By Alli Frazier, CEO of Frazier Behavioral Health and Autism Mom

This spring, I challenge you to take action by exercising as a family. As parents, it is up to us to introduce and prioritize a healthy lifestyle to our neurodiverse family members. Our kids watch us and mimic our choices, both good and bad. If we model having fun with physical activity, our kids are more likely to adopt these strategies and stay active throughout their lives. During the winter months, it is challenging to stay active. The winter weather has finally broken, and there is no better time to start a new family tradition.

The Benefits of Daily Exercise

Daily physical activity has been proven to boost mood, increase attention, and reduce challenging behavior. Moderate to vigorous activity has immediate benefits. Exercise for individuals of all ages increases our ability to focus and think clearly. Regular physical activity can reduce anxiety in children and adults, as well as help protect against depression. And parents, you will really appreciate this benefit… regular exercise can improve your child’s sleep! Meaning regular exercise is especially important, considering neurodiverse individuals tend to struggle with falling asleep. Additionally, regular moderate to vigorous exercise is associated with faster sleep onset, having a deeper sleep and waking up feeling refreshed. Finally, a regular exercise routine can lessen the need for sleep-regulating medications or mood-regulating medications.

Find Out What Works for Your Child and Family

When determining how much exercise is appropriate for your child, talk to your child’s physician. Most studies show that we should aim for moderately-intense exercise, about 30-45 minutes, at least five times a week. There are lots of fun ways to get in those minutes of exercise. A teen or young adult may prefer walking at the metro parks or swimming laps as a family. Kids and adults of all ages often enjoy spontaneous dance parties, backyard kickball games, or community sports. Kids are more likely to stay engaged in exercise when having fun, so look for ways to incorporate a special interest, too! If your child loves zoo animals, perhaps a walk at the zoo is a good place to start.

Consistency is Key and Celebrate Wins

Stick with it! It takes, on average, two months for a new behavior to become a habit or a way of life. In the first few weeks, you may get some resistance from your child as they build up a tolerance to being physically active. However, by modeling a positive attitude towards physical activity and rewarding effort, as a parent, we are building resilience in our children. Exercise itself can be a challenge, albeit a good one, and pushing through the challenge helps us continue to grow.

Reward successes in your children, both big and small. Provide them with verbal praise for being active. Brag to their teachers, grandparents, cousins (really anyone!) about how healthy they are becoming. Perhaps you can make a sticker chart to display on the refrigerator to show all the days of the month that your child engaged in at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise. Then, consider going on a special outing, like canoeing or a train ride, for filling 80% of the days with stickers. Whatever you choose, have fun with it as a family!

Are you interested in yourself, your family, your child, or someone you know receiving evidence-based, individualized therapy? Contact Alli Frazier’s company Frazier Behavioral Health, a behavioral health clinic that focuses on the person and helps children and adults with behavioral, social, communication and sensory issues at FrazierBH.com/Scene. Frazier Behavioral Health also recently received Behavioral Health Center of Excellence accreditation.

Can’t get enough of Ask Alli? Check out previous Ask Alli segments on the Cleveland Scene website by clicking here and watch the most recent Ask Alli TV segment at Facebook.com/FrazierBehavioralHealth.

This article appears in May 3-17, 2023.