What sports are suitable
Parents and professionals have a difficult task. They need to choose a sport for their child that will:
The appropriate sport for a child with cerebral palsy should be determined on a case-by-case basis. There are several sports in which children with cerebral palsy participate: downhill skiing, roller skating, soccer, hockey, interval training, etc. It all depends on the form of the disease.
Introduce your child to exercise gradually. If your child has not exercised for a long time, or has only exercised occasionally, intense exercise may be harmful. Talk to your doctor about the frequency and amount of exercise.
Ideally, a child should get enough exercise in early childhood: breathing exercises, gymnastics, finger exercises, rhythmic movements to music.
How each sport is beneficial
Swimming or aqua therapy. We put this sport in the first place, because it is suitable for almost all types of cerebral palsy. It is a combination of the necessary muscular exercise and the rehabilitation and therapeutic aspect:
Horseback riding or hippotherapy. Horseback riding is not for everyone: to exercise with a horse, parents need the advice of the doctor. If the doctor approves hippotherapy, this sport can help a child to develop a positive attitude toward rehabilitation and strengthen useful skills:
Running. Not the running shown by athletes on treadmills, but adaptive running, alternating between running and walking. It's suitable if the child's legs are not weakened or strained. This is a difficult sport, which not all children with cerebral palsy would want to master, but it perfectly strengthens muscles and vestibular apparatus.
Cycling. For some children, a dedicated bike will suit them, and for others, an exercise bike will suit better. Foot movements on bending and unbending train weak muscles, which further help to keep the body upright. Physicians recommend combining cycling with aqua therapy, because this sport itself gives a strong load on the muscles and joints. If the process includes swimming, the water will help to relax the muscles and strengthen the child's positive attitude to sports. Ideally, if the cycling session is followed by aqua therapy and then rest.
It is necessary to consult a medical specialist.
Parents and professionals have a difficult task. They need to choose a sport for their child that will:
- please their child;
- support and offset their child's strengths;
- build into the rehabilitation program;
- develop the skeleton and muscles in a harmonious way;
The appropriate sport for a child with cerebral palsy should be determined on a case-by-case basis. There are several sports in which children with cerebral palsy participate: downhill skiing, roller skating, soccer, hockey, interval training, etc. It all depends on the form of the disease.
Introduce your child to exercise gradually. If your child has not exercised for a long time, or has only exercised occasionally, intense exercise may be harmful. Talk to your doctor about the frequency and amount of exercise.
Ideally, a child should get enough exercise in early childhood: breathing exercises, gymnastics, finger exercises, rhythmic movements to music.
How each sport is beneficial
Swimming or aqua therapy. We put this sport in the first place, because it is suitable for almost all types of cerebral palsy. It is a combination of the necessary muscular exercise and the rehabilitation and therapeutic aspect:
- the child feels a relative lightness of his/her body and relaxes, and all movement exercises are easier for him/her - this reduces negativity towards rehabilitation and sports in general;
- water helps to keep the child's body in an upright position, due to which he/she trains his/her vestibular system and memorizes the correct posture;
- all organs work better in water: the cardiovascular system is strengthened, lung volume increases and tissues are oxygenated;
- it is difficult to get injured in the water, so a child is not afraid to do exercises and is happy when he/she succeeds.
Horseback riding or hippotherapy. Horseback riding is not for everyone: to exercise with a horse, parents need the advice of the doctor. If the doctor approves hippotherapy, this sport can help a child to develop a positive attitude toward rehabilitation and strengthen useful skills:
- Exercising on a horse reduces or increases muscle tone: this depends on the child's initial condition, on the basis of which the specialist selects an appropriate exercise program;
- The rhythmic gait of the horse provides a child with the necessary motor impulses and helps to coordinate his or her actions;
- Riding on a horse is an aid to the formation of spatial concepts;
- The child's motor skills are constantly improving: During the lessons, he/she is introduced to unfamiliar surroundings and learns to keep his/her balance in new positions;
- A child develops an emotional bond with the horse, becomes interested in the world around him. He/she becomes less aggressive, less irritable and less anxious.
Running. Not the running shown by athletes on treadmills, but adaptive running, alternating between running and walking. It's suitable if the child's legs are not weakened or strained. This is a difficult sport, which not all children with cerebral palsy would want to master, but it perfectly strengthens muscles and vestibular apparatus.
Cycling. For some children, a dedicated bike will suit them, and for others, an exercise bike will suit better. Foot movements on bending and unbending train weak muscles, which further help to keep the body upright. Physicians recommend combining cycling with aqua therapy, because this sport itself gives a strong load on the muscles and joints. If the process includes swimming, the water will help to relax the muscles and strengthen the child's positive attitude to sports. Ideally, if the cycling session is followed by aqua therapy and then rest.
It is necessary to consult a medical specialist.
