If you haven’t grasped that I’m pro exercise for treating almost everything, let’s look at the benefits of exercise in our autistic adult population. In addition to the general benefits of exercise, incorporating physical activity into your daily routine can help improve mental health. This is especially true for neurodivergent individuals who often experience stress and anxiety as a result of sensory difficulties, stability, coordination, and even being misunderstood in society.
People on the spectrum can often experience a form of burnout known as “autistic burnout.” Constant masking, sensory discomforts and other difficulties with day-to-day life can be incredibly draining and exhausting.
So let’s look at what exercise and movement can do for those adults on the autism spectrum.
1. Improved Mental Health
Exercise does more than help us lose weight, reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke, give us energy, and improve our sleep patterns (all of which we probably already know). It also benefits those on the autism spectrum and those with learning differences in these areas: mood improvement, stress reduction, improved movement control and better information processing, and enhanced memory storage.
A large majority of the current research into physical activity to help with symptoms of autism looks at children, and research into adults needs to expand significantly. It should focus on autistic adults across the life span and involve them in identifying enjoyable, accessible activities. It should also be aware of the need for autistic people to engage in self-soothing and stimming behaviors, rather than trying to suppress them.
Programs for autistic adults are beginning to emerge, with organizations such as Boston Ballet offering adaptive dance classes and the nonprofit Voice Colors Yoga making yoga accessible to people with autism. In addition, many autistic individuals now attend fitness programs designed specifically for them, with a wide range of options including hiking, biking, rock climbing, and kayaking.
2. Reduced Anxiety
Adults with autism have higher rates of anxiety and depression, and a lack of physical activity can contribute to these conditions. However, exercise has been shown to reduce both, and it may help people with autism and other disabilities manage their symptoms.
Especially for people with autism, sensory processing disorder, and ADHD, fitness can improve mental health by raising levels of neurotransmitters that help us focus and pay attention. It also helps reduce restlessness and impulsive behaviors. It’s important for these individuals to find exercises that they enjoy, so they stick with their workout routines and get the most out of them.
In addition to reducing mood and boosting self-esteem, exercise can strengthen muscles that are weak or have impaired balance. This is particularly important for adults with autism and sensory processing disorder because balance problems can make walking more difficult, and people with autism and sensory processing disorder are at a greater risk of falling due to spatial awareness challenges.
Researchers need to continue investigating the benefits of exercise for adults with autism. However, research has been limited in its scope, and most studies do not include autistic participants without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) or other co-morbidities. Future research needs to explore the experiences of people with autism who are engaged in physical activities, and it should be done by including autistic participants early on in the design process to identify enjoyable, accessible activities that can increase participation and quality of life.
3. Increased Self-Esteem
In addition to improving motor coordination and balance, regular exercise can help individuals cultivate self-confidence. The more you do, the more you can do! It also offers a healthy alternative to stimming as a form of self-regulation.
Although research on physical activity and fitness for autistic adults is scarce, what does exist has tended to focus on children. This is problematic because children have less autonomy in terms of their participation, which may only occur through school or parental provision. Research needs to consider the breadth of adult life, with a focus on autistic adults' priorities.
Qualitative research would be particularly useful in this area, as it would allow researchers to understand what enjoyable and practical physical activity looks like for autistic adults, and the barriers they face. In turn, this can lead to well-designed intervention studies that are both effective and accessible to the autistic population. In addition, it is vital that researchers recognize neurodiversity and do not try to suppress activities such as stimming, which can be very beneficial for many autistic individuals. Moreover, they should not treat exercise as something that requires a 'normal' or 'disabled' mindset.
4. Improved Sleep
Exercise improves sleep patterns, and a good night’s rest is important for mood improvement and better information processing. In addition, the hippocampus (which houses long-term memory) and the cerebral cortex (where information is processed) both benefit from physical activity.
A regular fitness routine helps people feel more in control of their lives. This can be especially helpful for neurodiverse individuals who often struggle with sensory sensitivities and can feel overwhelmed in new or stressful situations. It’s also a great way to build a routine that supports their natural sleep-wake cycle, improving the quality and length of their sleep.
Studies have shown that adults with autism and intellectual disability are at higher risk for health conditions like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes compared to the general population. One study found that the majority of adults with autism and ID were overweight and in the “somewhat active” or “less “ ranges for physical activity when using a wearable device to track their daily steps. The higher average daily step count was associated with a better quality of life than lower levels of physical activity.
5. Increased Energy
The adage “exercise is medicine” has long been proven, and it does much more than reduce the risk of heart disease, strengthen bones, boost energy levels, and improve sleep patterns. It also positively affects cognitive function, including attention and focus. Let’s look at the hippocampus again, because it’s so fun to say. Research shows that exercise increases the volume of the hippocampus, which is responsible for storing long-term memories, and enhances information processing in the cerebral cortex, a part of the brain essential to learning and understanding our surroundings.
In addition, regular physical activity can improve balance and coordination, which can help with spatial awareness. This can make it easier to carry out daily activities and enables us to better navigate the world around us.
Despite these benefits, many neurodivergent people do not participate in physical activity because of barriers like social anxiety and lack of access to suitable programs. The best results from exercise come from small, consistent sessions on a daily basis and finding an activity that is both challenging and enjoyable. This is why it is vital to have the neurodivergent population involved in designing programs, so they are not just effective but also enjoyable.
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