Max, my oldest son born with Down Syndrome and later diagnosed with autism prefers to be sedentary. He’s always been this way.  As a toddler, when his physical therapist would come to the house for his session he would run and hide...or throw a temper tantrum.  

Hey Mama Bears, full disclosure here. There are affiliate links in this post so if you click on the link and buy the product I will earn a small commission. Now that we’re clear on that let’s get back to rocking life with special needs! 

I attribute it to the fact that Max has low muscle tone which is a commonality among people born with Down Syndrome.  Gross motor stuff like walking, running, jumping are just harder for him and he tires a lot more easily than most because of it. 

As a family we recognize the importance of physical activity.  Would it be easier to let Max just gravitate towards his couch potato ways? Yes, yes it would. 

 It would save me from being subjected to a whole lotta of yelling, grumbling, and in general, unsavory behaviors, but it would not be the best thing for Max. 

I get it. It’s hard to get your kid to do things they don’t want and if you yourself would much rather lay on the couch and read a book while eating a cinnamon roll (that sounds lovely). It can at times feel like a Herculean amount of effort.  

Here’s the thing though, in order to truly rock this special life we need to take care of our bodies.  

We need to make it a priority to move our bodies and be physically active every day. 

While we have always recognized the importance of exercise and moving our bodies, we really started to prioritize it a few years ago. There wasn’t any kind of big revelation or huge life event that led to this. It was more of a gradual awakening.  

We noted Max was really starting to put on some weight.  He had always been on the smaller side when he was younger but around eight years old that started to change.  Next thing we knew at his annual physical he was in the obese category on the growth charts.  

We also noted the impact on his endurance. He wasn’t able to keep up with his younger brother and sister like he used to. 

Hubby and I made moving our bodies a priority for our family as a whole.  We would do weekly family walks and started to work out as a family in our little makeshift gym.  

Were the kids thrilled about this? 

Nope. 

Did we see positive changes? 

You bet your bottom dollar we did!

Mama Bears, there are SO many benefits to moving your body on a regular basis for YOU and your child with special needs.  

Truly, we saw positive changes in all of our kids, including Max. In fact, we noticed such a difference I want to share it with all of my Mama Bears out there! 

Benefits of Exercise For Tweens and Teens With Down Syndrome

Here are the changes we noted when we made sure Max had regular physical activity…

Improved Ability To Focus And Learn

Max was so much more willing to sit down and learn after being physically active.  Seriously, it was like night and day.  So much so that we started to plan learning activities after walks and family work outs.  

Typically, we would have to ask Max to go to the table to do his work several times before he would comply. Not to mention then we would suffer through lots of Max delays while actually working with him! 

After exercise he would do things we asked the first time.  If we asked him to sit down and do work he would sit down right away and get right to it! With minimal Max delays! 

Now, I’m not going to get into all the science and studies showing the link between getting active and improved focus and learning.  Totally not the scope of this blog. 

If you are super duper interested in this stuff then simply Google it! Tons of good stuff comes up talking about this study and that study!  

I am going to say Hubby and I have noted a BIG difference in ALL of our kids since we’ve made moving our bodies a priority.  On days we do exercise they are more focused, more open to learning, and there are less fights.  

Come on now, what parent doesn’t want that?!

Improved Muscle Tone

People born with Down Syndrome have lower muscle tone.  That’s just one of the things that goes with having Down Syndrome.  

The lower muscle tone is one of the reasons most of our kids take longer to reach some of those exciting milestones like sitting up on their own and walking.  It’s also one of the reasons our kids can be harder to understand since their facial muscles are also lower in tone.  

Exercise improves muscle tone which is fantastic for kids who struggle with low muscle tone. Max started walking just before his 2nd birthday and the world really seemed to open up for him.  You could see the happiness on his face and it was such a proud Mama Bear moment I sobbed.  

Happy sobbing...is that a thing? Well, it’s my thing because I do it A LOT! 

Anyway, once Max learned to walk it was such a confidence booster for his little toddler self!  Being able to walk like his other little toddler friends was a huge achievement for him. He was so proud. 

Improved muscle tone means our kids are better able to rock those gross motor milestones!  Max loves to throw the football around and play soccer. When he was in elementary school he would tell us about playing football with “his boys” (a group of friends in his class). Having good gross motor skills allows him to do this.

