What Is Heavy Work?
When kids’ nervous systems are regulated, mealtimes, play, and learning all go more smoothly. Regulation is our overall sense of well-being, feeling calm, organized, and able to respond to life rather than reacting to it. Heavy work is one of the most effective ways to help them feel grounded and regulated.
If you’ve ever noticed your child calm down after climbing, running, or lifting something heavy, you’ve seen heavy work for kids in action. Heavy work refers to activities that engage the whole body, specifically big muscles and joints, through pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying. These movements provide proprioceptive input, the body’s sense of where it is in space, which is a powerful type of sensory input that helps regulate the nervous system (Lin et al., 2012).
For children with neurodevelopmental differences, sensory processing challenges, or even complex picky eating, heavy work can be game changing to help them feel calm, focused, and ready to engage with the world.
Why Heavy Work Helps
Heavy work has a direct impact on the nervous system. By activating the proprioceptive system, it helps the body feel grounded, organized, and calm. This is especially powerful for kids who may spend much of their day in “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn” mode, a dysregulated state that can show up as meltdowns, hyperactivity, or shutting down.
Benefits of heavy work include:
Calming and organizing the nervous system
Supporting attention and focus
Helping with emotional regulation
Preparing the body for transitions and routines (like mealtimes or bedtime)
Because regulation is such a key foundation for eating, communication, and learning, heavy work can indirectly support feeding progress, speech therapy, school readiness, and more.
Weaving Heavy Work Into Everyday Routines
One of the best things about heavy work is that it doesn’t need to be another “to-do” on your list, it can naturally be part of your child’s daily routine. Think of it like little bursts of movement, muscle activity, and sensory input sprinkled throughout, ideally for 5–10 minutes every 2–3 hours to support steady nervous system regulation.
The key is to help your child regulate and stay regulated through out the day. While heavy work can help a dysregulated child become more regulated, it’s ideally best to be proactive about fitting these activities in throughout the day rather than reactively trying to implement when your child is clearly dysregulated.
Here are some simple ways to weave heavy work into common routines:
Morning Routine:
Animal walks (bear crawl, crab walk, frog hops) down a hall and/or while moving between rooms
Carrying a backpack, lunchbox, supplies or toys to the car, bus, or another room
Help push the laundry basket down the hall
Wall push-ups after brushing teeth or washing hands
Afternoon Playtime:
Climbing stairs with a small toy or book
Short trampoline jumps or hopping games
Moving pillows, toys, or laundry while tidying
Tug-of-war/pull games with blankets, ropes, towels
Pushing a toy wagon, stroller, or cart filled with books or canned goods
Climbing play equipment
Pulling cushions off the couch, stacking them, building with them, obstacle courses, crashing on them, putting them back on the couch
Activities that involve crawling
Partner or Family Activities:
Wheelbarrow walks (child walks on hands, capable sibling or adult holds ankles)
Gentle roughhousing (rolling, pushing, pulling)
Rolling a large ball on your child or gently squishing them with pillows, cushions, or stuffed animals for proprioceptive input
Helping carry groceries or household items as part of a family task
Evening / Wind-Down:
Pushing in everyone’s chair at the dinner table
Rolling up in a blanket “burrito”
Carrying or pushing toys or baskets while tidying up
Stretches or wall push-ups to calm before settling down
Pro Tips for Parents:
Keep it playful. No forcing.
Offer 2 choices where possible, so your child feels a sense of say and control.
Integrate activities naturally into routines rather than adding extra tasks.
Whenever possible, take heavy work activities outside. The added benefits of fresh air, natural light, grounding, and nature sounds offer extra support for your child’s regulation and well-being.
Some heavy work activities (like wheelbarrow walks or jumping on the trampoline) also activate the vestibular system, our balance system housed within the inner ear. You’ll know an activity has a vestibular component if it involves spinning, swinging, jumping, or being upside down. For some kids, this type of input can feel exciting and fun, but it can also be very alerting or even dysregulating.
If your goal is calming, it may help to limit vestibular activating activities when your child is already overstimulated, tired, or having trouble settling down. Instead, choose proprioceptive activities like pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying, which are generally more grounding and regulating. That said, vestibular input can be very useful when a child needs to wake up, re-energize, or increase alertness. For example, swinging or jumping might be perfect for helping a sluggish morning get started, but not the best fit before winding down for bedtime. The key is matching the activity to your child’s current state and needs.
Remember: Every child feels safer and more regulated when their body gets the right kind of input. Heavy work provides sensory input that supports nervous system regulation, helping kids stay calm, focused, and confident throughout the day.
Heavy Work and Mealtimes
For many families, mealtimes can be stressful, especially if a child struggles with complex picky eating, sensory sensitivities, or difficulty sitting at the table for various reasons. One simple strategy to make mealtimes smoother is to add a few minutes of heavy work right before mealtimes.
Activities like wall push-ups, animal walks, carrying dishes to the table, pulling out everyone’s chair at the table, or even a short “delivery job” (bringing napkins or silverware to each spot) can:
Calm the nervous system
Help the body shift from high energy to a more regulated state
Increase focus and readiness to eat
This doesn’t just make the table feel calmer, it helps a child’s body be more organized and receptive to new or nonpreferred foods, which is especially important when mealtimes feel challenging.
Keep It Doable
Heavy work isn’t about perfection or adding more pressure to your family’s day. I had a previous SLP mentor who used to say, “Kids will often give themselves what they need.” Meaning, when we observe children through a zoomed out lens of trying to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, we can sometimes understand more fully what they need. Some kids seek out heavy work or other sensory input naturally (you’ll notice them climbing, jumping, or chewing on everything), while others need more encouragement and structure. The key is to find what fits into your family’s rhythm and your child’s interests.
Start small, keep it playful, and remember: even short bursts can have a big impact on nervous system regulation and overall well-being. Every child benefits from little opportunities to engage their muscles and organize their body, making daily life smoother and more enjoyable for the whole family.
Keep it simple, keep it playful, and trust that these little moments of heavy work are helping your child feel grounded, confident, and more ready to take on the world.
Wishing your child and family all the best,
Shandy Watters (Laskey), M.A., CCC-SLP, FNTP
Founder + CEO, Speaking of Health & Wellness, LLC