How to use exercise to regulate your nervous system with Dr. Shannon Ritchey
02/19/24 • 44 min
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We cannot co-regulate our kids if we aren’t regulated ourselves. And most of us (I’m raising both of my hands here) need to make extra effort to activate our parasympathetic nervous system because our sympathetic nervous systems can go into overdrive so quickly as parents to neurodivergent kids. Chronic dysregulation and chronic sympathetic nervous system activation is definitely a THING, our kids can experience, and we can too. And when we’re chronically dysregulated, literally everything in our day just becomes harder, less efficient, and we become crankier, more burnt out, and less able to access the best parenting skills. I put off creating an exercise routine for a long time because I just wasn’t the most active person and it didn’t motivate me- which I’ll share in the podcast, but trust me when I say- it’s true! It’s true what they say- consistent movement in a way that feels good to your body, that incorporates a good warm up and cool down can do WONDERS for your mental health, and I am truly a better parent and wife now that I have a fitness regime that works for me.
Dr. Shannon is a former physical therapist and the founder of Evlo Fitness. Her mission is to help women get stronger and build muscle with less strain on their bodies. She believes in the power of educating about the physiology of our bodies to create fitness programs that aren’t overly depleting or exhausting.
This episode dives in to:
> A little background on my workout journey
> Why it’s important to NOT skip the cool down in an exercise program
> What is gentle consistency (TM) and how can it help you maintain an active lifestyle that works for you
> How to get started with an exercise routine if you feel completely overwhelmed
Links:
Fit Body, Happy Joints podcast episodes Laura recommends:
Productive vs. unproductive stress
Nervous system tools to improve your results
How to train your nervous system
Code THEOTBUTTERFLY on www.evlofitness.com for 1 month free trial
**We are currently on a hiatus until 2025** Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist
Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast
The OT Butterfly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theotbutterfly
Work with Laura: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/parentconsult
Buy "A kids book about neurodiversity" : www.theotbutterfly.com/book
What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!
We cannot co-regulate our kids if we aren’t regulated ourselves. And most of us (I’m raising both of my hands here) need to make extra effort to activate our parasympathetic nervous system because our sympathetic nervous systems can go into overdrive so quickly as parents to neurodivergent kids. Chronic dysregulation and chronic sympathetic nervous system activation is definitely a THING, our kids can experience, and we can too. And when we’re chronically dysregulated, literally everything in our day just becomes harder, less efficient, and we become crankier, more burnt out, and less able to access the best parenting skills. I put off creating an exercise routine for a long time because I just wasn’t the most active person and it didn’t motivate me- which I’ll share in the podcast, but trust me when I say- it’s true! It’s true what they say- consistent movement in a way that feels good to your body, that incorporates a good warm up and cool down can do WONDERS for your mental health, and I am truly a better parent and wife now that I have a fitness regime that works for me.
Dr. Shannon is a former physical therapist and the founder of Evlo Fitness. Her mission is to help women get stronger and build muscle with less strain on their bodies. She believes in the power of educating about the physiology of our bodies to create fitness programs that aren’t overly depleting or exhausting.
This episode dives in to:
> A little background on my workout journey
> Why it’s important to NOT skip the cool down in an exercise program
> What is gentle consistency (TM) and how can it help you maintain an active lifestyle that works for you
> How to get started with an exercise routine if you feel completely overwhelmed
Links:
Fit Body, Happy Joints podcast episodes Laura recommends:
Productive vs. unproductive stress
Nervous system tools to improve your results
How to train your nervous system
Code THEOTBUTTERFLY on www.evlofitness.com for 1 month free trial
**We are currently on a hiatus until 2025** Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist
Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast
The OT Butterfly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theotbutterfly
Work with Laura: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/parentconsult
Buy "A kids book about neurodiversity" : www.theotbutterfly.com/book
Previous Episode
Making screen time work for your family with Ash Brandin, EdS
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Let's normalize screen time use in whatever way works for your family. I know as parents we are CONSTANTLY bombarded by a list of shoulds and shouldn’ts and really big, click-baity headlines that really create a lot of fear and guilt among parents. You see this for almost every childhood concern, but I see it a lot around screens. And in 2024, we’re definitely not decreasing our kids’ exposure to screens so let’s lean into it a bit and really find out- do we really need to stress about limiting screen time? Are there differences between the screentime use our kids are having, and what does this say about neurodivergent kids?
Ash Brandin, EdS (they/them) has been a public school educator for over a decade. In that time they found innovative ways of using student interests- including video games- to increase engagement and make learning more fun and effective. Since February 2021, their Instagram page- TheGamerEducator- has helped tens of thousands of families make screen time beneficial for the whole family. Ash believes screens should be part of our lives, not the center of our lives, and helps caregivers navigate the world of tech using consistent, loving boundaries. In their free time, Ash loves to hike, bake, play video games, and spend time with their family.
Links:
https://thegamereducator.com/
20% pokpok discount using code 25OTBUTTERFLY
**We are currently on a hiatus until 2025** Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist
Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast
The OT Butterfly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theotbutterfly
Work with Laura: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/parentconsult
Buy "A kids book about neurodiversity" : www.theotbutterfly.com/book
Next Episode
Advice from a 6 year old (Lliana Q&A)
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Liliana surprises me every single day. She’s intelligent, well spoken, mature, empathetic and so so caring. You can see all of those qualities through her in this episode, which was in part created by you who submitted questions for her to answer!
In this episode, you’ll hear Liliana give advice about
- What to do when you’re worried about going to school
- What to do when you can’t fall asleep
- Her favorite calming techniques
- What to do in the morning if you have a hard time getting up
And so much more!
**We are currently on a hiatus until 2025** Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist
Episode transcript: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/podcast
The OT Butterfly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theotbutterfly
Work with Laura: https://www.theotbutterfly.com/parentconsult
Buy "A kids book about neurodiversity" : www.theotbutterfly.com/book
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