Autism: The Benefits of Exercise

Exercise provide a range of benefits for people with Autism. “Autism is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. It is a lifelong disability that starts when a person is born and stays with them into old age. Every Autistic person is different to every other.” 1 in 70 people estimated to be on the Autism spectrum [1]

People with ASD often find it difficult to interact and communicate in social situations, and often experience repetitive patterns of behaviours and interests, it can sometimes make it difficult to engage in healthy lifestyle interventions. Exercise can help manage the negative heath implications of physical inactivity on overall health, and can also help manage a number of Autism-specific symptoms. [2]

Benefits of Exercise on Autism

Exercise interventions to improve physical fitness, address obesity, and reduce autism-specific impairments in children and adolescents with ASD. [3]  Developing general physical fitness is important for both athletic and general life activities. Exercise targeting essential movement patterns (pushing, pulling, squatting, locomotion) can enhance physical functioning in other areas of life and activity.

Interventions implemented by professional practitioners demonstrated a larger effect size than interventions implemented by teachers. [4]  Science has demonstrated that physical activities has an overall positive effect on behaviors of individuals with ASD. Exercise has been shown to achieve a 37% improvement in symptoms of ASD, specifically behavioural and academic improvement. [5]

Personal Experience: Autism and Exercise

While science has a lot to say on the subject of Autism and the benefits of exercise, personal experience is also a factor. I am not only a highly qualified fitness professional, I am also a parent. I am a parent of 3 Autistic sons, which provides me with not only the scientific and fitness professional viewpoint but also the lived experience of learning to help three very different ASD personalities deal with general neurotypical society. My sons have made me a better coach with more patience and the ability to work around problems to find workable solution.

Use my contact form to discuss fitness coaching for your ASD teen or yourself in Gympie. Contact Me for fitness coaching of sport specific coaching (Powerlifting)

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1. Autism Spectrum Australia, 2021
2. ESSA
3. Sudha M. Srinivasan, Linda S. Pescatello, Anjana N. Bhat, Current Perspectives on Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Physical Therapy, Volume 94, Issue 6, 1 June 2014, Pages 875–889, https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20130157
4. Park, E., Kim, W., & Blair, K. C. (2021). Effectiveness of interventions involving physical activities for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 56(3), 354-367. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/effectiveness-interventions-involving-physical/docview/2570253992/se-2
5. Healy S, Nacario A, Braithwaite RE, Hopper C. The effect of physical activity interventions on youth with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Autism Res. 2018 Jun;11(6):818-833. doi: 10.1002/aur.1955. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29693781.