Recently my Aspie Man began working out with one of our sons.
Over the years he had talked about exercising and eating better. He ran for awhile and joined a gym at one point, but like most of us, other projects and ideas took priority and he stopped working out.
This year however, we have both decided to become stronger at 50 than we were in our younger years. ( just to clarify, I have a few more years before I reach that number )
Our son loves working out and asked if his dad would like to start working out together in the evenings after work around 8:30pm. My Aspie Man usually turns into a pumpkin by 9:00pm so I was quite surprised he wanted to start that late.
His goal was to spend time with our son, lose some weight and increase his strength. He has achieved ALL of his goals, but there have been so many more benefits!
Increased mental clarity
Lower stress levels
Less medications needed
Increased energy
Improved sleep quality
Higher sex drive
To be honest, I was a bit worried when he started. An Aspies tendency to become obsessed with one project at time had me concerned that things at work, at home, and our relationship would end up taking a back seat to the workouts.
Home duties and our relationship did fall away a little at first, but with a bit of extra spousal communication we've settled into a really great routine. It has been amazing to watch him enjoy something new.
Aspergers Syndrom is do different in each person, and there is not a lot of information regarding adult Aspergers and exercise but for this Aspiewife, I believe it works!
My Aspie Man's brain fog has seemed to lift since beginning his exercise routine. He is able to keep up with our conversations, cover more details at work and does not seem to get overwhelmed as quickly.
The stressful situations that face us have not triggered a mental shutdown or withdrawal from the family and he's turned into a bit of an energizer bunny too. He is able to get so much more done in the day without the need to disappear when the clock strikes nine. Better yet, when he does get to bed, he is able to fall asleep quickly and wake refreshed, unlike before the exercise.
The most exciting benefit is that my Aspie Man has been able to decrease some of his medications. We have tried for years to control this with diet but the workouts have made all the difference!
Last but certainly not least, his sex drive has improved. Intimacy in a non-neurotypical marriage has its challenges, which we will talk about in another post, but it has been wonderful to connect with my Aspie man in the bedroom!
We have all heard of the healthy benefits of exercise but often workouts take a back seat when life becomes crazy busy. After seeing the improvement for me and my man, I would encourage you to encourage your guy to get healthy!
Maybe go on a run together or maybe make some time in your daily scheduled for him to go workout on his own. It can be the gym, walking the dog, a run, or even playing sports with the kids. Something about the physical exertions helps the brain stay clear, and we can all use a little more of that!
Maybe it is the endorphins or the extra hydration, the why doesn't really matter to me.
I just LOVE the results!