the word neurodiverse really quick. That’s a huge umbrella that could include autism, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome, anxiety, dyslexia, epilepsy, and many others.
With these conditions come different challenges and physical exercise can help the symptoms of each condition in different ways. So, it doesn’t matter where someone might fall on the neurodiverse scale or if someone has more than one condition. Physical exercise is great for everyone, it just might be more for some people and in different ways because no two people are alike.
Regular movement and using our muscles are for more than just healthy bodies. Physical fitness and exercise help us physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and some might even say spiritually. Let's look at how.
Physical benefits.
I think we’ve covered this already and I think most people understand that engaging in regular movement will build muscles and cardiovascular health to improve overall health. So yeah, exercise helps the body in many ways.
Mentally/Cognition.
You tell me. How do you feel after you go to the gym, a walk, or whatever? Usually much clearer headed, better able to deal with stress, easier to recall information? Maybe something along those lines I’m betting. Movement and a little physical exertion clear the cobwebs and helps regulate the nervous system. Sound body sound mind and all that. Movement is good for the brain. Stagnant is not.
Emotionally.
Similarly, to what we just talked about above. A good workout helps the nervous system. This helps us handle stress better. This also means the sensory struggles someone might deal with because of their neurodiversity. Getting a lot of heavy work and motor output can help a person deal with noise better, or the lights in a room, or how a shirt feels on their back. People that are a little less flexible when it comes to change might be able to deal with plans switching a little better after exercise. Movement is moving muscles, adding weight somehow to that movement is heavy work, and heavy work is generally calming to the nervous system. So, getting some exercise helps us regulate our emotions.
Socially.
Yes, exercise can help us socially. If we look at what it takes to be social and connect the pieces, then having improved cognition and emotions is what it takes to deal and interact with people. Even if it’s just for a short time. If I’m engaged in a fun physical activity such as a sport, a workout, or even just a silly game like kicking the ball back and forth, I am engaged with another person while doing so. There are TONS of non-verbal communication like reading body language, getting down timing and rhythm of another person, and having to understand unwritten rules in a sense. When engaged in a physical activity with someone often times you can reach co-regulation which basically means finding a flow with that person. If someone on the neurodiverse scale has trouble communicating and we want to improve that communication often we think of verbal or sign language. Well, I just googled “How much communication is non-verbal” an it said between 70%-93%. https://www.google.com/search?q=what+percentage+of+communication+is+nonverbal&oq=what+percentage+of+comm&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j69i57j0i512l8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
This is a stat I’ve not verified but in all my years doing this weird profession that I do, that sounds about right. Movement and exercise can help us interact with other people.
Spiritually
Ok, this one can be stretch, but it all depends on how you think of it. In my mind spiritually doesn’t necessarily mean religious but if you’re a religious person then that’s exactly what it could mean. Many people use physical exertion and movement to get in touch with that part of our mind that is not at the forefront. I think of it as movement meditation. Personally, I use a form of exercise called rolling ropes. This is where I swing a rope around in different patterns. I love it so much that sometimes when I’m engaged, my mind goes to a place of calm and peace and I hit this flow state. The woes and worries of the world are gone and all that is with me is the present. It’s a state of mindfulness. Yoga, martial arts, breathwork, all claim to have a similar effect on a person. This also links back to mental and emotional benefits of exercise. Again, a sound body is a sound mind. And a sound mind is the key to so many of the complicated aspects of being a human being.
So these are the large key benefits of physical fitness in neurodiverse children. They are no different than the key benefits of physical fitness for anyone. The only difference is people (especially kids) on that neurodiverse scale can often struggle regulating their emotions and socially interacting with the people around them. This is clearly not always the case but can be when someone is on the autism spectrum, struggling with ADHD, or even sensory processing disorder. Physical fitness is good for everyone but getting our neurodiverse kids to engage in physical activity and fitness can sometimes be a struggle. But finding motivation and doing things through play, no matter what age a person is, can be key to unlocking that engagement. But that is a blog for another day.
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