How to keep kids moving while you're stuck at home
By Louise Kinross
During pandemic stay-home orders, it can be hard to get motivated to exercise. Fit Friday is a free CAMH webinar aimed to help remedy this. Each week participants try a new activity. The program is for youth and young adults with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities. Patrick Jachyra runs Fit Friday with Bri Redquest. Both are post-doctoral fellows at the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre. We talked to Patrick about why physical activity is important, strategies families can try at home, and how Fit Friday works. Many of the tips apply to all children.
BLOOM: Why is exercise important for youth with autism during the pandemic?
Patrick Jachyra: I hear daily from parents that school closures, uncertainty about COVID-19, and not being outdoors has created stress in youth with autism. Exercise has the potential to temporarily reduce some of that stress and anxiety. When done at the same time and in the same place each day, exercise can provide some routine, predictability and a temporary sense of control. Most importantly, it leads to feelings of pleasure, joy and fun. These social and emotional benefits are especially important during the pandemic, when some of the previous ways we had fun aren't possible.
BLOOM: How does physical activity in kids and teens with autism compare to that of their non-disabled peers?
Patrick Jachyra: Kids and teens with autism are reported to be less active than their age-related peers. They are also less likely to participate in physical activities and sports in school, and in community activities or on community sports teams. Early research suggests kids with autism become less active as they transition to the teen years and adulthood.
BLOOM: Why are youth with autism less active?
Patrick Jachyra: Two studies concluded that children with autism aren't motivated by physical activity, and are more drawn to sedentary activities. That's not my experience. There are other factors that can contribute to lower levels of activity.
Some children and youth might experience challenges with motor skills like running, jumping or throwing. Others may find the noise, light or touch involved in activities overwhelming from a sensory perspective.
In our research with parents, we heard that despite wanting to engage their kids in organized physical activities, parents found it hard to do so, because there are so many competing demands on their time. In research with physiotherapists, we heard there was less funding to support physical activities compared to other autism interventions and programs.
In my doctoral research, I found there were limited programs and opportunities for youth with autism, and school-based activities like physical education classes weren't tailored to their diverse needs and abilities. Youth also spoke about being physically and verbally bullied, and how this not only hurt their mental health, but also really pushed them away from physical activity.
BLOOM: What strategies can parents use to encourage kids when they're stuck at home?
Patrick Jachyra: Being creative with time, activities and space is very important. One idea is to do activities together as a family, so everyone can benefit.
You may want to set a goal as a family. For example, this week we'll do five minutes of physical activity every day. Depending on how that goes, work your way up or down the next week.
Or set a future goal. The goal could be 20 minutes of activity a day by the end of May, and work towards that. It's okay if you don't meet your goals every day.
Breaking up activity into chunks may help. So instead of doing 25 minutes at one time, do five-minute blocks throughout the day. After reading a book, doing a board game or watching TV, your child could do five minutes of exercise. These small, cumulative benefits add up and totally count. Make it fun.
For kids who like routine, pick the same time each day for exercise.
What about introducing a new activity, to add a bit of excitement? During the pandemic I started doing tai-chi. I'd never done it before, and it not only gets me moving but helps manage stress and anxiety because it includes space for mindfulness and deep breathing.
BLOOM: What are other home activities parents could try with their kids?
Patrick Jachyra: Meditation and breathing techniques; stretching; climbing stairs; walking around the house; online exercise classes; dancing; and house chores like cleaning or gardening. You can do exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks and squats. Play a game of bowling by lining up some empty plastic bottles and knocking them over with a tennis ball. Or fill the plastic bottles with water and use a mini soccer ball or mini basketball. Some families find their kids love bouncing on mini trampolines.
BLOOM: Can you tell us more about Fit Friday?
Patrick Jachyra: It's been going for five weeks and we've done yoga, fitness training, dance and Zumba. Today we're doing tai chi. Our goal is to provide a new activity each week that doesn't require any specialized equipment.
We spend time learning about the history of the activity and how to do it, and then do it together. Sometimes Bri and I lead the sessions, and sometimes we live stream the activities. Participants work through the activities at their own pace. We always provide resources youth can access about the activity on their own time as well.
It takes place every Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and we've had people join from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. There are no age limits, and parents or caregivers can participate as well.
BLOOM: What feedback have you had?
Patrick Jachyra: The feedback so far has been great, and we're having more and more people join each week. We've heard that people are looking for physical activities, but aren't sure where or how to begin. Fit Friday helps by introducing activities.
The second thing is that people are looking for a space to come to, hang out and socialize. We've tried to integrate the social aspect by having participants engage through the chat function, or share their thoughts while on camera. Some people are just happy to hang out, and that's awesome as well. We want to create the most welcome and positive space possible.
BLOOM: You're doing research on whether exercise can reduce suicide in young adults with autism. Is the rate of suicide higher in this population?
Patrick Jachyra: My post-doctoral research at CAMH explores the factors that might contribute to suicidal thoughts and death by suicide among youth and young adults with autism. Much of the work to date has been completed with adults, and suggests that adults are more likely to die by suicide. However, little is known about suicidal thinking and death by suicide in youth with autism.
BLOOM: Why do you think exercise might reduce suicide?
Patrick Jachyra: Very little research has examined suicide and physical activity participation together. Because lower rates of physical activity are observed in youth and young adults with autism, I'm interested in better understanding the mental health impacts of exercise and other factors that might protect youth and young adults.
BLOOM: Can you tell us about your PhD?
Patrick Jachyra: My PhD was in rehabilitation science, and I completed it at the University of Toronto. I was supervised by Dr. Barbara Gibson and mentored by Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou. My PhD work examined what influences physical activity participation among youth with autism. Youth created digital stories about their physical activity experiences, and each participated in two interviews.
To register for Fit Friday, click here. Looking for more ideas on physical activities you can do at home? Patrick recommends:
