The Collateral Effects of Antecedent Exercise on Stereotypy and Other Nonstereotypic Behaviors Exhibited by Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Wong et al. (2023) pulled together every paper that tested quick exercise before lessons for people with autism. They looked at how the exercise changed both stereotypy and other daily actions.

The team followed strict review rules but did not run new stats across studies.

The review says a short bout of exercise right before work time cuts stereotypy and lifts useful engagement in people with ASD.

Details such as how many kids or how big the drop are not given.

The finding lines up with Neuhaus et al. (2016) and Healy et al. (2018). Those earlier reviews also show exercise helps kids with autism move and behave better.

Yet Ludyga et al. (2024) seems to disagree. They found a 20-minute bike ride right before social tasks slightly hurts face reading and eye gaze in kids with ASD. The gap makes sense: Wong looks at stereotypy after any antecedent exercise, while Sebastian tests social cognition right after one hard cardio bout. Different targets, different timing.

Single-case gems like Coe et al. (1997) are inside Wong’s pool. That old paper showed one five-minute jog cut body stims and out-of-seat acts by more than half for 40 minutes, giving a clear example of the trend Wong now backs.

You can start sessions with a quick jog, trampoline, or dance to lower stereotypy and boost on-task behavior. Keep the burst short and fun; save harder cardio for later if social tasks are next. No need to guess—Wong’s review says the warm-up works.