Urban Health HQ

What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition,
characterised by symptoms including hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. ADHD often impacts various aspects of life including school, work and relationships.

What is Exercise Physiology?
Exercise physiology is the study of how exercise affects the body, particularly in relation to improving or restoring health and wellbeing. Exercise Physiologists are trained in designing and implementing personalised exercise programs for individuals with a wide range of
health conditions and injuries. Their primary focus is on using exercise to help achieve each individuals’ personal goals, including improving health, fitness, and functionality.

Benefits of Exercise for ADHD

Boost brain chemistry: One of the main features of ADHD is the association with abnormally low neurotransmitters (chemicals that enable the brain to provide a variety of functions), particularly between the prefrontal cortical area and the basal ganglia. The neurotransmitters most prominent here are dopamine and norepinephrine. What are do these areas and chemicals do? Dopamine is associated with reward centres and emotional regulation while Norepinephrine is associated with attention and motivation. The prefrontal cortical area controls emotional responses, behaviour and judgement, and the basal ganglia regulates impulsive behaviour. Research has found that during exercise, the brain releases these neurotransmitters, providing a natural “boost” to the brain. This boost is often felt immediately after a workout and can last for several hours.

Improve Executive function: People with ADHD often struggle with time management, organization, and prioritizing work, due to the prefrontal cortex being underdeveloped. The mental processes that help individuals to plan, prioritize, and organize are called executive functions. Regular exercise has been found to help strengthen executive functioning in people with ADHD, with studies showing aerobic exercise in particular can help improve memory and problem-solving skills. The goal setting and progress tracking involved in regular exercise are skills that are directly transferable to managing everyday tasks.

Reduces impulsivity and hyperactivity: Hyperactivity and impulsivity are the most known symptoms of ADHD and for many, these can cause disruption in social and academic settings. Regular exercise can help reduce these behaviours as it provides a natural and productive outlet for excess energy. Physical activity also promotes better regulation of the autonomic nervous system, helping individuals with ADHD feel more calm and less prone to acting on impulse.

Enhances Emotional Regulation: Irritability, frustration or intense mood swings, or emotional dysregulation, are often associated with ADHD. Regular exercise can help improve emotional regulation as well as reduce stress, anxiety and depression, conditions that often co-exist with ADHD. This is due to the release of endorphins (“happy” hormones) during exercise. These hormones enhance mood and can help individuals better manage stress.

Increases Sleep Quality: Regular exercise helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle and promotes deeper, more restful sleep. The sleep-wake cycle is the body’s 24-hour daily sleep pattern, which consists of about 16 hours of wakefulness and 8 hours of sleep. Getting enough, good quality sleep is important for everyone and is essential for cognitive functioning, emotional stability, and attention. As all of these are often compromised in individuals with ADHD, sleep can be even more important for them.

Improves Social Interaction Skills: Sometimes, impulsivity, difficulty focusing, and being overly energetic, can result in misunderstandings or social conflicts. Thus, making social interactions challenging sometimes for individuals with ADHD. Participating in group sports, team activities, or group exercise classes provides opportunity to practice communication, conflict resolution and cooperation in a healthy and beneficial way.
Furthermore, some individuals with ADHD benefit from structure and routine. Therefore,
scheduled team practices or group exercise classes creates a structured environment,
helping individuals with ADHD feel more organised and grounded.

Enhance Self-Esteem and Confidence: Feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and low self-esteem are often experienced when living with ADHD. Having negative self-perceptions is frequently caused by difficulty focusing, problems with impulsivity, and a lack of success in school, work, or other aspects of one’s life. However, exercise provides a tactile way to achieve success while building confidence and feeling good about themselves. Exercise provides many options for achieving success. Whether it be improving specific athletic skills, achieving a fitness goal, or noticing the mental and physical benefits of exercise. For someone with ADHD, achieving even small goals can help encourage a more positive outlook and reframe their sense of self-worth.

Types of Exercise for ADHD Brains:
While there are many forms of exercise, all of which have benefits for those with ADHD,
some can be more beneficial due to their specific advantages.

• Aerobic exercise: exercises including running, swimming, and cycling improve cardiovascular health, stamina, and endurance. They are also great for increasing dopamine and norepinephrine levels.
• Strength training: strength training such as weightlifting or bodybuilding require
  concentration and discipline, helping improve focus. They also help build physical
  strength and resilience.
• Yoga and meditation: with an emphasize on mindfulness, exercises such as yoga, tai
  chi, and meditation, can help calm the mind, reduce impulsivity and improve
  emotional regulation.

Benefits of Working with an Exercise Physiologist:
For individuals with ADHD, starting tasks can be overwhelming and confusing if there are multiple options to choose from. Working with an Exercise Physiologist can help alleviate some of the stress of staring your exercise journey.
In order to understand how to best help you, and Exercise Physiologist will begin by
conducting an initial assessment. Here they will assess your current physical capabilities and needs. From here, they will work with you to develop a personalised program to help you achieve your goals. An Exercise Physiologist can help you find which exercise style suits you and your ADHD brain while also helping build structure and routine for your exercise sessions. While routine can be beneficial for individuals with ADHD, creating routine and being consistent with it can be challenging. An Exercise Physiologist can help build routine and consistency through in-person sessions or regular check ins.

Conclusion:
While exercise is not a cure for ADHD, it can be an extremely useful tool in managing its
symptoms and improving overall quality of life. Whether it’s enhancing executive
functioning, improving emotional regulation, or boosting “happy hormones”, the benefits of regular exercise are profound for ADHD brains. If you would like to know more about the benefits of exercise for ADHD brains, contact one of our Exercise Physiologists at Urban Health HQ. You can contact us by calling 0411563391, emailing admin@urbanhealthhq.com.au or via our website at https://urbanhealthhq.com.au/