Can Exercise Help ADHD Symptoms?

In my clinical work, lots of adult patients or parents of kids have asked, “Should I or my child do more exercise to help with ADHD symptoms?” The answer is an interesting one.

We know that exercise has many health benefits that extend far beyond ADHD. But what does the evidence tell us about how exercise specifically affects ADHD symptoms and functioning?

What the research says

A large number of studies have been conducted exploring a wide range of exercise-based interventions for patients with ADHD. In children the effects of judo, table tennis, yoga, horseback riding, trampolining, and taekwondo have all been evaluated, along with other types of more traditional aerobic exercise, like running and swimming. These studies have shown that exercise interventions do, in fact, help improve attention and other ADHD symptoms, as well as other aspects of executive functioning, like working memory and cognitive flexibility. 

Studies have also shown that the effects of exercise are stronger if implemented over a longer period of time, though not necessarily with higher frequency. In fact, interventions that involve less than three hours of exercise per week showed stronger effects than those involving more time. 

There have been far fewer studies published with adults, but the limited evidence suggests that exercise can also be beneficial to manage ADHD symptoms and related challenges.

The Take Home Message

Exercise! Most of the research supports a positive link between physical exercise of many different forms and improvements in ADHD. And even if that link were not as well supported, there are many, many other mental and physical health benefits that come with a regimen of physical activity—among them, feeling happier and less stressed.