A recent study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology says that physical activities such as aerobic exercises are helpful for kids who have or are at risk for ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Researchers from the University of Vermont and the Michigan State University found out that ADHD risked and stricken children will be able to do better at school and at home when they are made to perform aerobic exercises to begin their day.
As reported in the journal the study involved a total of 200 early elementary school children ranging from kindergarten to second grade. They were observed for 12 weeks. During the observation period, a fraction of this sampled population of children was placed under vigorous aerobic exercises before school while the remaining fraction were subjected to more classroom-type, sedentary activities.
Excelling academically is particularly hard for a child who has ADHD. As they often doze off or go to field trips in their mind instead of focusing in class, their performance at school get hurt. Inattentiveness is, however, only one of the many uncontrollable concerns that bother a child with ADHD.
Often times, such children have unpredictable mood swings. On top of that, they also find it difficult to get along with other kids around them.
Physical exercise, however, offers a lift. Alan Smith, chairperson for the Department of Kinesiology at the Michigan State University, says that physical activity in school-aged children who exhibit the symptoms of ADHD is beneficial for their mental and academic performance.
Their recent study shows that after undergoing regular rounds of exercise before school, the brain function among a sampled population of ADHD stricken and risked children have improved. In fact, these kids were found to have performed better in their math and reading skills, most especially.
While the fraction of the children who were placed under classroom-type activities before actually attending their classes also showed academic improvement, those who had physical activities exhibited way better of the said improvement.