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Exercise has many benefits. It helps to develop and maintain strong muscles which in turn will help to stabilise the joints. This is particularly important in someone with a bleeding disorder, as it can help to prevent injuries and bleeds. Weight bearing exercise is beneficial for building bone density, and exercising outside with sensible sun exposure will help your child to get the recommended dose of vitamin D, which also helps to keep bones healthy. Regular aerobic exercise helps to improve cardiovascular health and will help to prevent undesirable weight gain.

Involvement in sport can help your child in many other aspects of their development such as boosting energy levels, helping them to concentrate on school work, self-esteem, confidence, social skills, and overall well-being. Therefore sport and physical activities should be encouraged as part of a healthy lifestyle, which they will hopefully incorporate throughout their lives as a result.

There are some sports which your child may need to avoid or seek advice about prior to taking part. Generally we don’t recommend high-contact or collision sports such as rugby or wrestling, as the risk of injury and bleeding is high. If you are unsure of whether a particular activity or sport is safe, you should talk to your physiotherapist or a member of the multidisciplinary team. We advise you to always discuss new exercise regimes or sports so we can advise you on how to protect your child. For additional information on individual sports please follow the links below.

We advise that you discuss your child’s condition and what to do if they have a bleed or injury with their PE teacher or coach, so that everyone understands how to respond. Furthermore, educating the coaches and team mates in the condition can help them to realise that your child can enjoy taking part in sports just as much as everyone else.