What activitie are good for kids with low muscle tone/low core strength?

[Anonymous]

My 4 year old has low muscle tone/low core strength. He can run, walk, crawl, climb, hop, like other 4 years old. He is hyperactive, but he gets tired easily & has poor standing/sitting posture. I am told by therapist that he has low muscle tone/low core strength from head to toe, and I am still waiting for the detailed evaluation reports. In the mean time, I am thinking to sign him up for something sporty that may help with his weakness, swimming(he can't swim)/soccer/taekwondo (never do that one before), which one is better? Or any other suggestions? I need fun & play based.

I & DH are not sporty at all.

[Anonymous]

DS has inattentive ADHD and hypotonia.

Gym is really good for core strength. It’s the best, really. And Dynamite Gym is the best gym place
Team sports will be challenging.
DS never took to martial arts or swimming, however knowing how to swim is non-negotiable, so he was taught to swim.
He did enjoy ballet for a few years (probably because of the classical music and calm atmosphere), but it’s such a precise discipline, with lots of stretching that he couldn’t do, that he eventually stopped.

[Anonymous]

DS has global muscle weakness, not hypotonia. He has not learned to swim yet (we're still working on that one) but he has been doing taekwondo for a couple years and it has helped. The school we found is good with the young kids and has lots of fun activities (obstacle courses, games, etc.) beyond just punching and kicking.

[Anonymous]

What about something like agility classes? Think Ninja Warrior-type stuff, on a kid level. Climbing nets, crawling through tunnels, swinging on ropes, scrambling over foam obstacles. It's super-fun, not as disciplined or focused as something like martial arts, and a good gym will have instructors who can help where he's struggling.

You don't say where you're located, but The Agility Center in Rockville has open gyms where he can try things out and do whatever activities he wants, as well as classes where instructors will help him master the different skills. You might be able to find something similar near you.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I live in Gaithersburg/Rockville area. Open gyms sounds like a good idea. So kids can improve muscle tones/core strength by just playing at open gym, no instructor's supervision is needed? Would they get injured more easily at open gym because of low tone/core without instructior's presence? The last time my kid was at open gym was at gymboree & my gym when he was under 2 years old, but those places are too kiddy for him now.

I don't know if he has hypotonia, who can make this diagnosis? It was OT therapist telling me that he has low muscle tone/core strength.

[Anonymous]

My nephew has this, and did swimming lessons and gymnastics at this age.

[Anonymous]

preemie twins here -- swimming and TKD helped us. we loved that they were individual sports where comparing to other kids wasn't obvious.

[Anonymous]

Gymnastics. Climbing around in a foam pit is so good for them. But all aspects of a pre-school program at this age will help him because there is so much moving around on uneven surfaces and moving his body weight in different ways.

There's a lot of gyms in the Gaithersburg/Rockville area, so pick one that A)works for you; B)has an engaging preschool program with teachers who are enthusiastic about working with that age group.

[Anonymous]

Gymnastics and/or hip hop.

[Anonymous]

Similar situation with my 4 year old son - he is doing gymnastics (Dynamite in Rockville - we've talked with his instructor so they are aware, and they work specifically on core strength issues). And also swimming, which his OT suggested was the #1 thing she would recommend. I am already seeing a difference too.

[Anonymous]

He needs to take swimming lessons, but until he can swim, he will spend a lot of time standing so not much exercise.

I'd say a gym that has them jumping in a ball pit, crawling over stuff, bouncing on a trampoline, rolling, tumbling, etc. NOT "official" olympics type gymnastics yet, but lots of movement.

Now, if you go to an open gym vs. lessons, know that he might NOT want to do some of the things, or will "get tired." Many children, when confronted with things they cannot do, don't "want to" - so your job will be to encourage him to try and do things even if they are hard so he gets better. And make it playful and fun. But if he's in a lesson (and you tell the instructor privately) then they will work on getting him to do things and not just bailing because "its hard/I don't want to" It's a balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I live in Gaithersburg/Rockville area. Open gyms sounds like a good idea. So kids can improve muscle tones/core strength by just playing at open gym, no instructor's supervision is needed? Would they get injured more easily at open gym because of low tone/core without instructior's presence? The last time my kid was at open gym was at gymboree & my gym when he was under 2 years old, but those places are too kiddy for him now.

I don't know if he has hypotonia, who can make this diagnosis? It was OT therapist telling me that he has low muscle tone/core strength.

Hypotonia is the techincal term for low tone. They're the same.

Hypotonia/low tone generally doesn't improve, however, someone with more strength can compensate for it better. It sounds like your kid's low tone is complicated by lack of strength in his core, which is absolutely something that can be improved.

To develop core strength, you want your kid to be working their core muscles against either gravity or resistance. Activities that involve a lot of balance are good for core strength, whether that's walking on a balance bean, or pumping a swing, or riding a scooter, or practicing kicks in Tae Kwon Do. Horseback riding is particularly good for this. Activities like yoga that involve lifting your upper body with your trunk/core can be really good. And activities in the water where you've got resistance all around can be good.

Whether an open gym or a playground would work really depends on what activities your kid chooses to do. Sometimes kids with low core strength don't feel successful in the activities that would help them develop skills, whereas other seem driven to develop. For example, you might have two kids who choose to play statue tag. One kid choose positions that look like yoga poses here he's working his balance. The other kid chooses poses with both feet on the ground and just waits to be tagged. Or one kid chooses to pump the swing as high as he can, or to ride it on his stomach like an airplane and stretch his feet out, while the other chooses to let mom pump, or to get off the swing altogether. So, plan lots of outdoor time or open gym time, and watch your kid, and see what they choose. It won't hurt and maybe they'll choose what they need. If not, watch your therapist and see how he/she has them move, ask her what activities to encourage to get similar movements in a fun away.

Activities with an instructor can be good, or they can involve a lot of waiting around. Swimming lessons are great for learning how to swim, but running around in the pool playing tag, or swimming with a puddle jumper, or whatever is probably going to do more for core strength. So, when you choose what activities look at how much the kids are actually moving.

[Anonymous]

Gymnastics, martial arts, swimming. Bike riding too.

[Anonymous]

Really, whatever he likes doing the most and will therefore doing the most of. An hour a day of activity that he enjoys, even if it's not the "best" is going to be way better than an hour a week of "perfect" activity. And variety is also great.

My preteen son is relatively weak and uncoordinated, and I'm sure he will always be. But tae kwon do has really helped his coordination, and he is a good walker and hiker and can bike and swim.