© Stock.adobe.com

Move it to use it

Exercise may be just the prescription for your child’s mental health

by deborah S. Molchan

Your child has been struggling with stress. When you ask your child’s pediatrician for solutions, she hands you a script reading, “Aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity for 20 to 30 minutes to manage mood and improve focus.” If that sounds odd, you may be surprised various healthcare providers now write scripts like this routinely. In fact, a 2023 review of 41 studies that was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found exercise effective in treating clinical depression.

Exercise and brain neurons

For children and adults alike, exercise promotes the creation of neurons, which is called neurogenesis, and supports neuroplasticity. During exercise, a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) becomes elevated. Preliminary research suggests that BDNF activates the growth of brain neurons and synapses, which improves focus and memory and boosts mood. Exercise increases dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine—all neurotransmitters targeted by anti-depressants. Exercise also activates our prefrontal cortex and improves our ability to plan, evaluate and work better.

Improved test performance

Children who exercise also achieve better test scores. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reviewed 50 studies substantiated that physical exercise improves academic achievement and standardized test scores.

Eighth-grade students in Naperville Central High School in Illinois literally put that theory to the test. Naperville School District adopted “Zero Hour P.E.”, an hourlong before-school physical education program that combined aerobic exercise and heart-rate monitor use for remedial learning students. The students subsequently scored No. 1 in science and No. 6 in math worldwide (compared to 38 countries) on the Trends in Inter- national Mathematics/Science Study comparative assessment, and they showed dramatic literacy improvements as well. Dr. John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, notes that the results of Naperville School District’s physical education program transformed their students into “the fittest in the nation—and also some of the smartest.”

Exercise and ADHD

For children who struggle with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), medicine can be effective; however, children may still be challenged with forgetfulness, distraction and disorganization. Ratey prescribes exercise to the patients he treats, including those diagnosed with ADHD. A 2022 scholarly publication in the Biomedical Journal further indicates that children with a diagnosis of ADHD who engage in 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise achieved improved executive functioning skills. However, for the best results, a 2012 study in the Journal of Attention Disorders recommends that children and teens aim for 45 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity three times a week for at least 10 weeks to improve thinking skills and behavior.

Help with anxiety

Anxious children especially benefit from exercise with friends, as connections boost serotonin levels. When the happy neurotransmitter serotonin is boosted through exercise with others, anxious children are likelier to adopt exercise as a regular habit. Parents might want to share with children that moderate-intensity exercise will elevate their heart rate, similar to what they might experience when they are feeling nervous. Yet, an exercise-induced heart rate is medicine to help with calming, not a sign to worry.

Ratey offers us all a prescriptive truth, “Exercise is the single-best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory and learning.”

---

---