new & notable | health JUST MOVE WORKOUT Here’s a workout your child with ADHD can do at home, or do it together as a family, for more fun! Complete 1–5 rounds, depending on your fitness level (10–30 minutes)
Exercise and Children with ADHD
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hen the pandemic hit last spring I was fostering a first grader who had come into my care on ADHD medication. Like many parents, I was unexpectedly tasked with teaching school at home this year. Fortunately, as a personal trainer, I knew I could help him stay focused and somewhat calm while transitioning to online learning—a tough prospect for any first grader. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are often fidgety, impulsive, lack focus, and struggle to complete tasks. This can be frustrating to those children and the caregivers surrounding them. Exercise can (and should) be an essential tool for significantly improving the signs and symptoms of ADHD in children.
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I was diagnosed with ADHD at 22, so I have a personal interest in helping children who struggle as I have. I naturally gravitated towards exercise as a teenager and found it helped me concentrate and overall feel better in daily life activities. When I decided to open my own fitness studio, I quickly gained youth clients looking for the same positive benefits I sought at their age. I’ve worked with many children who have been diagnosed with ADHD and I’ve witnessed how helpful exercise can be to their overall health and the tasks they tackle throughout their lives. Studies have shown that exercise can increase the production of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain. Dopamine is often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter. It is a chemical messenger involved in
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memory, attention, and motivation. As dopamine increases, it helps a child retain material, stay focused, and be motivated to complete a task or activity. Norepinephrine, known as the “fight or flight” neurotransmitter, aids in helping the body respond to stress. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to stabilize mood and can provide benefits to sleep and digestion as well. Benefits to mood, sleep, and digestion can hit several areas that often are
