Have you noticed you can focus better after a workout? Does your highly sensitive child (HSC) eat better after his sports practice? Do you sleep like a baby after hiking?
It’s no wonder. Experts say that heavy work calms our nervous system and increases our focus.
That is why it is crucial to help your rowdy HSC self-regulate better. Plus, it’s also easy to use anytime.
In this article:
- How does “heavy work” work?
- When proprioception doesn’t work right
- Get your HSC to do heavy work when they’re hyperactive
- 22 Heavy Work Activities for your HSC
- Apply the heavy work technique before challenging daily activities
- Are heavy work activities suitable for HSCs that like to sit still?
How does “heavy work” work?
Heavy work involves a lot of repetitive actions like lifting, pushing, and pulling. These activities require strong effort from our muscles and joints.
The nerve endings in our muscles and joints (called proprioceptive receptors) send messages to the brain.
The brain then decides how much force we need to use for the task and how to position our body and limbs to perform that task.
Preparing our body for the task and then executing it has a calming effect on our nervous system.
How does our brain know how to estimate the force and speed needed? It can do that with the help of our 6th sense: proprioception.
Proprio…what?
You’re not the only one who learned about only five senses in school 😊
Let’s see what it’s about.
The word “proprioception” comes from Latin, meaning “one’s own.”
Some people say it is the sixth sense.
It has to do with self-movement, spatial awareness, and coordination.
For instance, it allows us to estimate how much muscle strength we need to rebalance based on our speed and limb position.
Let’s look at some examples:
- Proprioception allows a motorist to use the pedals while looking at the road.
- It helps people walk in the dark without losing balance.
- It helps you push the stroller with just the proper force and speed or lift your toddler.
When proprioception doesn’t work right
But sometimes, the brain doesn’t transmit just the right message. Instead, it sends a too weak or a too strong signal.
For example, a kid can play too rough with their baby brother without knowing, or they may not apply the proper pencil pressure when writing.
HSCs are prone to sensory challenges by nature. So, they might be either too sensitive to proprioceptive input (and try to avoid it) or under-responsive (and seek more information).
Get your child to do heavy work when they’re hyperactive
A kid who seeks input is called a sensory seeker. For instance, kids who have lots of energy and need heavy work to regulate are sensory seekers.
Quite possibly, a proprioceptive sensory seeker also likes bear hugs, crashing or bumping into things, stomping feet, pushing, kicking, and hitting.
A sensory seeker is likely to engage his siblings in rough play, start pillow fights, and stomp their feet when upset.
It’s best to redirect to safe activities involving proprioceptive input to prevent your HSC from doing something unsafe.
That’s where heavy work becomes handy. The intense physical effort will make your kid use their muscles and joints, where our proprioceptive nerve endings are.
Heavy work doesn’t have to work per se. It can be fun, too. Just remember it needs to involve pushing, pulling, or lifting.
22 Heavy Work Activities for Kids
Here are 22 hand-picked heavy work activities:
- Do wall push-ups.
- Do 15 squats.
- Push the laundry basket around the house
- Carry a stack of books
- Rearranging books on a shelf
- Carry vegetable bags
- Push the shopping trolley or a wheelbarrow
- Push boxes across the room
- Army crawl
- Playing Twister
- Building a fort
- Animal walks
- Boxing
- Yoga poses
- Pulling resistance bands
- Play tug of war
- Taking out the trash
- Pushing the vacuum cleaner
- Shoveling snow
- Playing catch with a large or weighted ball
- Wrestling
- Swimming
Heavy work before tricky tasks
Heavy work activities also work like a charm in getting your HSC’s cooperation.
For example, if dressing up in the morning is an issue because of touch sensitivity, then have your kid do some fun heavy work activities like army crawls and animal walks (crab walk and bear walk).
If you have a picky eater, have them clean up their room before dinner or play catch with a large ball. The physical effort will calm their nervous system, make them more cooperative, and increase their appetite.
Is bedtime a struggle? Then, try to do piggyback rides, roughhousing, and “Simon Says” motor activities games (for example, Simon Says, “Stomp your feet ten times”).
In conclusion, if you are unsure how to prevent your HSC from becoming overwhelmed, try heavy work first.
Are heavy work activities suitable for kids that like to sit still?
Some kiddos like to sit still and may even appear lazy. For example, they may enjoy reading and video games. Or they may be clumsy or quickly get dizzy from too much movement.
Are heavy work sensory activities right for them?
Answer:
Heavy work helps our HSCs regulate, but sometimes we might overdo it.
Just remember to keep it simple and not overwhelm your HSC. Some kids are very sensitive and don’t need as many stimuli as others.
For example, ask your kid to help you put their illustrated books back on the shelf.
Do they enjoy themselves? Then, ask them to put an encyclopedia back in its place.
Expose them subtly and gradually so that they enjoy it.
