How Exercise Can Help You Cope with ADHD

The Edge Foundation, an organization that provides highly trained coaches for young people with ADHD, recently published a piece on the benefits of exercise. ADHD is believed to be caused in part by an underproduction of the neurochemicals (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) used by the brain’s frontal lobes. This part of the brain is where executive functioning occurs. In short, it’s the brain’s manager that helps us plan, monitor progress, regulate frustration, observe the passage of time, and problem solve. Stimulant medication triggers the increased production of these neurochemicals, thus reducing ADHD symptoms by increasing a person’s executive functioning skills. A growing body of research highlights the role of regular, rigorous exercise in increasing executive functioning, too. Read more here about the benefits of exercise and brain functioning in people with ADHD.