Natural Remedy for ADHD
Exercise Improves Brain Maturation, Executive Functions and Mood
Aug 14, 2008
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD in children is often controlled with the use of medication. New research, however, shows that exercise is even more effective than drugs in regulating hyperactivity and attention deficit. The greatest benefit of exercise is that it is a natural remedy and its effects go beyond ADHD; it improves overall health, prevents obesity and strengthens the immune system.
ADHD Caused by Delay in Brain Maturation
New research is beginning to challenge common assumptions about ADHD in children. Hyperactivity and impulsiveness are not caused by a flawed brain, but a delay in brain maturation. One study conducted by an international team of researchers showed that disruptive and antisocial behaviors in kindergarten did not correlate with poor academic results by Grade 8.
Another study done by researchers at McGill University showed that brain functions in children with ADHD developed normally but more slowly, especially in the cortex area most involved with executive functions of control and working memory. When compared with children without the disorder, ADHD children went through the same developmental sequence, but with a delay of 1-3 years. ADHD is not due to brain deficit, but a delay in brain maturation, which explains why 40% of children with ADHD eventually grow out of their disorder.
Exercise Helps ADHD by Developing Executive Functions of the Brain
Why is exercise an effective and natural remedy for ADHD? Exercise develops the executive functions of the brain. According to John J. Ratey M.D., an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain [Little, Brown and Company, 2008], the attention system is correlated with movement and exercise (151). Studies show that even walking 3 times a week over the course of 6 months increased the volume of the prefrontal cortex in older adults (160).
Similarly, martial arts training has a profound effect on ADHD children. Studies show that martial arts training decreases aggression, hostility and neuroticism. There is also a positive correlation between belt rank and self confidence. Ratey suggests that the highly focused and attention demanding system of martial arts develops the prefrontal cortex of the brain which applies the mental power of these physical skills to other areas in the children's lives (56).
Exercise Helps ADHD by Releasing Natural Mood-Regulating Chemicals
One reason why runners tend to cultivate a lifelong engagement with the activity is the "high" they experience from running. Exercise like running releases endorphins that "calm the brain and relieve muscle pain during strenuous exercise"(117). These "feel good" compounds regulate mood, pleasure and pain. Exercise also elevates levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the blood. These neurotransmitters regulate the focus, attention and the reward centers of the brain. Ritalin and various stimulants have a direct effect on these brain chemicals as well. However, if exercise can "do the trick," why use medication?
Exercise is a natural and effective remedy for ADHD. It develops the executive functions of the brain which control impulsiveness and hyperactivity. It releases natural mood-regulating brain chemicals that develop focus, attention and a sense of well-being. Ratey insists that these effects can only be generated by consistent activity – daily exercise for 45 minutes to an hour six days a week. The key is to make exercise a life event – part of the child's routines.
Source:
Ratey, John J. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown and Company: 2008.
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