Soothing tool children with autism are prone to emotional episodes, tantrums and meltdowns, and this can be a distraction if it happens in a classroom. Research weighted vests While weighted vests are a joint recommendation of occupational therapists that research behind these sensory tools is inconsistent depending on the targeted outcome. The Running Resistance parachute costs less than $10 and weighs less than half a pound, grabs small when not in use, but if it drags through the air behind you, it can add as much as 25 pounds of resistance. "Vests strain the weight directly on your shoulders and torso, which means that they are are particularly stressful for your breathing muscles — the diaphragm and deep intercostals. Since we are a comprehensive musculoskeletal specialist practice, we work with patients who experience everyday injuries, work-related injuries, but also injuries from training and athletics. Wearing a weighted vest while exercising can help you build lean muscle mass, pump your calorie burn, increase bone density, and lose weight. They are soft, so if you stumble or fall they should not use pressure on the bone like a traditional carbide bar weight like other vests and belts. If you have a child with autism, his occupational therapist may have recommended a weighted vest to help with hyperactivity, focus and/or self-stimulating behavior. Best Overall for Men: ZfoSports Weighted Vest From durability and versatility to exceptional design and comfort, this popular weighted vest by ZfoSports checks all boxing for high-quality training equipment. “Running with a weighted vest has the potential to make you faster by reducing your risk of injury so that you can train in the long term, and by increasing your aerobic fitness,” explains Fitzgerald. “For people with autism, sensory processing disorders can result in speech delays or deficits, fine and gross motor delays, strong sensory interests, sensory dislikes, an inability to interact with people and objects, an inability to stay within an interaction, manifest repetitive sensory stereotypes (stimming) and much more. However, subjective data from parents, therapists and children are mostly positive and justify an individualized approach to exploring weighted vests as sensory tools for your own toolbox. And if you feel that your shape is out or your technique is changing (this biomechanical change that Seedman used to talk about), take out the vest and finish your set without it. In some cases, therapists recommend weighted vests for children with autism to provide deep tactile pressure to help them relax and concentrate during an activity in the classroom. Occupational therapists often recommend wearables that provide deep touch pressure as part of a comprehensive sensory diet to help children with autism who have sensory processing disorders or self-regulation problems. Fashion-friendly weighted vest selection include jeans, a safari style vest, faux fur, swollen weighted vests and even graphics on our weighted compression vest. In addition, the same factor that makes it more difficult to breathe — the pressure of the vest on the back and shoulders — means that your nervous system is forced to fire these muscles more aggressively, which can contribute to the same feeling of weight as less work. Most weighted vests come with removable weights, so children with autism or sensory processing disorder can carry the amount of weight that feels best for them. Some studies suggest that training with the added resistance can improve VO2Max, speed, and time to exhaustion, while other studies have found that it is not much more than training without it. Apart from this, it is important to consider the material/texture of the vest, as well as some of the properties of the fabric: some weighted vests have a lycra component that is form-fitting and provides active damage or compression in addition to weighted bags. If a child with autism has certain textures that he does not like, then letting the child wear a weighted vest with the said unwelcome texture. Also note the additional features that distance runners will love, such as a mesh pocket that can be used to make spacers.