Introduction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent developmental cognitive health disorder. The illness affects about 5.1 million children, making about 9 percent of American youth (Visser et al., 2016). ADHD is defined by a recurring trend of inattention and increased activity that disrupts day-to-day activity and growth. Cornelius et al. (2017) also argue that ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which symptoms include impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and lack of attention. Physical exercise has been recognized as an essential factor for the management and treatment of ADHD symptoms through improved brain activity
Various researchers indicate various purposes of physical activity on ADHD. For instance, data from neuroimaging, hereditary cell biology, and drug trials indicate that neurons may play a significant role throughout the condition (Bustamante et al., 2019). Nerve cells are sensory receptors produced in neurons that transmit information through synapses, where nearby neurons extract information by suitable receptors (Bustamante et al., 2019). Much of the human neuron feedback mechanism depends on dopamine to interact with neurons; dopamine is metabolized in the context of possibly rewarding stimuli and is strongly linked to both encouragement and gratification.
Physical Activity (PA) is a general concept that includes all body motions created by muscle tissue that boost energy output above the baseline level. On the other side, fitness is a method of PA performed to achieve a particular health or success goal (Bustamante et al., 2019). Consistent involvement in PA and activity results in better health and stamina called physical wellness and a variety of neurologic and psychological effects (Piercy et al., 2018). The initial interest in PA studies in children with ADHD stemmed from the apparent correlation between some of the neurologic deficiencies linked with ADHD and the neuropsychological advantages that follow PA.
Studies with single aerobic PA sessions in typically developing children indicate temporary changes in distributed neurons, cognitive speed, and resistance accompanying exercise bouts. Still, the effects are not apparent in more specific cognitive difficulties. Thus, the evidence indicates that the results of moderate strength of acute bursts of exercise facilitate concentration, alertness, and job success (Bustamante et al., 2019). This occurs by changing the person’s condition for temporary periods. Regardless, it is apparent that no amount of physical activity can be effective in isolation to permanently alter cognitive functioning, but in combination with other treatment approaches such as surgery and pharmacology. In particular, exercise improves inhibitory regulation and executive performance.
Inhibitory Regulation
Research concentrating on children with ADHD has offered good evidence for the theory that exercise will help children with ADHD boost their degree of inhibitory regulation. Notably, Piepmeier et al. (2015) provided findings showing that exercise would substantially enhance inhibitory function in children with ADHD. Besides, the results indicated that exercise might improve the restriction inhibition function of inhibitory control. In more general language, the analysis suggested that vigorous-intensity workout intervention did not minimize hyperactive behavior (Piepmeier et al., 2015). However, studies can also lead to variations in executive functioning’s developmental course since preschool children can vary in their willingness to enjoy the same cognitive effects of exercise as older children. Further study on the usage of activity as an encouragement to preschoolers with ADHD is also required.
Literature connects physical exercise to other brain activity processes that can clarify enhanced ADHD outcomes. For example, Hoza et al. (2015) published results from parental tests indicating that exercise reduced inattentiveness and moodiness. The writers have observed that a low-intensity stroll in the city park promoted improved attention. However, this analysis’s findings indicated the likelihood that the most crucial aspect of the improved concentration might be the period spent in nature. Indeed, exercise facilitates significant gains in regulatory efficiency and academic efficiency, including arithmetic and comprehension.
Given these positive findings, there were differences in certain aspects of executive functioning in the sample of children with ADHD. For instance, Piepmeier et al. (2015) showed little correlation between activities and better preparation. Considerably, both experiments focused on adolescents with ADHD that were equally old. The research focused on nine male and five female members. Another potential cause for the variations in outcomes is the workout exercises’ essence since the investigators used a single exercise of mild strength. The unique features of the subjects can also offer an interpretation of the differential findings.
