Researchers tested whether a short burst of exercise helps children think and perform right afterward. They studied 20 children with ADHD (6 of them girls), aged 8 to 10, along with 20 healthy children matched for sex, age, and background (40 in total). Each child was tested twice: once after 20 minutes of moderate treadmill walking, and once after 20 minutes of seated reading.
After exercise, children in both groups answered a computer task more accurately than after reading (87.1% versus 83.5%, a large effect). Children with ADHD also slowed down more to correct themselves after a mistake, a sign of better self-monitoring. A brain signal linked to attention was also stronger after exercise.
Both groups did better on schoolwork tests after exercise. Reading comprehension scores rose, and arithmetic scores rose as well. Reaction speed and spelling did not change.
The authors call this a preliminary study. It included only 20 children per group, tested just one bout of exercise, and involved children with milder ADHD. Whether the benefits last, or hold for more severe cases, is still unknown.
The numbers Stats and what the terms mean
The statistics behind the plain-language claims above.
- Pontifex, 2013: task accuracy after exercise versus reading, Cohen d = 0.94; slowing down after a mistake in children with ADHD, Cohen d = 1.36; reading comprehension, Cohen d = 1.58; arithmetic, Cohen d = 1.25.
What the terms mean:
- d is an effect size. Roughly, 0.2 is small, 0.5 is moderate and 0.8 is large. A minus sign shows the direction of the change, not its size.
Source: Pontifex M, Saliba B, Raine L, et al.. Exercise Improves Behavioral, Neurocognitive, and Scholastic Performance in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The Journal of Pediatrics (2013). doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.08.036