How Running and Exercise can
Impact the Behavior of ADHD Children
January 31, 2001
by Dr. Michael S. Wendt, Ed.D

USATF JO, Reno, NV, Kingstown, RI, JO Runners Up, warm up for Nationals. Photo: Lorraine Horton Could this intense activity be doing more than just helping these kids become skilled athletes, while staying healthy and fit? Could it also be helping reduce conflict and oppositional problems? According to the study below, the answer is, "Yes," that is IF they are kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ). A study performed at the State University of New York at Buffalo investigated the effects of intense exercise on the behavior of ADHD children. Dr. Michael S. Wendt, Ed.D. designed and headed the six week study which yielded a significant improvement in the behaviors of ADHD children. Greatest gains were made in reducing the incidence of conflict and oppositional problems with subjects involved in the study. Children ranged from five to twelve years in age and all were professionally diagnosed with ADHD. Wendt, who worked as a public school administrator said that the study was conceived in his office while he worked as a vice-principal for an Upstate New York School between 1992 and 1996. " I saw a correlation between exercise and behavior, especially when it came to ADHD children. When practice sessions were intense, at the beginning of an athletic season, behavior problems of student-athletes did not occur as frequently as they did when practices focused less on conditioning." Wendt, who has coached basketball, track, wrestling and football in the past, was familiar with the training cycles (beginning with intensity and a focus on cardio-vascular conditioning) of most school sports. " As vice principal, I used to enter every student into a data-base when they entered my office. I also put in the reason for their visit and it was soon evident that physical exercise was having an impact on behavior." Five years of work went into this study. "The first indication that I was onto something surfaced when I compared the decrease in fitness and activity levels of children with the rising incidence of psychosomatic disorders over the past ten years. There was a direct inverse relationship. As our American children have become less physically fit, the incidence of these psychosomatic disorders has increased proportionately," Wendt said. Wendt also reviewed the contemporary research on how psychosomatic drugs affected the neurological pathways to the brain. "Basically medication can wake up the lazy areas of the brain. It was my feeling that children could accomplish this same "Wake-up call" with exercise. There are obvious side effects to medication but my main concern was that medications appear to accomplish this " Wake up call" without increasing the body's blood-flow to the brain. Research clearly states that blood flow is very important for brain development and with intense exercise like running you get increased blood flow to the brain. Research also indicates that by exercising, you increase the production of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are important for adequate communication between nerve cells. Without efficient communication between nerve cells behavior and learning can break down. There is mounting research that outlines how exercise promotes the release of Dopamine, epinephrine and other body chemicals that will have a positive impact on learning. Wendt's research showed a positive impact from intense exercise over a period of six-weeks. Most behavioral changes were noticed around the two-week mark. "I designed the exercise to have a 10 minute warm-up and 10 minute cool down with 20 minutes of exercise at 50-75% VO2 max. This roughly translates into a heart-rate zone of 135-175 beats per minute. The frequency of exercise was designed to be five out of seven days every week. Research indicated that American children are not getting enough exercise in recess, play or gym class. I designed this study to go beyond what we presently expose kids to in normal settings and it paid off for the children, parents and the study. Wendt said, "One of our workouts during the week included a distance run. We extended the session and told children they could stop and rest whenever they were tired, but they must keep their heart rate in the designated zone of 135-175 beats per minute. Based on research, I determined this zone to be optimum for changing body chemistry, and as a result, produce a positive impact on behavior. Surprisingly, we had many children run between two and five miles during that session. That included five and six-year olds left to their own devices. It was incredible, especially when I had a colleague recently tell me that kindergarten teachers would not let their children take part in a walking exercise because it was too much for them. They were asking the kindergarten children to only walk one lap around the track. " The bottom line is that we are not challenging some of our most gifted children. Their gift is the ability to handle a lot of activity. When they get up to be active we remedy the situation by giving them a "Time-out." If they do not sit then we remedy the situation further by medicating them. Giving them a "Time -in" may be the only remedy they need. The side effects of increased exercise are well documented and the side effects of drugs are well documented. Let common sense be the judge of what is best for our children. The implications of this research for education are huge. With the onset of interest in brain based learning, brain chemistry will no-doubt become increasingly important. As violence and behavior issues remain on the forefront, this research will have the ability to make the difference in both public and non public schools. Questions can be directed to mike_wendt@juno.com. Here are some comments of parents who were enrolled in this program: -My son was more laid back and was able to focus on an activity. He also ate well. -The program really made a change in my son's behavior. He was less impulsive, more focused and able to concentrate. -His behavior was all around better. -He is not bouncing all over. He is more pleasant. -He did not argue with me as much. -He showed improvement in attention span, memory, self- confidence, personal management and awareness of his surroundings. -Some days he was more manageable and much calmer. -He seemed to argue with adults less and he seemed to be more kind. -He became more focused and concentrated on what he needed to say. -He seemed less aggressive and more focused. -He seemed more focus and at ease playing, Mike Wendt's Note: All of the respondents said that they would enroll their child in the program again. Parents indicated a change in behavior between weeks two and four of the program.

Are you a teacher or parent of a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD? Are you a runner who suspects that you were blessed with quite a bit of extra energy? If so, please let us know what you think of Dr. Wendt's research and give us a glimpse of how you would use this to help kids focus, learn, and just plain be able to comply with the rules of school.