Physical activity is essential to enhancing cognitive capacity in mentally disabled children. Piepmeier et al. (2015) performed a randomized control trial to assess the impact of exercise on children’s cognitive efficiency. The researchers observed that preliminary evidence shows the importance of exercise to enhance children’s cognitive efficiency. Building on previous studies, Piepmeier et al. (2015) tried to assess if the activity may offer comparable benefits of increased cognitive capacity to children diagnosed with ADHD. Specifically, the study assessed the consequence of exercise on ADHD children, including inhibitory regulation, pace processing, preparation, or changing roles. The research participants included 14 ADHD-diagnosed students and 18 ADHD-free students from private K-12 institutions, with an approximate age of 10.75 years. The research used a one-button, moderate-intensity workout stimulation. The group was composed of a 30-minute cycle session, with 20 minutes of vigorous exercise and five warm-up and cool-down minutes. Exercise intervention promoted an improved rate of pace processing and inhibitory regulation for students with ADHD but did not promote better planning or set-shifting. The results indicate that a one-button mild exercise can dramatically improve inhibitory regulation, which is essential for children with ADHD. The research also recommends using an activity regimen to deliver organized treatment to students with ADHD diagnostics.
Physical activity activates relevant brain cells hence positively affecting children with ADHD. In recent research, Suarez-Manzano et al. (2018) assessed the number of different durations of physical activity on children. Notably, the research looked at the impact of the activity on the cognitive functioning of children. Primarily, the authors used a single-button, regular exercise method to examine its impact on infant development and educational achievement with and without ADHD. Students in the monitoring community participated in literacy exercises while sitting. The research involved 20 students with a Diagnosis of ADHD and 20 students with no ADHD diagnosis. The research showed that child subjects with and without ADHD experienced substantial changes in their regulatory care, inhibitory function, and academic success. Students have experienced increased brain function in reading and arithmetic. The analysis is a valuable enhancement to the current research body, which indicates that exercise may be used as a useful tool for children with ADHD.
Exercise has a beneficial effect on the executive processing of children, particularly those with concentration problems. Hoza et al. (2015) brought considerable value to the current body of ADHD-specific literature by researching exercise as a moderator for executive processing in children. The research benefited from a broad sample size (n=202) classified as ADHD at-risk adolescents (significant DSM-IV parameters observed) and 108 child subjects without ADHD. Compared to several experiments focused on one-to-one training, Hoza et al. (2015) used a 12-week exercise intervention with low to high strength. The research findings suggest that the expanded activity regimen for young children (mean age 6.83 years) will deliver good effects, as the adolescents in the study who were at risk of ADHD experienced decreased inattentiveness and moodiness noted by the parents. Teacher findings, though, did not find comparable cognitive improvements. Of interest, the research also observed by chance (control involvement) that a physically active art curriculum before the start of school could also have offered small cognitive benefits to children with ADHD.
More researchers support the benefit of physical activity on ADHD. For instance, in a study, Benzing et al. (2018) conducted a study to assess physical activity’s effect on children’s cognitive functioning. In the research, half of the subjects had been involved in an activity treatment, and the other half had been put under non-exercise supervision. The fitness group was composed of moderate-intensity water exercise and a series of coordinated workouts. The fitness program’s overall length was eight weeks, with swimming lessons spanning 90 minutes two times a week. Final results from 27 subjects were used to assess that exercise intervention increased mental functioning, including the restraint suppression component of inhibitory control. Considerably, the writers believed that behavioral avoidance could be the most critical problem for children with ADHD.
Exercise Variables
Duration
The findings indicate that long- and short-term activity strategies help increase cognitive function. Soga et al. (2015) focused on the effect of exercise on role moving. Aspects that differentiated from any of the other experiments involved pacing of cognitive tasks (performed while participating), the mean age of participants (17 years), length of interaction (number of minutes varies by the participant), and characteristics of the participant (expert cyclers). Soga et al.’s (2015) research may be differentiated by its participants’ age (15.6 years). In comparison, the researchers indicated that the period required elapsing between the termination of exercise and the start of testing (5 minutes) was less than any other experiments that found more desirable outcomes.
The age of the individual is often a crucial factor in assessing the impact of physical activity on ADHD. Soga et al. (2015) indicate that children’s age may play a role in the effect of exercise as a regulator of brain function. Of the four experiments that did not show positive findings in this sample, three out of four were out of age. However, results should be drawn with care since these findings’ defining factors, which range beyond the variations in the mean age of the subjects, have been noted (Soga et al., 2015). Besides, some findings for this analysis involved older teenagers and young adults, with findings showing that exercise could boost older children’s and young adults’ health.
The research writers defined just one analysis of exercise strength as involving low-intensity activity. Chang et al. (2013) evaluated the subjects independently for low-and moderate-level exercise activity and observed that all exercise intensity resulted in improved executive functioning. Significantly, the researchers observed little disparity in outcomes between low and moderate-intensity exercises, indicating that even a low-intensity workout intervention may deliver beneficial results.
