The Transformative Impact of Exercise on the ADHD Brain and Executive Function
Exercise is a powerful ally in helping those with ADHD improve executive function. Here’s why and how to make it part of your life.
The Exercise Prescription for ADHD
For individuals with ADHD, regular exercise can curb impulsivity, increase focus, enhance learning and improve executive function.
Exercise as Medication
Is exercise a form of ADHD medication? Studies show that regular “doses” of exercise can reduce ADHD symptoms and improve executive function.
How Exercise Helps Executive Function
Regular exercise can curb impulsivity, enhance learning and improve the ability to plan, organize, and remember details.
The Positive Potential of Sports for Kids with ADHD
A sport your child does well and enjoys can help to build his or her self-esteem, self-confidence and improved interactions with peers. Here are some of the benefits and potential issues to be aware of, as well as criteria to use in helping your child find a sport that is right for him or her.
Exercise May Help Focus Attention for Those with ADHD
Previous studies have shown that exercise has a positive effect on attention for individuals with ADHD. Most of thees studies have focused on measuring improvement in attention following exercise. A new study shows that attention is substantially improved during exercise. These results, if validated by additional studies, offer the prospect that incorporating exercise into tasks at school and work, can help improve an ADHD individual’s overall attention and cognitive performance.
ADHD Weight Loss Strategies
ADHD can lead to overeating and excessive weight gain. Over time, this can result in other health problems. However, the food and exercise routines you build as part of an informed dieting plan can keep you in good health throughout your life. Here are some tips for building a weight loss plan you can stick with.
“Exergaming” May Offer a New Way to Improve Executive Function in Children with ADHD
New research shows that combining video games and physical exercise (“exergaming”) may be an effective way to strengthen executive function in children with ADHD. Children in the study who used exergaming were better able to focus and more easily switch tasks when the rules of the game were changed.
How Exercise Helps You Cope with Adult ADHD
Most of us are aware of the benefits of exercise for our bodies. But it is also great for your brain. For individuals with ADHD, exercise can help them focus and leads to changes in the brain that are comparable to the effects of medications used to treat ADHD. The benefits are well worth the effort and can augment other forms of treatment for your ADHD symptoms.
Tips for Helping Your ADHD Child Calm Down
For many children with ADHD, sitting still is a near impossible task. Their constant physical activity can be frustrating for parents and difficult for teachers when a child’s hyperactivity disrupts a class. But there are a number of simple techniques parents can use to help their ADHD child harness their energy and accomplish their goals.