11/02/2026
Movement isn’t just for fitness and physical development … it’s also for regulation. 🧠✨
Not all children regulate the same way — so not all movement should look the same.
Some kids are constantly “on the go.”
Some struggle to get started.
Some melt down quickly.
Some seem switched off.
Some appear oppositional.
💡 The key = An individualised movement plan
When movement matches a child’s nervous system, it can:
✔️ Reduce overwhelm
✔️ Support emotional regulation
✔️ Increase body awareness
✔️ Boost confidence
✔️ Reduce stress
✔️ Improve proprioception
✔️ Improve focus and concentration
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Some heavy work can be effective for many children, some example exercises:
✔️ Push-ups (peanut ball, wall, floor options)
✔️ Lifting weights
✔️ Pilates reformer exercises (eg leg press)
✔️ Pushing/pulling games
✔️Jumping and landing
✔️Climbing
✔️Supine gym ball leg kicks
✔️Boxing
Others prefer slower, gentler movement, some examples being:
🧘♀️ Yoga
🍃 Stretching
🌞 Nature walks
☁️ Breathwork
Some like rhythmic, predictable exercise, examples include:
🏃♀️ Aerobic exercise such as running, cycling, swimming.
💪 Weights
Some like spinning, swinging and sliding:
✔️ Whizzy dizzy
✔️ reformer exercises
✔️ Spinning in general
✔️ Swings
Others like deep pressure:
✔️ movement in body socks
✔️ crawling through Lycra tunnels
✔️ Tightly squeezing a gym ball
⏱ Short bursts (5–10 minutes) throughout the day often work better than one long session.
And most importantly…
👀 Observe. Adjust. Repeat.
If it increases chaos, change the intensity or type. The right movement should help the child feel more organised, not more overwhelmed.
Every nervous system is different.
When we individualise movement, we support regulation in a way that truly fits the child. 💛