Discussion
Social workers are accountable for supporting disadvantaged individuals, particularly children who face learning or social problems due to ADHD. This research’s findings offer clear proof that activity may be of great value to children with ADHD. This systemic analysis results indicate that activity may have a beneficial impact on children with ADHD in two significant ways (Cerrillo-Urbina, 2015). First, this study indicates that single bouts of aerobic exercise can enhance the output of children with ADHD. Considerably, the findings of this study suggest that single activities will foster improved concentration and inhibitory regulation, described by some specialists as the most important factor in ADHD.
Second, this study indicates that physical fitness promoted by daily physical activity can enhance the overall performance of children in other positive activities such as academic work and social interactions. Taken together, the research reviewed for this analysis of short-term and long-term exercise strategies indicates that exercise can have a significant effect on a variety of additional areas of executive performance, including working memory, transitioning, and preparation (Sogaet et al., 2015). In addition to the advantages of exercise as an autonomous moderator, some more supportive ADHD moderators were found unintentionally in the process of this study, which merits comparison. Hoza et al. (2015) used a taekwondo intervention that used self-control, appreciation, and opportunities to gain rising standards of taekwondo belts that could have promoted an improved sense of mindfulness, intention, self-esteem, and self-efficiency. In comparison, some of the fitness approaches also promoted greater social engagement, which may have led to the interventions’ beneficial effects.
The discourse on PA and ADHD is both significant and increasingly growing. It does not apply rigor and scale to the literature on traditional pharmacologic or behavioral therapies. However, cross-sectional findings indicate that adolescents with ADHD display equivalent or higher PA and ST rates than TD peers. The findings are based on childhood—a period where most PA is free to play—but any gains dissipate over adolescence—a time where PA services are more organized and selective. Longitudinal findings indicate that PA predicts symptom incidence at early life stages in subsequent stages (Tandon et al., 2019). Data may not definitively show that PA is an appropriate medication for ADHD (monotherapy or adjunct therapy), however, it seems to supplement medications in both acute and chronic trials (Bustamante et al., 2019). Acute bout literature indicates the role of PA in everyday activities, but less is understood beyond the lab about the impact of acute bursts of PA on the actions of children with ADHD in the class. In chronic studies, there is a need for robust systematic reviews that are responsive to the cognitive stage, align with current behavioral health supports, and perform long-term follow-ups (Bustamante et al., 2019). This can optimize the incorporation of PA with organized strategies to enhance behavioral wellbeing and optimize neurologic benefits.
Concerning future real-world implementations, researchers have not yet known how best to help parents of children with ADHD implement and manage everyday PA habits. Almost all of the research analyzed here focused on university tools to inspire children to exercise in a regulated environment that is not scalable for broader populations. Community-based activity and resources analysis emphasizing external validation and transmission potential would be crucial to achieving these objectives. Preliminary, the research trend indicates that adolescents with ADHD can profit more from PA approaches that specifically threaten cognition and improve specific childhood mobility skills, motivate youth to engage in standardized activities, and follow Puberty PA guidelines. Effectively time, PA struggles to optimize attention through challenging everyday routines.
The Implication of the Findings
Several of the findings examined for this systematic analysis show that PA may boost children’s academic performance, including math and reading comprehension. Many study scholars strongly suggested that school-based fitness activities could be extended to support adolescents’ academic and social wellbeing. Some reports have indicated that children with ADHD may undergo more substantial improvements than learners without ADHD. Still, it is noteworthy that this study’s results indicate that students with and without ADHD will profit from the improved promotion of physical activity programs in schools (Sarff, 2016). Finally, some of the findings reviewed for this analysis indicated that bicycles or treadmill approaches might have cognitive advantages. In contrast, others demonstrated the extraordinary potential of fitness interventions using nuanced cognitive and coordinating skills. Taken together, these findings offer a clear argument for the promotion of school exercise programs and suggest potential starting points for the evaluation of the forms of interventions that may be of great benefit to students.
