Exercise + ADHD: It's a No-Brainer!

exercise & adhd: it's a no-brainer!

by natasha d’anna

During the early 1980’s, research began for answers regarding ADHD, as the recognized behaviors were of chronic restlessness, impulsivity and the inability for a child to stay focused. As awareness of these behaviors amongst children in school by teachers and professionals began to rise, the number of ADHD diagnoses rose, as well. When doctors recognized that hyperactive children also had significant problems staying on task, following instructions or listening to their teachers, they began to look at what factors were contributing and ways in which to harness the hyperactivity in order to increase focus.

The behaviors expressed were soon diagnosed as a hyperkinetic disorder, but with further research, soon changed to attention deficit disorder, or ADD. The direct focus on the behaviors of hyperactivity and impulsivity with the inattention to remain on task became the beginning of the understanding phase of the syndrome. On the other hand, ADHD was beginning to gain more recognition in the behaviors expressed by diagnosed children. This was mainly due to the struggles expressed with hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

The rising problem As ADD and ADHD are still relatively new in the clinical world and very popular amongst young and middle aged children, many older people are not aware that they have this diagnosis until adult age. A diagnosis typically comes between

the ages of 5 and 12. Typical symptoms of ADHD include:

*hyperactivity & impulsivity *interrupting conversation *frequently talking and moving *struggling to pay attention *easily distracted

It is thought that some of the most successful and famous people may have revealed their diagnosis through their behavior, personalities and work. Perhaps among those are Walt Disney, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Justin Timberlake, Richard Branson and the great philosopher, Albert Einstein, to name just a few. It can be safe to say that with the disorder also comes creativity along a spectrum.

The Journal of Attention Disorders shows that the number of prescriptions increased from 34.8 to 48.4 million between 2007 and 2011 alone, making prescriptions for the treatment of ADHD a billion dollar industry within the pharmaceutical realm. There is an estimated 7% of adults and 2 out of every 3 children who are affected by this disorder, making it one of the most common disorders affecting children today. However, many parents are starting to turn their backs on prescription medication and seek alternative care for their children such as clinical therapy.

The general thought is to help children learn to deal with their disorder through focus strategies

and emotional stress management, yet because of recent studies, exercise also seems to offer that fix --- without any nasty or harmful side effects to go with it.

An easy fix When we exercise, endorphines are released, but so are other chemicals that improve the brain’s areas of focus and attention, as well as its ability to handle and cope with anxiety and emotions. The natural result for a kid with ADHD who exercises is that they are more readily able and susceptible to learn when it’s time.

The truth is that when people with ADHD find something about which they’re passionate, they will dedicate and push themselves harder than most --- and usually succeeding beyond their dreams!

So what does this mean for my ADHD kid? The ability to exercise your brain, body and build stamina, and to become passionate about something is a great beginner for young and middle aged children who are diagnosed with ADHD. Since kids are in school for so much of their time, that’s a great place to start.

Enrolling your child into a school system with advanced Physical Education classes for structured and guided activities is very important, as is the general assumption that the school encourages movement throughout the day. Some

school systems are keying in on the link between focus and exercise and offer stretching or "brain" breaks, or even begin the day with some form of aerobic exercise to help the students start their day off right.

Outside of the educational system are programs which provide activities focused on enhancing the ability to create executive control in the brain. Many schools are beginning to see the value and importance of offering these extras, or you can research for similar services in your area for after school or summer programs for your child.

Specifically regarding exercise, aerobics and gymnastics are the top 2 choices for exercising a child’s physical and mental muscles. A semi-disciplinary sport allows for unstructured play, while building endurance to focus on the next step or task. Check out places like The Little Gym, indoor trampoline parks, or even your local YMCA or Parks and Recreation departments that offer programs to easily fill this need year round.

For older kids, they may be more inclined to invest their time and energy into a school or intramural sport. If they’re not inclined to work well as part of a team, they can also explore more individual types of exercise like karate and kickboxing, dance, tennis, swim, or even running groups.

Other ways to keep things interesting (which kids with

ADHD often need and seek), include encouraging them to bike throughout the neighborhood or local greenway system. They could also train with a running club at your local YMCA to run in a local charity race as a culminating event, or give obstacle or triathlon events a try. It may even be worth looking into a Crossfit style gym where there is a focus on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and where class circuits and people are constantly changing.

Having a routine outlet for their hyperactivity and impulsivity allows kids to be primed for learning. Focus from exercise results in increased executive functioning skills, which are required for organization and time management, skills crucial to both your child’s maturity and academic development.

One last key to success is to have your kids set goals and reward them when they reach them. It could be completing their first 5K or attending so many sessions at the gym, or even improving on a challenging gymnastics or dance routine. Just be sure to steer away from food as rewards and look to activities like going to see a movie, buying a new book or a new building set, or maybe even a special outing or trip as acceptable.

We all know that exercise improves our overall health and our moods. When kids with ADHD incorporate more of it within their daily lives, the evidence is clear --- they are clearing their heads and boosting their brains, too!

Natasha is a mom of twin girls, an educator, a self-published writer of a children’s book titled Twindollicious and a blogger, where she shares all things twin like and fashion for kids. She worked in the field of education for almost 10 years before fulfilling her dreams of having children of her own. It was then that she felt she could truly make a difference in a person’s life --- in this case, these two Twindollicious girls with great personalities. Connect with her on facebook and twitter.