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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE & SPORTS

Research has shown that being physically active improves our mood, our productivity, our enjoyment of other activities and our physical health, thus reducing the chance of developing other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

Recent times have shown us the importance of striving to improve our overall health, including our mental, physical and social health.

Leading a healthy lifestyle, based around physical activity, a balanced diet and looking after our mental health, will improve every area of our lives.

Starting early

It is important to lay the foundations for lifelong healthy lifestyles at a young age and by modelling healthy lifestyles. It is best to build activity in to everyday life, maybe walk or cycle to school instead of driving, play active games at home and try as many different activities as you can to find ones that you enjoy. It is also important to start eating healthy from a young age, as it can be hard to change bad habits as we get older. Teaching young children about healthy food, and getting them involved in the preparation and cooking of healthy food, will promote good habits which will hopefully become life long habits.

One of the issues raised regularly via our Helpline is one of weight gain when adults leave home and move into more independent living placements. There are no quick fixes in these situations. However, if we are helping children with Down’s syndrome to understand healthy living and to enjoy healthy food and exercise from an early age, we can create deep seated routines that hopefully will be present throughout life. In this way, they may more likely to be proactive about their diet and lifestyle as young adults when they leave home.

‘It’s easier to try and avoid her gaining weight than it would be for her to lose weight. My daughter would eat constantly if allowed; she seems to have no switch that tells her when she is full. I keep her active, she swims at least twice a week and she spends huge amounts of time on her swing and trampoline. But obviously as a family we all try to eat sensibly; sitting down for a homemade meal around the table is great for everyone’

From an early age all children will benefit from being offered healthy choices; let them feel that they have some control. We all feel like snacks sometimes; offer your child a choice of fruit or a rice cake for example.

Some parents find the use of visual cues around what is healthy versus unhealthy food useful (e.g. grouping foods in a traffic light system).

Some adults are very good at knowing when they have had enough ‘red’ or unhealthy food and stick rigidly to their eating plan as a result of being taught with a ‘green’ and red’ food labelling system.

Children need to be given choice in other areas of their lives too. One of the issues that we sometimes hear about is people leaving home and going wild with unhealthy food shopping because it’s the first time they have had a choice and they are taking advantage of new found freedom.

As they grow up, involve your child in planning meals, shopping for ingredients and in preparing meals. An obvious point, but your child will learn from you as a parent so try to model the behaviours that you would like your child to adopt.

Helping your child to recognise when they are full and modelling good portion sizes (e.g. one cup of cereal for breakfast) are good skills for your child to learn. Buying smaller plates and bowls can be a way of making sure that portion sizes are healthy. Regular set mealtimes with the family can help reinforce the lessons about healthy eating that you want to teach your child. Making sure you only have healthy snacks in the house will help remove any temptations and try to avoid going shopping when you are hungry as we are more likely to buy unhealthy food when we are hungry.

It is important for our health to keep active, and the best way to stay active is to find activities you enjoy.

Exercise does not have to be boring or repetitive. Finding something you enjoy will mean that you want to do it more, and the more you do it the fitter you will get.

Encourage children to try as many activities as they can when they are young, and find what they enjoy. It could be walking, running, cycling, kayaking, frisbee, climbing, swimming, other sports, at home exercise videos, going to the gym, going to gym classes, the list goes on.

It is also beneficial to build a community of friends who also enjoy that activity, as for many of us it is more fun to do an activity with friends rather than alone.

‘My brother has always stayed fairly slim because his whole life he’s exercised and I think that’s key. You need to find an activity they love and roll with that.’

Leaving home

We know from calls in to our Helpline that many adults with Down’s syndrome struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle when they leave home and move into a more independent environment.

This can be a challenging time, with a lot of change to process and sometimes eating well can fall by the wayside. Ingraining positive habits from a young age should help with this transition, as well utilising resources such as visual timetables or schedules as prompts to be active and eat healthy. By educating the adult with Down’s syndrome about why it is important to be healthy will also help with making positive decisions. You’ll find more tips here.

‘My brother was weighing in at 17st 8lb at the age of 24/25. I decided to take him to my house for a few weeks as I was getting worried about the impact of his weight on his heart. I made sure we had three regular meals a day and that he and I did two sessions a day on the Wii Fit. Within two weeks he was an incredible 15st 4lb. He’s my Champ!’

Nutrition factsheets

People with Down’s syndrome sometimes struggle to make healthy lifestyle choices. Having an unhealthy lifestyle can have a negative effect on their health, leading to weight gain and health problems.

The DSActive team have created some nutrition factsheets to help people with Down’s syndrome look after their health. These include an ‘easy read’ guide for people with Down’s syndrome, and a guide for parents and carers to support healthy eating choices.

Find out more about DSActive here and download the factsheets using the buttons below…

DSEngage

During the coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible for many to go to leisure centres, gyms, swimming pools or fitness facilities to engage in physical activity.

This is why we launched the DSEngage programme, to ensure that everyday there is a live online activity for people to join in with. From dance and discos to a workout and a Pilates session, there is something to suit everyone. There are also loads of videos on our YouTube channel to follow along with at home, not to mention countless bonus activities to keep you busy over the weekend.

Click on the logo below to find out more…

DSActive is a healthy lifestyle programme run by the Down’s Syndrome Association.

Its aim is to provide as many opportunities as possible for people who have Down’s syndrome to lead active and healthy lives.

We started in 2006 by offering a football session for people who have Down’s syndrome with Fulham FC Foundation.

Since then we have grown into a national programme offering many different sports and activities. We offer expert training to coaches, run festivals to celebrate the achievements of our athletes and support people who have Down’s syndrome to achieve coaching qualifications.

Supporting good physical health

We continue to raise awareness of the health conditions that are more common in people with Down’s syndrome via our Journal, social media and our monthly newsletter.

You’ll find information, links to our resources and other relevant organisations in the Health & Well-being section of this site.

It’s important that people with Down’s syndrome are supported by their families and support staff to access healthcare, as and when they need it.

Remember that people with Down’s syndrome should have the chance to take part in national screening programmes (e.g. breast screening) and that anyone who is 14 years and older can ask their GP for an annual health check with their GP. There is further information about Annual Health Checks here.

For babies and children up to 18 years old, there is a schedule of basic minimum health checks in the insert for the Personal Child Health Record (PCHR). The insert is produced by the UK Down ’s Syndrome Medical Interest Group (UKDSMIG). Find more information about the PCHR here.

We have several easy read resources on health issues and the Our Voice team continues to help us develop more. Click the button below to access the resources.

Make sure you are aware of the legal framework, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, around making everyday decisions post 16 years of age and its relevance to healthcare.

You should always expect health professionals to take your concerns seriously.

We hear of cases, via our Helpline, of diagnostic overshadowing. This is where symptoms of poor health and/or behaviour changes are put down to the fact the person has Down’s syndrome rather than because they are unwell.

Don’t accept symptoms being explained away by the phrase ‘it’s because they have Down’s syndrome’.
You can call our Helpline (0333 1212 300) if you have any questions about health and healthcare.