Exercise as medication?

[Guest guest]

The below may be of interest:

An ADHD Med Without Side Effects

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/print/3142.html

" Early mobile organismsmay have developed in complexity,

incorporating perception & predictionsas learning aspects, to

maximize motor operationsthat increasedthe chances obtaining food and

survival. "

Motricity, may have provided the impetus for mental activity.

" Given that our genomeis essentially that of our active ancestors, it

is important to consider the losses gainedby our present sedentary

culture & the contribution of exercise to regulate systems that are

critical for synaptic & cognitive plasticity. "

Physical activity may be good for focus. Plus, it's inexpensive, self-

prescribed, and accessible to both adults and kids.

by ADDitude Editors

" Think of exercise as medication, " says Ratey, M.D., an

associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical

School. " For a very small handful of people with attention

deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD ADD), it may actually be a

replacement for stimulants, but, for most, it's complementary —

something they should absolutely do, along with taking meds, to help

increase attention and improve mood. "

While most of us focus on exercise as a way to trim our waistlines,

the better news is that routine physical activity firms up the

brain. " Exercise turns on the attention system, the so-called

executive functions — sequencing, working memory, prioritizing,

inhibiting, and sustaining attention, " says Ratey, author of the

forthcoming Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the

Brain (Little, Brown). " On a practical level, it causes kids to be

less impulsive, which makes them more primed to learn. "

The latest news about exercise is that it helps kids push through

past failures and attack things they didn't succeed at before. " The

refrain of many ADHD kids is, `No matter what I do, I'm going to

fail,' " says Ratey. " Rat studies show that exercise reduces learned

helplessness. In fact, if you're aerobically fit, the less likely you

are to learn helplessness. "

So how, exactly, does exercise deliver these benefits to the ADHD

brain? When you walk, run, or do a set of jumping jacks or pushups,

your brain releases several important chemicals.

Endorphins, for one, hormone-like compounds that regulate mood,

pleasure, and pain. That same burst of activity also elevates the

brain's dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels. These brain

chemicals affect focus and attention, which are in short supply in

those with ADHD. " When you increase dopamine levels, you increase the

attention system's ability to be regular and consistent, which has

many good effects, " explains Ratey, like reducing the craving for new

stimuli and increasing alertness.

You don't have to be a marathoner, or even a runner, to derive

benefits from exercise. Walking for 30 minutes, four times a week,

will do the trick. " Get your child involved in something that he

finds fun, so he will stick with it, " suggests Ratey. Team activities

or exercise with a social component are especially beneficial.

Studies have also found that tae kwon do, ballet, and gymnastics, in

which you have to pay close attention to body movements, tax the

attention system.

" A very good thing for kids and adolescents with ADHD, " says Ratey.

More schools are including exercise in their curricula to help kids

do better in the classroom. A school in Colorado starts off students'

days with 20 minutes of aerobic exercise to increase alertness. If

they act up in class, they aren't given time-outs but time-ins — 10

minutes of activity on a stationary bike or an elliptical

trainer. " The result is that kids realize they can regulate their

mood and attention through exercise, " says Ratey. " That's empowering. "

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK