It has been just revealed that the symptomatology of ADHD can be alleviated in kids with the help of physical exercise. Check out the latest reports about this below.
Exercising can alleviate ADHD symptomatology in kids
Staying active and exercising regularly is known to have numerous benefits for people of all ages. However, recent research has shown that children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can derive specific benefits from physical activity.
Those with ADHD often struggle with anxiety, impulsiveness, and lack of focus for extended periods. Engaging in physical activity can help alleviate some of these common symptoms while also promoting overall brain and cognitive health.
It is widely known that the levels of physical fitness among young people have decreased in recent times.
Although there may be various reasons for this decline, there is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated this problem. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that only 24 percent of children aged 6 to 17 years were participating in the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, as stated in the “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.”
During childhood, the shift towards a more inactive lifestyle can have significant and long-lasting negative effects. This is because habits are developed during this stage, and it lays the foundation for future health.
For children with ADHD, it is even more important to get enough physical activity since the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle can be more severe.
Recent research has shown that physical activity can reduce symptoms of ADHD, leading many experts to recommend exercise as a significant part of ADHD treatment.
A January 2020 review in Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation points out a significant overlap in the effects of exercise and common medications used to treat ADHD on the neurophysiology of ADHD patients and notes that “In a similar way [to medication], exercise might compensate for dysregulated catecholamine [neurotransmitter] levels in ADHD and thereby improve cognitive and behavioral functioning.”
