Exercise can help you or your child to manage ADHD symptoms. Exercise is an appealing treatment to many parents because it's low-risk with no side effects. Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Remember that exercise is an adjunct treatment and not a replacement for traditional ADHD interventions.
Significance
The most common treatment for ADHD is stimulant medication. But stimulants provide only temporary relief from ADHD symptoms. In addition, many people with ADHD who take medications still struggle with symptoms. ADHD medications also come with side effects and risks. Stimulants can cause restlessness, insomnia, appetite loss, headaches, nausea, dizziness and depression. Some can even cause personality changes. They also have the potential for abuse. Stimulant medications have been found to cause sudden death in children and adults with heart conditions.
Effects
Exercise can improve your ability to perform mental tasks called executive functions, including sequencing, working memory, prioritizing, inhibiting and sustaining attention, according to John Ratey, M.D., an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. It also helps children to be less impulsive. Encouraging more movement in the classroom for children with ADHD can reduce problematic classroom behavior and better focus students' attention on instructions, according to a 2008 study published by Christopher F. Mulrine and colleagues in "Teaching Exceptional Children." Cognitive function is likely improved for one to three hours after exercise, states David Goodman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Theory
The neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin are lower in people with ADHD. Exercise works to improve attention by causing the release of these important brain chemicals, along with endorphins. Stimulants also work by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters. Exercise also wears you out so you can sleep better and focus more easily the next day.
Recommendations
Let your child participate in an activity that he enjoys so he'll be likely to stick with it long-term. Sign your child up for a sports activity so he can benefit from social support in addition to physical activity. Exercises like tae kwon do, ballet and gymnastics may benefit because they tax the attention system, according to Additude. Talk to your child's teacher about letting him take activity breaks during the day. Let your child take activity breaks while doing homework. People with ADHD are often bored by routine, so encourage your child to try different activities.