Given the extensive body of evidence that activity strategies may have tremendous benefits for children with ADHD, limitations in the current study need additional focus. Specifically, further study is needed to evaluate the optimum scheduling of workout programs used in classrooms. Additional studies on the effects of various types of dynamic teamwork activities can offer additional advice to colleges, parents, and other partners who want to develop the most successful workout strategies. Confounding variables, such as medications, social experiences, mindfulness, and proximity to nature may be isolated in experiments to achieve a deeper understanding of the causes that foster the wellbeing of children with ADHD.
Limitations
Systematic assessments have various weaknesses and strengths in comparison to other research types, such as primary research. One drawback of this analysis was its lack of emphasis on qualitative findings, which also offers a better interpretation of concepts. A second potential disadvantage was the use of search parameters that covered ordinary cognitive realms in addition to more relevant executive function domains. The current research’s value is its capacity to summarize vast volumes of evidence to offer more insight into the effects of exercise as a possible therapy for ADHD. Equally, the reviewed studies may also not be inferred or concluded on some populations or may not have considered treatment combinations such as the use of drugs in combination with exercise. Overall, many of the RCTs studied results indicate that physical activity tends to alleviate adverse symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsiveness in children with ADHD. Over time, the child may adapt to physical activity hence long-term effects on decreased ADHD symptoms. Most reports offer preliminary proof of fitness therapies’ success in strengthening both clinical effects and neurocognitive activity in children with ADHD. However, owing to the limited number of research and the variability of their outcome variables, the findings of this systematic study and meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution. For this cause, more research is needed to obtain precise, clinically valid results.
References
Benzing, V., Chang, Y.-K., & Schmidt, M. (2018). Acute physical activity enhances executive functions in children with ADHD. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 1−10. Web.
Bustamante, E. E., Santiago-Rodriguez, M. E., Ramer, J. D., Balbim, G. M., Mahta, T. G., & Frazier, S. L. (2019). Physical activity and ADHD: Evidence on developmental trajectories, transient and durable neurocognitive effects, and real-world applications. Pensar en Movimiento, 17(1), 4−31. Web.
Cerrillo‐Urbina, A. J., García‐Hermoso, A., Sánchez‐López, M., Pardo‐Guijarro, M. J., Santos Gómez, J. L., & Martínez‐Vizcaíno, V. (2015). The effects of physical exercise in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized control trials. Child: Care, Health and Development, 41(6), 779−788. Web.
Cornelius, C., Fedewa, A. L., & Ahn, S. (2017). The effect of physical activity on children with ADHD: A quantitative review of the literature. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 33(2), 136−170. Web.
Hoza, B., Smith, A. L., Shoulberg, E. K., Linnea, K. S., Dorsch, T. E., Blazo, J. A., Alerding, C. M., & McCabe, G. P. (2015). A randomized trial examining the effects of aerobic physical activity on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in young children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43(4), 655−667. Web.
Piepmeier, A. T., Shih, C.-H., Whedon, M., Williams, L. M., Davis, M. E., Henning, D. A., Park, S., Calkins, S. D., & Etnier, J. L. (2015). The effect of acute exercise on cognitive performance in children with and without ADHD. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 4(1), 97−104. Web.
Piercy, K. L., Troiano, R. P., Ballard, R. M., Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Galuska, D. A., George, S. M., & Olson, R. D. (2018). The physical activity guidelines for Americans. Journal of the American Medical Association, 320(19), 2020−2028. Web.
Sarff, Jason. (2016). Exercise and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review. (Publication No. 5-2016) [Masters’s thesis, St. Catherine University]. The St. Catherine University repository.
Soga, K., Shishido, T., & Nagatomi, R. (2015). Executive function during and after acute moderate aerobic exercise in adolescents. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 16, 7−17. Web.
Suarez-Manzano, S., Ruiz-Ariza, A., De La Torre-Cruz, M., & Martinez-Lopez, E. J. (2018). Acute and chronic effect of physical activity on cognition and behaviour in young people with ADHD: A systematic review of intervention studies. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 77, 12−23. Web.
Tandon, P. S., Sasser, T., Gonzalez, E. S., Whitlock, K. B., Christakis, D. A., & Stein, M. A. (2019). Physical activity, screen time, and sleep in children with ADHD. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 16(6), 416−422. Web.
Visser, S. N., Deubler, E. L., Bitsko, R. H., Holbrook, J. R., & Danielson, M. L. (2016). Demographic differences among a national sample of US youth with behavioral disorders. Clinical Pediatrics, 55(14), 1358−1362. Web.