Any parents with special needs kids who find it hard to find that motivation and strength to workout

aidagarcia559

I'm a mom of 3 autistic children and I get pumped and excited when I think of working out and I look forward to it but when it comes down to it, I'm so tired ... I get in a good day about 6 hours of sleep on and off. I get 2 hours in a day to myself so thats my wolindow of opportunity to working out and weekends but not going to lie when its that time all I want to do is sleep and do nothing. How can I find that motivation to just get up and go.... And don't get me started on eating, I love!!!!! Salads and veggies but with my kids having sensory issues to smells and textures plus I'm limited financially I only get mostly food for them and I eat what's there so I know thats a huge part in loosing weight. Again I just need to push myself I know I do, but I don't

CynthiasChoice

I can't even begin to imagine how hard your life is. Is there any way you can get more sleep? That's probably more important than exercise.

CynthiasChoice

And how old are the kids? Any chance of doing something active with them?

lili200

Big hug!!! In a busy time like now, I do 7 min workout . It’s not plenty - but it’s better then 0. I have an app to help me with the workout. Before I had the app I would live the house/ office and just walk for 7 min where ever my foot takes me.. after 7 min I would come back
Every journey start with a single step!

aidagarcia559

@Cynthiaschoice thank you and I'm currently working on trying to get my kids on a schedule we have good days and of course our bad but I catch up on my sleep on the weekends. And my kids are 10, 8, 4 years old

aidagarcia559

@lili200 very true something is better than nothing thank you for the advice

TavistockToad

first off, to lose weight you just need to eat a bit less... take a multi vitamin if you think your diet is lacking, but don't think that you have to eat salad to lose weight.

as for the having 2 hours a day to yourself. a 30 minute workout then gives you 90 minutes to nap/watch telly/do nothing. commit to 30 minutes 3 times a week and go from there.

cece1012003

Actually I do. My autistic kid would roll under me during planks and push-ups. I stepped on him a few times during calisthenics, complete nightmare. I was frustrated and just stopped for a while. Now I spend 20 minutes of a 30 minute lunch break jump roping outside my building and the last time cleaning up. I eat at my desk a little later.

I still wish I could do weight training, that I can't do at work. Or at least I haven't figured it out...yet.

kenyonhaff

I don't actually have any advice. Just want to say to parents of special needs kids that you guys are awesome!

Ohwhynot

It gets easier to find time as they get involved in school, but I agree - it's tough!!! If you have 15 minutes to yourself, take a walk. Just a little bit of activity is better than nothing. Do squats while you empty the dishwasher, plank while you're watching TV, etc. Sometimes, you gotta get creative! I know what it's like to have the kiddos be your first priority. ASD mom here, too.

aidagarcia559

Thank you so.... Much everyone for the tips and advice I will definitely try all of them.

busyPK

I'm a single mom to 3 kids, and my middle son (6 years old) has Autism. I've learned to fit in short workouts (30mins) when I can at home. I'm lucky that my gym daycare is very good with him and I can go there for 30mins-1hr a couple times a week (yes about every 3rd time they have to come get me, but it's OK). Just try and eat within your calories, move around more (squats, push-ups, crunches) and get adequate sleep. Hugs!

KarenJean81

My 5yo son is moderately-severely autistic. Now he’s in school full time so I get a bigger window than you do but even then I have to motivate daily. He’s my reason for doing this now. I’m his voice and I plan to stick around as long as possible.
Feel free to add me if you’d like to.

kcpond

I have 2 boys who are special needs. One has ADD and the other has intellectual disability. I try to get to the gym at lunch hour and try to get a run in after kids go to bed. But I know how you feel. At the end of the day, I am tired and it is very difficult to start to exercise when you are tired at the end of day.

cwolfman13

I don't have special needs kids, so I can't really relate to that...but a couple of things:

- Your exercise need not monopolize your available free time...30 minutes of light to moderate activity is what is recommended by the AHA for general health and well being. Personally, I started out just walking for 30 minutes per day.
- It's likely that you'll find regular exercise to give you a boost in your mood, give you more energy, and relieve stress...maybe not right away, but I find that regular exercise does the above for me.
- One of the reasons I exercise regularly is actually for my kids...for one, I want to be healthy and around for them for a long time...for two, they are crazy boys and I want to romp and play with them without being tired and feeling like I just got a beat down...for three, I want to be an example to them.

aidagarcia559

Wow so much great advice again thank you everyone this means olat. Quick question how do I add someone on here I'm new on this page

lili200

You click the person name and then add friendship request

fitoverfortymom

1. Sleep.
2. Calorie deficit.
3. Walk.

90Ibs

30 mins exercise a day is plenty to start off with. You could also try doing low-impact cardio exercises to prevent stepping on children underfoot, and cardio burns a decent amount of calories in a short time. Caloric deficit is important too as already mentioned.

