Fitness

a. An article related to fitness for ind. with disabilities {w/ 1 page reflection}

  • "An exploratory study of the association between physical activity, cardiovascular fitness and body size in children with Down syndrome" - Nora Shields, Juliette Hussey, Joan Murphy, John Gormley & Hilary Hoey

In children of all abilities, it is important to participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day to uphold a healthy lifestyle. If this recommendation isn't followed, chances are higher that these children will suffer from being overweight, obese, or have some type of chronic illness later in life. This is especially important for those with disabilities, and in this case Down syndrome, since they typically have shorter life spans and more bodily impairments than those that are more high-functioning. With these factors, those with Down syndrome are more likely to be overweight and obese to begin with. In order to stay healthy, they must exercise daily even though it may be more difficult for them simply so that they can be more independent from their families and caretakers.

After Shields et al. conducted their research among the 20 children, it was proven that children with Down syndrome who exercise and participate in cardiovascular fitness daily are significantly more healthy in terms of body composition and BMI than their more sedentary counterparts.

However, it's also been found that those with DS generally have lower levels of physical activity and this activity only decreases with age. This is important to note as a mentor because the mentees' time with us may be their only opportunity to participate in physical activity that day, and maybe even that week as they may not have the proper programming available to them.

To me, it was surprising to find that being active can even affect memory later in life; if an individual has low enough physical activity levels, then their chance to develop dementia is higher. Exercise helps everything in terms of health, so coming up with activities for mentees that are both challenging enough to get their heart rates up and rewarding enough to keep them coming back for more is crucial.


b. Useful activities and/or strategies found AND USED during unit (4 pts)

i. Find information or articles on fitness for individuals with disabilities (IWD)

When working with children with DS, it's important to ensure that the student fully understands an activity prior to beginning. The instruction portion of describing and acting out an activity is vital for students to have better retention and potentially better success with a given activity. Specifically, showing an object or activity while also speaking it aloud helps children with DS, especially if they are being instructed in a group setting. By doing this regularly, it also helps with the student's ability to keep their attention focused for a longer periods of time. Listing and grouping are good strategies to keep in mind to help with retention, as well as keeping the verbal cues short. Throughout an activity, instructors can question students to test their memory of the cues.

ii. Place your Fitness LPs HERE (1pt)

*See below


c. Resources found re: skills/benefits of fitness for your specific individual (3 pts)

  • For children of all abilities, it's important to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. However, for those with Down syndrome, it's even more important since they already experience lower muscular strength and cardiovascular issues. It's been found that nearly 60% of those with Down syndrome don't regularly participate in physical activity. With that, obesity percentages are higher in those with Down syndrome than those without. This percentage only becomes worse with age because once they reach the age of 30, it's been found that physical activity is nearly immeasurable.


d. Opportunities for families and/or professionals on how to help individuals be successful in fitness setting or fitness activities – in community? (3 pts)

  • Sports are a great way to keep children active and there are a few places in the Harrisonburg area that provide inclusive leagues. Some of the places include:
    • Special Olympics of the Shenandoah Region
    • Harrisonburg Little League Buddies
    • Bridgewater Community Little League Challenger Baseball
Fitness LP

CITATIONS

Area 4. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://specialolympicsva.org/who-we-are/find-special-olympics-near-you/shenandoah-region/area-4

CHALLENGER BASEBALLBridgewater Community Little League - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://www.bridgewaterchallenger.com/

Down Syndrome : NCHPAD - Building Inclusive Communities. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://www.nchpad.org/117/909/Down~Syndrome

Hughes, J. (n.d.). Developing working memory skills for children with Down syndrome. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from https://www.down-syndrome.org/practice/348/

Shields, N., Hussey, J., Murphy, J., Gormley, J., & Hoey, H. (2015). An exploratory study of the association between physical activity, cardiovascular fitness and body size in children with Down syndrome. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/17518423.2015.1077901?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Spurgeon, Chelsea B., "Physical Activity in Individuals with Down Syndrome" (2014). University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/1718