If you have ADHD, running over football is recommended.[김지용의 마음처방]｜Dong-A Ilbo

‘Exercise’ is probably the most common thing doctors say in the doctor’s office. This is the same in mental health therapy. Also, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which many people have doubted their own diagnosis of recently, is no exception. This is because drugs, which are at the heart of treatment, sometimes show limitations, and exercise itself helps improve ADHD symptoms.

So how does exercise help? ADHD is a disease in which problems with control and concentration of motivation occur as a result of abnormalities in the dopamine system in the frontal lobe of the brain. Therefore, drug treatment is a tool that increases dopamine activity in the appropriate area, and exercise also works in the same way.

Exercise stimulates the production of dopamine in a deep part of the brain called the midbrain, which ultimately increases the amount of dopamine secreted in the frontal lobe. Exercise also stimulates the secretion of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain and suppresses the secretion of a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol levels, which remain high due to chronic stress, reduce the function of dopamine neurons, but exercise prevents this and regenerates the brain through BDNF.

So, what kind of exercise will help a lot?

First, it is an aerobic exercise. This is because the secretion of dopamine and BDNF mentioned above becomes active during aerobic exercise. There are different types of aerobic exercise. There are team sports such as football and basketball, and there are individual sports such as running and cycling.

A recent study meta-analyzed several existing papers that looked at the association between ADHD and exercise to find differences in effects based on the type of exercise. I cannot explain everything in a short article, so I will start with the conclusion: aerobic exercise was helpful, and among them, ‘closed skill training’, that is, exercises such as running, swimming, and cycling which includes performance. repetitive movements in a fixed environment, effective in treating ADHD symptoms.

This is likely because the proportion of aerobic energy is greater in running and swimming than in ‘open skill training’ such as team sports or ball games. In addition, unlike open skill training, which often uses attentional shifting abilities, closed skill training requires greater ability to sustain attention. It can be somewhat boring and frustrating, so it’s probably something people with ADHD want to avoid.

However, since the main problem of ADHD is the inability to sustain attention consistently, whether studying or working, it is assumed that practice through closed skill training could have led to a greater effect. Also, although it was not as effective as closed skill training, it is clear that open skill training itself is effective.

It’s a great season for outdoor activities. If you feel like you’re lacking attention, why don’t you get out there instead of sitting around and blaming yourself? Your brain will be healthy just by moving on your own, without the need for special devices or other people.