Running with autism

I am hopeless at running but this is due to my dyspraxia not autism. I try but limbs just end up flailing all over and nothing like the smooth action of  runners.

I'm not running as much at the moment due to injury but have been a runner for years, almost all before I realised I was autistic. Because of this I have never really considered what difficulties it presents. I do think it partly explains why I enjoy ultras and marathons though. All that time alone, exhausting my brain into shutting up! I've had some of my most profound feelings of contentment and happiness deep into an ultra marathon. I also generally feel better if I exercise regularly. I have quite a strict routine of what I do each day and one problem is that I can be overly rigid in wanting to stick to it, so if external factors interrupt that, I don't react very well!

I was a big time long distance runner in high school (5:02 1600 Meter), and I’ve been wondering whether ASD/ADHD had anything to do with it. I think I have more pain tolerance than most, which might explain why I was able to run so hard for so long and still have a little push at the end.

But nowadays I get that getting into the run can be a monumental task. There’s just so much change and stimuli involved in running outside: Changing clothes, changing heart rhythm, tons of stimuli from the roads, and don’t even get me started if it’s raining outside. My advice if you are wanting to run is to make it a part of your schedule; Something you do at a certain time of the day on certain days all the time. With it being scheduled, it’s usually a little easier to manage. If you can find an indoor track to run on or treadmill, that can usually help as well as it should be a little less stimulating.

Couch to 5K worked for me, think it helps to have something to follow. Or could you do a park run if there is one nearby? I’m a runner sometimes, I can’t run in the summer as the heat hurts my whole body. But when it cools down I will start up again. 

CedStowe said:

For me it seems to impact on my ability to cope with the conditions, actually getting started, getting over feeling tired and heavy steps. 

I find setting a schedule and getting ready in advance helps break the resistance and gets me out and into the exercise - just enough to make it into a routine then my autism helps me keep following it once it is routine.

Having set days, routes, times and knowing what is ahead is a bit plus, as is recording it to show that I'm making progress in the early days.

As for feeling tired, this can be mitigated by extending the routine so you have a work-out friendly meal x hours before working out - lots of protein and some carbs at the least plus few processed sugars gives the best balance for a simple diet.

I tend to avoid suppliments as the texture and taste don't really suit me, but I'm none the worse for it I feel.

As for having heavy steps - getting a smart watch that tracks your heart rate is a great idea here so you can try to keep yourself within sensible limits when starting to avoid pushing too hard. Setting a steady paceand keeping the load on your heart sensible is really helpful to ease you into the workout routine.

A smart place to start could be the gym - the treadmill with the help of a personal trainer to plan out your sessions is a smart way to get things planned out then you can extend this to external running. This will help you build familiarity with your stamina and heart rate and with a proper diet backing it up so you have the energy to draw upon - you will be in a great place to sustain the effort.

Are you planning this for weight loss, general fitness or for a particular goal?

Are you dyspraxic? Dyspraxia often goes with autism and affects things like ability to run, do up buttons, balance and stuff like that.

People with ASC often have problems with tiredness, you could look up spoon theory and work out how much energy you've got and how many things you need to do and use whats left over to run.

I don't run, (unless I'm being chased), but I do walk a lot, I'm sure there are people here who could advise you better on running.