Have you considered maybe making exercise a family activity? It might be a good idea to figure out sensory issues that would make certain exercises not great (running on grass, noisy areas like swimming pools, etc), and go from there. I can't handle loud noises so on days where there's construction or something I work out indoors as opposed to outdoors, and I choose to run on trails as opposed to busy streets. Things like that.

aidagarcia559

@90lbs yes I was thinking about making some exercise a family event like for starters walking. So far so good we go out twice a week for now. My son seems interested in some of my home equipment so hopefully thats something he can pick up also

gearhead426hemi

My cousin has a son with down syndrome and her and her husband both competed in Ironman competitions. They have two healthy boys who are both track stars. Their third son has down syndrome and they treat him the same as the other boys. He goes running, hiking, and now even snowboarding with them. My wife's stepfathers brother has two sons with autism. One has severe autism, severe enough he was accepted into a special needs private school. The other son has moderate autism. Their father takes those boys out hiking with him. It allows family time and he said he notices that when his boys are out hiking it kind of calms them. He keeps an eye on them but allows them to venture off ahead of him. I don't know your situation and never like to clump all kids into a category because Autism comes in many different forms and can have severe differences with children. I would say try to make time when you can but get them involved when you can. When it feels more like family time it wont feel like working out. Best of luck!!

aidagarcia559

@gearhead426hemi thats is incredible amazing, wow their amazing people and yes I do need to include them. I would love to and thats another thing I have to work with about myself, I do need to change thats part about us.

gearhead426hemi

aidagarcia559 wrote: »

@gearhead426hemi thats is incredible amazing, wow their amazing people and yes I do need to include them. I would love to and thats another thing I have to work with about myself, I do need to change thats part about us.

If you lived in Washington state I would invite you to visit my small farm and take your family on hikes in our area. My cousins kids love all the farm animals. There is something relaxing about the animals because they don't judge they just want to be around you and get treats of course.

momofamadhouse

Hey there. I feel you. I have 4 boys, and the oldest 3 have special needs. My oldest is on the spectrum and my second has SPD with loads of texture avoidance issues so I completely understand how hard it is to plan meals that everyone will eat! I also understand what's it's like to struggle with putting yourself first when there are SO MANY things you HAVE to do. Please remember, YOU are important too! It's not just ok to make your mental and physical health a priority, it is absolutely vital. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else. I know this feels impossible most days. I understand the exhaustion and the constant worry and stress that latches on like a leech and sucks you dry leaving you without any energy so that you feel like you couldn't even if you wanted to. It's hard. Really hard. But if you make that commitment to yourself and you don't give up, it gets easier, I promise. When I started I would cry from exhaustion at the end of a workout. I had to strategically cook two meals, one for me, one for them, until I figured out how to cook so we could all eat. (Steam in a bag broccoli and baked salmon was my go to life saving meal for months because it's easy and I could eat the broccoli for 2 days). I thought I would die the first time I ran for 2 minutes straight. Now when I run I'm WAY more energized, so I have to run in the morning (hello, 4am) and not only do I get more done in a day, it's far easier to manage stress and anxiety. You can do this. You are worth the effort. And it will take a while to figure out what works best for you. Don't overwhelm yourself, just take it one meal and one day at a time. The longer you try the easier it gets. I'm rooting for you

aidagarcia559

@gearhead426hemi thats is incredibly nice of you. I wish there was more people like you, around here their not as nice if you are even close to their property lol

aidagarcia559

@momofamadhouse oh my lord thank you so..... Much for your post. I pray I am strong as you, so far I have learned to take small steps is better than just going full force that was my mistake. Thats why I have quit so many times, again thank you for your kind words ❤❤

iluvjesus9023

I recently took on my special needs grandson and we go on walks together. Let me tell you when he had his anger outbursts and I've got to hold him that's strength training in itself. I've found walking with to be helpful for both of us. See if it'll help with your family as well. I use the mapmywalk app too. It's linked to this app. Feel free to add me if anyone wants!

aidagarcia559

Thank you @iluvjesus9023 ❤

Lounmoun

aidagarcia559 wrote: »

I'm a mom of 3 autistic children and I get pumped and excited when I think of working out and I look forward to it but when it comes down to it, I'm so tired ... I get in a good day about 6 hours of sleep on and off. I get 2 hours in a day to myself so thats my wolindow of opportunity to working out and weekends but not going to lie when its that time all I want to do is sleep and do nothing. How can I find that motivation to just get up and go.... And don't get me started on eating, I love!!!!! Salads and veggies but with my kids having sensory issues to smells and textures plus I'm limited financially I only get mostly food for them and I eat what's there so I know thats a huge part in loosing weight. Again I just need to push myself I know I do, but I don't

My experience is that I overeat more when I lack sleep. If you only get 6 hours maybe catching up on sleep and sticking to your calorie deficit is more important than a lot of exercise.
Frozen vegetables can be inexpensive and you can take out just enough for you. In future gardening may be an activity you could do. I grew a bunch of squash this summer. It was pretty low effort and one plant grown from inexpensive seed produced an alarming amount of squash.
Walking is my easiest exercise to fit in. I got a low tech pedometer to help me increase my steps and walk around the house if I can't go out. I don't have to have equipment or change clothes. My dd will walk outside with me sometimes.
You Tube has lots of free workout videos 30 minutes or less. Do a 10 minute video. I like Jessica Smith tv videos.
My dd likes the Just Dance video games and we can do those together.

last_jennifer

I am a single mom of 3 children, one autistic, one ADHD/LD, and one social butterfly. Plus I am a 2nd grade teacher

I so understand.

iluvjesus9023

aidagarcia559 wrote: »

Thank you @iluvjesus9023 ❤

Your welcome it's not easy but we can do it. Take it one step at a time one day at a time. Get a fit bit or download pacer to track your steps and mapmywalk those are the apps I use and they both sync with this app.