ADHDFamilies

Psychiatrist John Ratey claims exercise is “the single most important tool people have to optimize brain function.” Dr. Ratey is a Harvard University professor and an expert on ADHD.

His thoughts:

If you get your body in shape, your mind will follow.

Dr. Ratey details his findings in working with exercise and the brain in his new book “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain“ which was published in January by Little, Brown.

In this article by L.A. Times reporter Shari Roan, Dr. Ratey answers several in-depth questions on the topic, which I found very informative.

My opinion:

Though it is not mentioned in the article mentioned, I’m pretty sure the good Dr. is talking about treatment in older teens and adults. My personal experience with small children with ADHD suggests that there really is no amount of exercise that is going to help these children calm down all that much, though in less extreme cases it might do a lot of good.

As for someone with a combination of Bipolar disorder and ADHD, I can attest that a child with these conditions both present at one time is something like a perpetual-motion machine. One they get moving, getting them to stop can be nearly impossible, regardless of your efforts. It’s almost as if the act of moving is the fuel that keeps them going… Right up until the point when the child falls asleep from sheer exhaustion, which may take up to 36 hours. (Yes, I have lived this, with and without medication.)