Overall , the studies review ed were of moderate-to-high quality and reported benefits of a variety of exercise programmes in improving motor skills , physical fitness , attention and social behaviour in children with ADHD .
However , there was limited information regarding school-based programmes , the effects of structured exercise programmes independently or in combination with cognitive-based therapies , and the long-term benefits of exercises in alleviating behavioural problems in these children
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) are educated in classrooms along with typically developing children .
Those with ADHD , however , find it difficult to participate in routine educational and recreational activities as they encounter problems associated with behaviour , attention , motor skills and physical endurance .
Traditionally , the management of children with ADHD has focussed primarily on problems with cognition and has been heavily dependent on pharmaceutical interventions and , to a lesser extent , on non-pharmaceutical measures .
More recently , experts have increasingly advocated the use of exercises in alleviating symptoms associated with ADHD .
The primary objective of this review was to summarize research that examined the role of exercises on deficits related to attention , motor skills and fitness in children with ADHD .
A Randomized Trial Examining the Effects of Aerobic Physical Activity on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Young Children
The goal of this study was to compare the effects of before school physical activity ( PA ) and sedentary classroom-based ( SC ) interventions on the symptoms , behavior , moodiness , and peer functioning of young children ( Mage = 6.83 ) at risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD-risk ; n = 94 ) and typically developing children ( TD ; n = 108 ) . Children were r and omly assigned to either PA or SC and participated in the assigned intervention 31 min per day , each school day , over the course of 12 weeks . Parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms ( inattention , hyperactivity/impulsivity ) , oppositional behavior , moodiness , behavior toward peers , and reputation with peers , were used as dependent variables . Primary analyses indicate that the PA intervention was more effective than the SC intervention at reducing inattention and moodiness in the home context . Less conservative follow-up analyses within ADHD status and intervention groups suggest that a PA intervention may reduce impairment associated with ADHD-risk in both home and school domains ; interpretive caution is warranted , however , given the liberal approach to these analyses . Unexpectedly , these findings also indicate the potential utility of a before school SC intervention as a tool for managing ADHD symptoms . Inclusion of a no treatment control group in future studies will enable further underst and ing of PA as an alternative management strategy for ADHD symptoms
Overall , the studies review ed were of moderate-to-high quality and reported benefits of a variety of exercise programmes in improving motor skills , physical fitness , attention and social behaviour in children with ADHD .
However , there was limited information regarding school-based programmes , the effects of structured exercise programmes independently or in combination with cognitive-based therapies , and the long-term benefits of exercises in alleviating behavioural problems in these children
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) are educated in classrooms along with typically developing children .
Those with ADHD , however , find it difficult to participate in routine educational and recreational activities as they encounter problems associated with behaviour , attention , motor skills and physical endurance .
Traditionally , the management of children with ADHD has focussed primarily on problems with cognition and has been heavily dependent on pharmaceutical interventions and , to a lesser extent , on non-pharmaceutical measures .
More recently , experts have increasingly advocated the use of exercises in alleviating symptoms associated with ADHD .
The primary objective of this review was to summarize research that examined the role of exercises on deficits related to attention , motor skills and fitness in children with ADHD .