Active bodies, active minds
Helping children manage ADHD symptoms through physical activity
Helping children manage ADHD symptoms through physical activity
Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common type of neurodiversity with 5-7% of children diagnosed worldwide. If ADHD symptoms are not managed successfully, children may fall behind their peers in cognitive and social skills development, with life-long negative effects. Talking therapies and medication can help children manage their symptoms, but for some children the symptoms persist and some are unable to take the medication.
There is increasing interest in physical activity as an adjunctive therapy to help children successfully manage ADHD symptoms and thrive at school, both in learning and in social interactions.
Research goals
During a previous project, Dr Alyx Taylor and members of the team, including a child and adolescent psychiatrist, a sport and exercise scientist and three masters students of exercise and behavioural medicine, worked with children with ADHD, their parents and teachers at their primary schools to select physical activities that the children identified as the most engaging. This work enabled the development and testing of a package of activities, called Active Bodies, Active Minds, for PE lessons in primary schools, to stimulate moderate to vigorous exercise while learning essential skills for their PE curriculum. The teachers observed a significant reduction in symptoms of ADHD and significant increased engagement in all lessons, including maths, English and science.
Now, on-going research has been designed to embed this knowledge in tools for primary school teachers. The goal is for both PE specialists and class teachers to feel confident using the tools when teaching PE, and also to test the efficacy of these tools over long-term use.
Team and collaborators
The project is led by Dr Alyx Taylor, Leader for the Research Excellence Framework 2029 Unit of Assessment 24 in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Health Sciences University (HSU). For her own research, she leads a team of experts in physical activity coaching, health psychology and school education, all currently studying for PhDs: Michelle Bird, Pavel Nadlicky and Stephanie Kucan.
HSU staff members who are supporting the research include Professor Stewart Cotterill, Professor of Performance Psychology; Dr Danny Miller, Practice Educator Osteopathy with expertise in Health Psychology; and Michelle Evans, Professional Sport Rehabilitation Therapist and lecturer.
Each year HSU students have the opportunity to join the team and make valuable contributions to the research during their postgraduate studies. Three brilliant students contributed to our most recent study in Bournemouth and Greater London: Alex Di Marco MSc Physiotherapy; Rebecca Peacock, MSc Physiotherapy; and Maria Allen, MSc Chiropractic.
The team also benefits from academic international collaboration with Dr Sara Lindeberg, Consultant in Social Medicine and Public Health at Lund University, Sweden and in the UK with Daniel Owen-Taylor, MA, Head of Primary at Rowhill School, Kent.
Key Findings/progress
A recently completed study in the Active Bodies, Active Minds project was presented in November at the World Physical Education Alliance (WPEA) conference, hosted by Assiut University, Egypt. This study was designed to examine the feasibility of implementing the physical activities developed for Active Bodies, Active Minds within primary school PE curricula and different schemes of work.
For the study, a prospective, multi-centre, controlled trial of Active Bodies, Active Minds was undertaken in UK primary schools. Pupils aged 8 to 11 years were invited to take part, with parental consent, and 75 completed the study of whom 22 were diagnosed with ADHD. Teachers reported a statistically significant improvement in the attention and behaviour of the participating children over the 11-week study period.
This means the study provided supportive evidence that Active Bodies, Active Minds activities can be successfully implemented by non-PE specialist primary school teachers within school PE curricula and can engage pupils with and without ADHD. The improvement in attention and behaviour in non-PE lessons also suggests the use of Active Bodies, Active Minds in PE could improve cognitive and social development in children with ADHD.
Funding, impact, and media
Funding and support
Alyx and her external business collaborator, Rob Francis of Move Mojo, an exercise programme provider, have been supported by the HSU Innovation Voucher scheme to enable research into the efficacy and acceptability of the Move Mojo Ltd physical activities for PE programme and resources. The latest qualitative and quantitative data from this work undertaken is currently being analysed.
Impact and applications
There is evidence that the successful implementation of the Active Bodies, Active Minds pack improves attention and behaviour in non-PE lessons, suggesting its use could improve cognitive and social development in children with ADHD. These positive effects may help the young people thrive in education and socially, giving them a strong foundation for success in adult life. Teachers have reported that while improved attention and engagement in school benefits individual children, it also enables them to spend more time teaching in the lessons, benefiting the class as a whole.
The collaborative work with Rob Francis and his Move Mojo team has also produced a positive impact, demonstrated by research investigating the effects of the teacher training and resources developed by the team. This has provided evidence of the efficacy of Move Mojo’s training and resources for teachers and coaches working with children and adults with disabilities. Early results indicate clients of Move Mojo are very satisfied with the training and resources, with teachers and coaches at Move Mojo’s client organisations reporting increased engagement in physical activity in a wide range of child and adult groups with learning and physical disabilities.
Media and publications
Read more about Alyx’s research into the effects of activity on ADHD on her research website: https://alyxtaylorlab.com/events-news/
Selected publications:
- Taylor, A., Kong, C., Zhang, Z., Herold, F., Ludyga, S., Healy, S., Gerber, M., Cheval, B., Pontifes, M., Kramer, A. F., Chen, S., Zhang, Y., Müller, N. G., Tremblay, M. S. & Zou, L. (2023). Associations of Meeting 24-hour Movement Behavior Guidelines with Cognitive Difficulty and Social Relationships in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 17(1), 42 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13034-023-00588-w
- Taylor, A., Novo, D., & Foreman, D. (2019). An Exercise Program Designed for Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder for Use in School Physical Education: Feasibility and Utility. Healthcare7(3), 102. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/7/3/102
Get Involved
Alyx welcomes enquiries about the research work and would be delighted to discuss possible collaborations.
Contact email alyx.taylor@hsu.ac.uk
Research website: https://alyxtaylorlab.com/
