Children are usually better than adults at keeping themselves fit. Their world is a gymnasium! Climbing, running, chasing, jumping, cartwheels — most adults struggle to keep up!

For children with cerebral palsy, it can be more difficult to build physical fitness. Yet research suggests that exercise is crucial. Physical activity stimulates brain, bone and muscle growth.

Exercise can also be an effective intervention to help manage pain and fatigue. Long term physical activity can help prevent and manage lifestyle related diseases - and it’s fun! Getting out and active increases participation in the world around us and connects us to people.

There are many kinds of physical activities that children with cerebral palsy can participate in. Community activities, sporting clubs, schools and specialised sports can cater for all children, regardless of ability. If parents and children with CP have the will, there’s an active world waiting to help!

Sometimes a child with cerebral palsy might feel self-conscious or underconfident with physical activity. It might help to get them to focus on what they can do rather than what they can’t.

Young children with CP benefit from a focus on developing and maintaining aerobic and anaerobic fitness and strength:

• Aerobic fitness can be obtained by walking, running, and swimming
• Anaerobic fitness can be obtained by short burst activities like climbing stairs and games like tag or hide and seek.

There are so many fun and engaging activities for the whole family that can support your child’s fitness needs. You don’t always have to plan or book or pay for exercise!  Home activities like dancing, playing games, seated yoga or aerobics, and riding specialised scooters and trikes can all be excellent options. It’s amazing how creative parents can be thinking up fun ways to get their child active.

And remember, a rigorous workout varies according to abilities and the nature of the disability. For example, a child with balance and strength issues sitting unassisted on a couch and hitting a balloon, might be working as hard as another child running or dancing.  

You’ll need a professional physical assessment to help you understand what will work best for you and your child.  

A physiotherapist and occupational therapists will create a customised program to meet the needs of your child both at home and at school. They are also the professionals who will recommend and help you obtain assistive technologies and equipment to maximize your child’s physical abilities  

In this section you will find information on how to provide your child with the professional assistance and assessments they will need in order to provide them with the most beneficial way forward for their fitness, health and wellbeing.