The ADHD solution?

ADHD is often characterised by behaviour problems, such as hyperactivity and an inabil-

ity to focus on one task at a time. With prevalence rates on the rise, more and more people

are looking for alternative ways to manage their symptoms on a daily basis. One way

that’s growing in popularity is exercise – in fact, some people have even called it ‘nature’s

alternative to methylphenidate’ (the medication used to treat the symptoms of ADHD).

You may have heard of Michael Phelps, the Olympian swimmer who won a whopping

eight gold medals in a single Olympics, more than any other Olympian. Phelps was

diagnosed with ADHD when he was younger, and to help him direct his surplus energy

his mother enrolled him in swimming classes. It wasn’t long before his coach spotted

his talent and he set his first national (USA) record by the time he was 10. And the rest,

as they say, is sporting history. Many people say that Phelps’s ADHD gave him a huge

reserve of energy, and exercising at the level that he did allowed him to overcome

many of the behaviour problems associated with ADHD.

Phelps was on medication for ADHD, but the structure and rigorous nature of his train-

ing allowed him – after consultation with his family doctor – to stop taking medication.

Scientific research supports the view that exercise has tremendous effects on behav-

iour. School children who ran around for 15 to 45 minutes before class reduced their

hyperactive behaviour by 50 per cent when they came back to class. And these effects

lasted up to four hours after the exercise. Good news for any classroom teacher of

unruly students.

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