Five minutes of jumping or thirty minutes on a treadmill or static bicycle were enough to produce appreciable improvements in inhibitory control or in cognitive and executive functions .
Benefits following exercise were also seen in other aspects such as reaction times and preparation for response , motor skills or brain activity .
CONCLUSION The findings make us optimistic that in the future physical exercise may become an alternative , or at least an effective complement , to the pharmacological treatments currently used for this pathology
BACKGROUND There are studies that show preliminary evidence of the benefits of physical exercise for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) .
The objective of the research being reported here was to carry out a systematic review of articles relating to the effects that exercise sessions have on children and adolescents with this pathology .
Measurement of the Effect of Physical Exercise on the Concentration of Individuals with ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) mainly affects the academic performance of children and adolescents . In addition to bringing physical and mental health benefits , physical activity has been used to prevent and improve ADHD comorbidities ; however , its effectiveness has not been quantified . In this study , the effect of physical activity on children 's attention was measured using a computer game . Intense physical activity was promoted by a relay race , which requires a 5-min run without a rest interval . The proposed physical stimulus was performed with 28 volunteers : 14 with ADHD ( GE-EF ) and 14 without ADHD symptoms ( GC-EF ) . After 5 min of rest , these volunteers accessed the computer game to accomplish the tasks in the shortest time possible . The computer game was also accessed by another 28 volunteers : 14 with ADHD ( GE ) and 14 without these symptoms ( GC ) . The response time to solve the tasks that require attention was recorded . The results of the four groups were analyzed using D'Agostino statistical tests of normality , Kruskal-Wallis analyses of variance and post-hoc Dunn tests . The groups of volunteers with ADHD who performed exercise ( GE-EF ) showed improved performance for the tasks that require attention with a difference of 30.52 % compared with the volunteers with ADHD who did not perform the exercise ( GE ) . The ( GE-EF ) group showed similar performance ( 2.5 % difference ) with the volunteers in the ( GC ) group who have no ADHD symptoms and did not exercise . This study shows that intense exercise can improve the attention of children with ADHD and may help their school performance
Five minutes of jumping or thirty minutes on a treadmill or static bicycle were enough to produce appreciable improvements in inhibitory control or in cognitive and executive functions .
Benefits following exercise were also seen in other aspects such as reaction times and preparation for response , motor skills or brain activity .
CONCLUSION The findings make us optimistic that in the future physical exercise may become an alternative , or at least an effective complement , to the pharmacological treatments currently used for this pathology
BACKGROUND There are studies that show preliminary evidence of the benefits of physical exercise for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) .
The objective of the research being reported here was to carry out a systematic review of articles relating to the effects that exercise sessions have on children and adolescents with this pathology .