CPMovetime

Whilst wheelchairs are an important piece of equipment that enable children to move efficiently and safely in their community, it does mean that children are sitting for a big part of their day. This is also called sedentary behaviour which means that energy expenditure is low during waking hours and this is most evident in sitting.

Research shows that long periods of sitting or sedentary behaviour has both an immediate and long-term health impact, with higher rates of cardiac or heart related illnesses and metabolic illnesses such as diabetes.

Thanks to the generous support of Telethon7, we have the opportunity to find new ways to explore a new therapy that will enable non-ambulant children and youth with cerebral palsy to safely break up long periods of sitting. There is no cost for being involved in this study which is called CP-Movetime.

If your child has cerebral palsy and is  aged between 5 and 17 years, classified within the Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V (i.e. relies on equipment and physical assistance throughout the day), then your child may be eligible to participate in this research which aims to reduce sitting time. 

We know that the recommendations for exercise and physical activity for children with cerebral palsy suggest that 3 sessions a week over 8 weeks is needed for improvement. So this is what we would like to implement to see if your child benefits from this kind of modified and supported exercise. This is completely voluntary and if you choose to be involved in the study, it will involve attending sessions at The Healthy Strides Foundation (31 Archer Street, Carlisle 6101). In addition to these sessions, there are also a number of assessments that need to occur both before and after the 8-week program.