Exercise May Reduce Need for ADHD Meds for Kids

Frequent periods of exercise throughout the day may help control symptoms.

Frequent exercise may help children with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) take less medication, according to a small study from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the study, children participated in a school-based fitness program called ABC for Fitness, which provides for brief sessions of physical activity throughout the day in the classroom. The researchers found that in the schools using this program, there was a 33 percent reduction in the number of children taking medication for ADHD, compared to 7 percent in the control schools.

Learn more about the ABC for Fitness program, developed by David Katz, M.D., of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.