Bodyweight can be an effective resistance in many exercise programs. This is especially true for children with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome often like to move just like other children and this can be a fun way to encourage exercise.
Children do not do well with exercise programs that have a prescribed number of sets and repetitions. As an adult, I may do three sets of thirty crunches but children don’t do well with this kind of approach to training, this is especially true with children with Down syndrome. All children get bored with this kind of training.
Children with Down syndrome may have challenges with motor skills and balance. This means that exercises have to be selected with care as a negative experience can dissuade them from future participation. I like to focus on total body movements that do not require as much skill before moving to more challenging exercises. In other words, I convince the children that these exercises are fun and then it is easier to challenge them with more difficult exercises.
Three of my favorite exercises that I have found that many children with Down syndrome can perform are jumping jacks, squats, and the bear crawl. When introducing these exercises, I spend a lot of time demonstrating them as I’ve found that children with Down syndrome tend to learn better visually rather than listening to my description.
Bear crawls are done for distance, usually a basketball court in length. Squats and jumping jacks are done for time. I begin with ten seconds and attempt to increase that over time. Children period respond better to timed sets than doing a specific number of repetitions. They also do better when they don’t know how long the timed set will last.
After these exercises I will introduce crunches and flutter kicks. It is not unusual to have to assist these children with performing these exercises. After that I will introduce wall push-ups, one-arm rows using another person as resistance, and seated dips.
Done properly these exercises can be introduced in a fun, non-threatening manner. Over time, just like other populations, these exercises can become more complex and more challenging.