Children may vary in their levels of concentration as far as tasks and schoolworks are concerned. The need for focus and extra attention is somehow more necessary for those who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. Parents and teachers are always concerned on how to encourage students with this condition to stay put and finish some tasks for a certain amount of time.
Hence, a study made by the researchers from the Technology Research Centre and Biomedical Engineering Centre in São Paulo, Brazil explains how physical exercise may help in this endeavor. According to a report by Psypost.Org, certain challenges are faced by children with ADHD, among them are "inattention, restlessness (hyperactivity) and impulsivity".
In this research, author Alessandro P. Silva tested 28 volunteers with ages ranging from 10 to 16. They divided the group in half and evenly assigned an equal number of members who are diagnosed with ADHD. The first group were told to do some exercises while their heart rates are monitored. They did an intense 5-minute relay race and were then asked to perform some video challenges after their exercise tasks. The second group was not asked to exercise and was requested to finish the video game challenges right away. The group of exercises were found to be better with the video game tasks by 30.52 percent compared to the non-exercisers. It was concluded that their attention and focus heightened after the physical activities.
In an article by AttitudeMag.Com, Dr. John Ratey, an associate clinical professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, considers physical exercise as a medication. He states, "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."
This goes to show how simple tasks that requires the whole muscle groups to move can greatly benefit anybody who wants to increase their focus and attention. How much more for children who are trying to develop skills that they might need later on in life. Add to that a condition such as ADHD to make things more challenging in the area of concentration and focus. This information is indeed useful to them so that they can adjust well to the rigors of school activities and even simple life encounters. "Get your child involved in something that he finds fun, so he will stick with it," suggests Ratey.
