Daily Exercise Ideas for Children with ADHD

A growing body of research shows that exercise can reduce ADHD symptoms and improve cognitive functioning in children.¹ Learn more about the connection here, and how to incorporate physical activity into all areas of your child's life.

Exercise is associated with a boost in the brain's neurotransmitters, including the chemicals that many people with ADHD are thought to run short on.¹ It also increases the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) available, which plays an important role in learning¹, ADHD or not.

Overall, exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and is important for optimal functioning. Take sleep problems, which are common in ADHD. One study shows that physical activity may help mediate the ADHD impact of sleep difficulties in children.²

Exercise can prime the brain for learning. Indeed, a study showed that children with ADHD (and healthy controls) improved in math and reading skills after 20 minutes of aerobic exercise (going on a treadmill at an intensity between 65% and 75% of their maximum heart rates).³ Another study showed that 30 minutes of exercise before school improved ADHD symptoms, moodiness, and peer functioning in children (compared to the sedentary control group) according to parent and teacher ratings.⁴

Get creative! Jumping jacks, sprints, and other bursts of aerobic exercises before and during class (and in recess) may prime your child's brain for learning.

Another way teachers can sneak in physical activity? Ask students to help hand out supplies, collect papers, or deliver messages. Wiggle chair or fidgets can also help extra active kids sit still without disrupting others.

[Read: Exercise and Sleep — The Better Brain Therapies Your Child Needs]

Research shows that green space has a positive impact on cognitive skills and symptoms in children with ADHD.⁵ One study even suggests that living in a residential area with higher density of green space in early life may lower the risk of developing ADHD.⁵

Exposure to parks and outdoor activities like camping, fishing, or just running around in the woods are just some of get more green time.

Get children moving after school! Have them walk or bike home (if safe). Once your child is home, set a timer for 30 minutes of physical activity before they start on homework or other sedentary activities. Make sure to reward your child afterward to increase their motivation.

An after-school karate class, swim lesson, or soccer practice are all great ideas, but free time running around the park works, too. Ask your child what they've learning in gym class, and encourage them to practice the new skills.

Set up play dates at a friend's. Children are less likely to be sedentary when at someone else's house.

Sports can increase your child's confidence and help them work toward goals. Team sports specifically are associated with greater executive function benefits in children, as they demand more cognitive engagement.⁶

Traditional martial arts, particularly Taekwondo, which emphasizes character development and self-control, has been linked to improved executive functions in children.⁷

No matter the exercise, help your child find a physical activity they absolutely love to do — and the benefits of exercise will come.

Exercise Ideas: Next Steps

• Free Download: Activities and Sports for Kids with ADHD
• Read: How Much Movement Do Kids Need During the School Day?
• Read: How Nutrition, Exercise & Sleep Curb ADHD in Children

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¹Mehren, A., Reichert, M., Coghill, D., Müller, H., Braun, N., & Philipsen, A. (2020). Physical exercise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - evidence and implications for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 7, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-019-0115-2

²Hong, G. C. C., Conduit, R., Wong, J., Di Benedetto, M., & Lee, E. (2021). Diet, Physical Activity, and Screen Time to Sleep Better: Multiple Mediation Analysis of Lifestyle Factors in School-Aged Children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Attention Disorders, 25(13), 1847–1858. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054720940417

³Pontifex, M. B., Saliba, B. J., Raine, L. B., Picchietti, D. L., & Hillman, C. H. (2013). Exercise improves behavioral, neurocognitive, and scholastic performance in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The Journal of pediatrics, 162(3), 543–551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.08.036

⁴Hoza, B., Smith, A. L., Shoulberg, E. K., Linnea, K. S., Dorsch, T. E., Blazo, J. A., Alerding, C. M., & McCabe, G. P. (2015). A randomized trial examining the effects of aerobic physical activity on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in young children. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 43(4), 655–667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9929-y

⁵Thygesen, M., Engemann, K., Holst, G. J., Hansen, B., Geels, C., Brandt, J., Pedersen, C. B., & Dalsgaard, S. (2020). The Association between Residential Green Space in Childhood and Development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Environmental health perspectives, 128(12), 127011. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6729

⁶Den Heijer, A. E., Groen, Y., Tucha, L., Fuermaier, A. B., Koerts, J., Lange, K. W., Thome, J., & Tucha, O. (2017). Sweat it out? The effects of physical exercise on cognition and behavior in children and adults with ADHD: a systematic literature review. Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996), 124(Suppl 1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1593-7

⁷Diamond A. (2012). Activities and Programs That Improve Children's Executive Functions. Current directions in psychological science, 21(5), 335–341. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412453722