Improved Weight Control

Did you know people born with Down Syndrome have a slower than normal metabolism? Yep, couple that with a higher rate of thyroid problems, such as hypothyroidism, and our kids can really struggle to maintain a healthy weight.  

We all know maintaining a healthy weight is a key component of being in better health. As parents, we want what is best for our kids and that includes keeping them as healthy as possible.  We need to help our kids make moving their bodies a priority and daily habit.  

And yes Mama Bear, the best way to help them do this and teach them the importance of it is to model it ourselves.  Go for family walks or hikes or bike rides! Play a game of soccer in your yard. Make it a priority to get a family gym in your home you can all get moving in together!

Improved Mental Health

When the Mathe crew are suffering from a case of the grouches I make us move our bodies.  My favorite move our bodies as a family activity is a walk outside.  Yes, I’m often met with a whole bunch of grumbles, but once we start walking those frowns tend to turn upside down!  

During our walks we talk.  We catch up on what’s going on in our kid’s lives, we talk about what adventures we would like to do in the future, and we reminisce about things we’ve done. It’s a great time to connect and check in with each other.  

Not only is it a great time to connect with each other, but exercise helps our brain produce those feel good chemicals improving our moods.  Exercising regularly helps reduce stress (kids get stressed too remember) and improve symptoms of anxiety and depression.  If that doesn’t sell you on trying to make sure your family moves their bodies on a regular basis it also improves sleep!

I’ve discovered though, it’s not the why so much as it is the how.  

HOW do we fit moving our bodies into our already busy schedules?  

HOW do we make exercise or moving our bodies happen? 

The how is the hard part, am I right?

Here are some tips to help you with the how, especially for those of us living that busy family life!

Here’s the thing though, I can give you all the tips in the world to get your family more active and you may start off fabulously.  After a few weeks though the motivation starts to wane and everyone goes back to their old couch potato ways.  We don’t want that to happen!  You have to be willing to start shifting your narrative and that shift includes making regular physical activity a priority for the entire family. 

How do you do this?  

How To Increase Exercise In Your Tween and Teen With Down Syndrome

Make a goal. Be specific.

When you have a goal you have something to work towards.  It helps motivate everyone on those tough days when you just don’t want to do it. Remember Mama Bears, not all goals are created equal.  

In order to improve your chance of success you need a SMART goal.  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Limited.  

This is not a SMART goal.

We are going to walk more as a family.

This is a SMART goal.

We are going to take a 30 minute walk as a family every weekend for the next 3 months. 

When trying to come up with a SMART goal, get the entire family involved. Once you’ve decided, WRITE IT DOWN. Simply putting pen to paper and writing that goal down increases your chance of success.  Putting it somewhere where everyone can see it will further increase your chances of meeting that goal.  

Schedule it.

That’s right. Schedule your family fitness time. Most of us are very busy.  Stuff comes up, life happens, and we are going to be SO tempted to skip the exercise.  Family life is hectic so if you don’t put it on the calendar it’s not going to happen.  

PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR MAMA BEAR. 

You will be less likely to skip it.

I’m loving this stylish calendar!

If you have a large space on your wall check out this jumbo calendar. I love that it’s jumbo and easier for your child tween or teen to read if they have low vision.

Model it. 

You’ve got to be a model for your kids which means you have to be moving with them.  Yep, no sitting on the bench at the playground while your kids are playing or making them sign up for a sport, but you yourself haven’t exercised in years.  

If it’s a do as I say and not as I do kind of situation your kids are going to fight you every step of the way.  Not only that, you are doing a disservice to yourself.  YOUR health is just as important as your childs.  

Make it convenient.

You are going to be more successful if you can remove as many barriers as possible to exercising.  Hubby realized this way before I did.  We used to belong to a gym, but with three children we had to go during times the gym offered childcare. It just wasn’t very convenient.  We also live in an area of the United States where it’s cold and snowy or rainy practically 6 months out of the year making exercise outside challenging.  

Hubby knew we needed a home gym and he made it happen.  Our little gym in the basement is nothing fancy.  A treadmill, punching bag, weightlifting rack, free weights, medicine ball, kettlebells, a bench, and a TV. We scrimped and saved for every piece of equipment down there. 

