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11 Sep 2014
Exercise before school could help reduce symptoms of ADHD in children: study
By Chris Dodd
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Researchers have called for further investigation following their positive findings
Photo: Shutterstock.com/Paul Vasarhelyi
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Before-school exercise could help to reduce the symptoms of ADHD in children both at school and at home, according to a new study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.
A growing amount of research has been conducted to highlight the positive impact of physical activity on our health, with one piece showing how exercise could help lead to improved brain cognition.
However, little research has explored how consistent exercise could be beneficial towards improving the broad range of symptoms and impairments created by ADHD.
This latest piece of research saw experts from Michigan State University’s kinesiology department combine with University of Vermont researchers to explore the impact of physical activity conducted before school on the behaviour of children.
The scientists studied 200 early elementary school students ranging from kindergarten years through to second grade, with some showing signs of ADHD and some not.
The children were randomly split into two groups, with one conducting moderate exercise for a period before school, while the other group was asked to complete more inactive, sedentary tasks prior to their school day in a classroom.
Of the findings, Alan Smith, chair of the kinesiology department at Michigan State said: “Early studies suggest that physical activity can have a positive effect on children who suffer from ADHD.
“Although our findings indicated that all participants showed improvements, children with ADHD-risk receiving exercise benefited across a broader range of outcomes than those receiving the sedentary activities.”
The researchers believe that further studies should look to investigate how the frequency and amount of physical activity can impact on children, while the issue of age-related benefits should also be explored.
Other recent studies have highlighted how exercise can help to improve the language skills of young people, while another has shown that physical activity can lead to better academic performance.
Another study has also conveyed that physically fit schoolgirls could be less likely to show symptoms of depression. |
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