Fresh air and movement can boost the body, mind and mood!

We all know we should take care of our bodies, both physically and mentally in order to maintain optimal health.

Physical activity and movement are an important part of my life. I know that if I am feeling stressed, even doing a simple activity like walking a short distance or just getting outside to do some gardening can put me in a better frame of mind. It can set me up to be better able to take on the rest of my day.

For people on the spectrum, it is so important that they are able to engage in some sort of activity and move their bodies throughout the course of a day. Many kids and teens on the spectrum have what they call SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), which just means that their systems can get disorganized very easily. Both of my children are affected by loud noises, outside stimuli like smells, fabrics, which input into their systems. It is almost imperative that they get some sort of movement through the day so that their bodies are able to settle so that their brains can actually take in more information.

This is especially important when doing school at home. People are spending so much time on the screen and after awhile, they just zone out (me included!)

In our house it’s tricky because both of our children have very different needs. For our son, he is outside every single day. He’s either walking the dog, jumping on the trampoline, riding his bike, gardening, hiking – you name it, he’s doing it. His focus depends on it and when he doesn’t get this, you can tell that his concentration and mood are both off.

For our daughter, unfortunately she cannot do physical activity right now due to her eating disorder so it’s a little tough for her to move around a lot. At this time, I do try to ensure that she at least gets outside in the backyard for fresh air as that is very important, especially with being at home all the time. She also has a quiet space in the basement dedicated to quiet. She can block out everything that is going on and re-organize her thoughts and body so that she can continue on with her day.

For our activities and movement, I like to make sure that I am a part of it. I enjoy many different outdoor activities but the main focus is doing things together. If I can ride my bike or go for a walk with our son, I would rather do that than some other form of exercise indoors. We try to do movement activities every day and I believe that this helps our physical bodies as well as our mental state.

God wants us to take care of our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you, and you have received the Spirit from God. You do not belong to yourselves. Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God.”

Let’s encourage each other, whether we have a special needs child or not to take care of our body and get some fresh air and exercise. It will look different for each of us but maybe we’ll see a boost in our body, mind and mood.

May God continue to bless you each and every day. Please remember that we are here for you should you need any help or support, please reach out.

Shelly Wedge
Exceptional Families Coordinator
Amberlea Presbyterian Church