Ways to get involved in Exercise

Here are some practical tips for encouraging regular physical activity:

Start smallThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children get at least an hour of physical activity daily. That’s good to know, but I suggest starting with a more modest goal and building from there.
We’ve found that shorter periods of physical activity, spaced throughout the day, tend to be easier to maintain. Remember: The goal is to make physical activity a regular and enjoyable part of daily life. So, be patient and think long term.
Here are some ways to add physical activity into a daily routine:

• Walking to school (or work) – or at least some of the way.
• Walking the dog (if you have one).
• Turn TV advertisements into exercise breaks. I recommend a few minutes of a rigorous activity such as jumping jacks. Join your child in the fun.
• Make a family trip to the playground a regular, after-dinner activity. If you can walk there, even better.

I recommend gradually expanding the amount of time spent in these and other activities – with the aim of ultimately achieving the recommended daily hour of physical activity.
2.
Build motor skills.Keep in mind that your child will need to build some fundamental motor skills to successfully participate in physical activities and sports. You can make this skill-building enjoyable by playing games that encourage your child to:

• Move in different ways (e.g. run, jump, hop, and skip)
• Play with different types of equipment such as balls, bats and racquets (e.g. throw, catch, kick and strike).

Practicing these skills at home can foster your child’s success in physical education class, while increasing the likelihood that he or she will enjoy other socially engaging physical activities such as playground games and recreational sports.
3.
Sample different types of physical activityOur analysis identified a wide range of activities that can deliver benefits. From table-tennis to swimming, from riding bikes to riding horses, there’s an abundance of physical activities that you or your child can try. I suggest sampling from the menu.
Ideally, include one or more activities that encourage:

• Fitness. An activity that involves moderate to vigorous activity – activity that gets a person breathing heavily.
• Social interaction. An activity that involves one or more other people, such as tennis or catch.
• Independence. An activity that can be done alone, such as a home fitness or yoga routine – perhaps with the help of a video.

4.
Be a role model and enlist friends and familyAs a parent, you are the most important role model for your child. I encourage you to model an active lifestyle for your child. Show them the enjoyment and value you gain from being active.
Next, consider the many people who interact with your child on a daily or weekly basis and how might you enlist them to encourage your child’s physical activity.
Teachers, especially physical education teachers, can be a great influence. Share your aspirations and strategies for your child. If your child has an  Education Plan (IEP), be sure to include physical education goals in your EP .
Also consider contacting the people who run recreational sports programs in your community. Some may worry that they lack the skills to engage and include someone with autism in their programs. You may be able to give them the confidence they need by sharing your strategies for communicating, motivating, and instructing your child.
5.
Tips for making physical activities autism friendlyHere are three practical strategies commonly used in activity programs designed for youth who have autism:

• Someone who understands. Ideally, we want people with autism – especially children and teens – to have access to physical activity programs led by facilitators who understand how to communicate and motivate participants in autism-friendly ways. This doesn’t have to be a professional in the field of autism. It can even be a “peer tutor” – another child who understands how to communicate with your child and can provide some one-on-one support.
• Routine. Most of us need routine, and this appears to be especially true for many people on the spectrum. I suggest building a regular and predictable structure into the physical activity program. Create a visual schedule to help reinforce the routine. (See the Autism Speaks Visual Supports Tool Kit link above for instructions on making a visual schedule.)
• Get visual. Many people with autism are visual learners. Visual supports such as task cards, physical demonstrations and video modelling often prove very helpful.

            So lets get physical