Sure, I would have loved to use that money to go on a tropical vacation or something more fun, but we viewed it as a long term investment into our health. Plus, the fact we were spending money on gym equipment was an incentive for me to make sure I used the stuff! 

I love the fact I can roll out of bed, pull on my gym clothes, and head downstairs to work out with bed head and stinky breath. And I can work out at two in the morning if I want to in the comfort of my own home! Sure makes it hard to come up with excuses not to work out! 

Max runs one mile every day before school on our treadmill. It’s a great way to jump start his day so he can be productive and ready to learn. 

Mama Bears, if you can create a fitness goal, schedule fitness, model fitness, and make it convenient it WILL impact your life in a positive way. 

Alrighty! Now that we have talked about ways to make moving your body a priority let me share 3 tips to incorporate it into your busy family schedules. 

Before I do this I want to remind everyone to take my ideas and choose what works for YOU and YOUR FAMILY. Every family is unique. Every child with special needs has different strengths and areas where they struggle. Not every idea is going to work for you and your family. It’s always important to remember that YOU Mama Bear, are the expert on you and your family. 

3 Tips To Increase Exercise In Your Tween or Teen With Down Syndrome

Tip #1 Get Outside.

One of my absolute favorite fitness activities is to take a walk with my family.  We are lucky to have a fabulous community park near us with a walking path. It is one of our go to spots. We also have a University near us that is a great place to walk and a small lake with a nice walking trail. The Mathe crew regularly visits these places to walk or run.  Sometimes when we don’t feel like getting in the car and going somewhere we walk the country road we live on.  It’s a great way to  meet some new neighbors!

Getting outside doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go walking or hiking.  Go to the beach or go to a pool.  Swimming is an awesome way to get your fitness on! Play tag in the sand or bring a soccer ball and kick it around at the beach.  If you’re in a pool, have races and see who can swim a lap the fastest! 

Playgrounds are also a fantastic way to get outside. Remember what I said earlier though about not sitting on the bench watching your kid play.  You need to move too! Swing together, play tag on the playground, swing on the monkey bars, and jump onto things.  Playgrounds can be fun for adults too and your kids are going to LOVE that you’re playing with them!

Tip #2 Learn a new sport. Try something new.

The Mathe crew loves soccer.  During the warmer months we have a soccer goal in our front yard and you will often see us out there playing.  We will set up a dribbling course or we will watch YouTube videos to learn new moves and then go outside and practice them. Sometimes we will even scrimmage each other.  Let me tell you, scrimmaging the Mathe kids is a great work out for Hubby and I!

Yes, we really do have a giant soccer goal in our front yard similar to the one below!

The Mathe crew loves soccer, but if soccer isn’t your thing then go out and play something.  Basketball, baseball, football, tennis, golf, ice skating...whatever it is go out and do it together.  

Here are some fun outdoor games to give you some ideas!

Also, don’t be afraid to try something new or out of your comfort zone.  Never done yoga? Take a Mommy and Me class.  

Want to learn ballroom dancing? Sign up as a family! You will have a blast learning how to dance with your spouse and kids. 

If you’re not quite ready to commit to a class out in the community then find a YouTube video and do it at home together.  

Remember though, going out into the community with your child with special needs can be scary, yes, but it can also foster some great community connections and create friendships. 

Tip #3 Tackle a house project.

Hubby and I built our home with the help of my father in law and brother in law and we decided to move in before it was completely done.  If you’ve done this yourself then you know it is a hundred times harder to complete a home when you're living in it.  

Needless to say there is ALWAYS a Mathe home project to do! And if it’s not a house project then it’s something outside! 

We have four raised garden beds as well as landscaping that constantly need attention.  The entire Mathe crew helps plant and weed our gardens as well as help out with landscaping around the house.  

And don’t forget about cleaning the house! 

When I was younger some of my fondest memories are of Saturday mornings when my Mom would turn on some music and we would all dance and clean the house together. She was a big fan of Air Supply, Madonna, and Garth Brooks...eclectic musical tastes I know!

So there you have it Mama Bears! If you enjoyed this post check out…

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I hope this post helps you rock this special life.