Using Short Bursts of Exercise to Help Students with ADHD Focus

In this article in Principal, consultant Dan Lawler cites several recent studies showing that exercise improves all students’ attention and self-regulation – and is especially helpful for students with ADHD. John Ratey, co-author of SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (Little, Brown, 2013), says that “exercise is like a dose of Ritalin” because it increases dopamine and other neurotransmitters that govern the attention system. “As a result,” says Ratey, “the student is better able to focus on demand, be more engaged, and be less fidgety.” 

Some schools have instituted “time-in” for students with ADHD, scheduling them for 10 minutes of exercise before school, at mid-day, and whenever a teacher notices the student losing focus. One school turned a small unused space into a time-in room and equipped it with an exercise bike and Dance Dance Revolution. “Parents were thrilled that the school was employing a natural and balanced proactive intervention,” says Lawler. “Another benefit was that we were teaching children how to use exercise to assist with the management and self-regulation of their ADHD.” The school was so pleased with the results that it found a bigger space, added other exercise activities, and used it as a reward for a wider range of students. 

Lawler adds that it’s important for staff and parents to be cognizant of the research rationale for this approach and know that it’s not a cure-all; some students need medication in addition to a thoughtful exercise program.

“Improve ADHD Behavior with Exercise” by Dan Lawler in Principal, May/June 2014 (Vol. 93, #5, p. 40-41), www.naesp.org

From the Marshall Memo #539