Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

Nature’s Ritalin for the Marathon Mind: Nurturing Your ADHD Child With Exercise

Stephen C. Putnam

$6.56 via Amazon

Millions of children who are diagnosed with ADHD can reduce or eliminate their medication while vastly improving their quality of life-just by exercising more, according to Stephen C. Putnam, author of this landmark book on the subject.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become an epidemic, with an estimated 5 percent of American children now on prescription drug regimens and the numbers increasing at a rapid rate. Meanwhile, the average child gets less exercise than in past generations, thanks to television, video games, and other inactive pastimes.

Putnam, in testing his theories, brought together a wide range of studies, anecdotal evidence, and laboratory research, reaching a firm conclusion that for many ADHD children, an exercise regimen controls the condition as well as drugs-without the unwanted side effects. The result of that research is the new book, Nature’s Ritalin for the Marathon Mind: Nurturing Your ADHD Child with Exercise (Upper Access Books, $9.95). The findings include the following:

• Laboratory experiments have established that aerobic exercise has a chemical effect on the brain similar to that of Ritalin and other psychostimulant drugs, and the same ability to help people to focus their minds.

• ADHD has a variety of symptoms and causes, and neither exercise nor drugs is effective in treating all cases. However, in general, the children who respond the best to medication also respond the best to exercise.

• Psychostimulant drugs reduce a child’s desire for rough-and-tumble play, thereby decreasing exercise and increasing the dependence on drugs. This can be turned around if activities involving aerobic exercise are worked into the child’s schedule.

• While children usually need help from parents and others to become motivated to take up a regular exercise routine, the motivation-once it starts-is self-perpetuating. In other words, once children understand that the exercise regimen makes them feel better, improves social life, helps them with school, and provides other benefits, they pursue it with enthusiasm.

Putnam emphasizes that “This is not an anti-Ritalin book. The benefits of Ritalin and other medications for many children have been well established.” He also notes that any change in treatment must be undertaken in consultation with the child’s physician. Yet in case after case, he notes that by adopting a regular exercise routine, children have been able to reduce, and often eliminate, medication while improving social and academic life.

In addition to explaining the scientific issues, the book provides details on how to determine the optimum amount of exercise and the optimal schedules, plus numerous suggestions of ways to motivate your children to take up appropriate activities. “Motivation is the tricky part for most kids,” Putnam says. “They’re not going to exercise just because a parent is nagging them. But once they start feeling the benefits, they’ll want to keep it up. Parenting is never easy, and every situation is different. In researching and writing the book, I tried to cover the wide range of situations that parents face. “

People who have brought this book wrote:

The first thing Putnam does in this calm, well-balanced and very accessible book is make the very reasonable suggestion that instead of labeling a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) we might better say that the child has a "Marathon Mind." Putnam goes on to make the strong argument that instead of treating the hyperactive child with Ritalin and other psychostimulants it might be better and more natural to try a program of aerobic exercise.

This makes so much sense that it is hard to believe that it isn't more often prescribed. Putnam hints at the reason: (1) It's not easy for a busy parent to supervise the exercise program, and hiring a personal exercise coach is expensive. (2) "[I]nsurance will more likely cover medication" than therapy or a coach. (p. 13) It should also be noted that Big Pharma is not motivated to conduct research into the effects of exercise on ADHD-labeled children since a positive finding would not favorably affect their bottom line.

Personally, I am highly suspicious of these new "disorders" like ADHD that HMO-driven doctors treat with drugs. There are legitimate cases, no doubt; but most of the time I suspect there is nothing wrong except that this is a child that needs a lot of physical activity and a lot of body/mind stimulation. That is that child's strength. He (most of those diagnosed with ADHD are boys) can be active and effective at a high energy level and take in a lot more from the environment than other kids can. He needs to be up and doing. Putnam sees "movement" as satisfying "the wanderer, hunter, farmer, and gatherer in all of us." This is the message from evolutionary medicine. We evolved in an environment that had us up and doing all day long. The child that craves activity and stimulation is perhaps the truly natural child; and it is the modern environment with its restrictive classrooms and exercise-stealing tools and vehicles that is unnatural. Perhaps the environment ought to be labeled as having PADD (Physical Activity Deficit Disorder).

Consider the program of the typical "soccer mom." Despite all her good intentions, her child really doesn't get enough exercise. First there's the ride to the soccer field, then there's sitting on the bench during perhaps most of the game, then the ride to Chuckie Cheese's afterwards, and then the ride home. Perhaps a couple of hours or more have passed and how much of that time was the child actually exercising? Maybe twenty minutes, maybe ten.

How about at school? How long does recess last? Putnam cites studies that show even a little exercise tends to allow the child to focus better. He even suggests that the very lack of movement forced on the child in the typical classroom situation is contributing to the symptoms of ADHD. He uses the term "proprioceptive feedback" to refer to a mind/body phenomenon that allows us "to adjust our arousal level as well as our sense of tranquility." (p. 22) By the way, I would like to see the amount of time devoted to physical education in our schools doubled. Not only would this help the child that feels trapped in the classroom, but would work against the growing problem of childhood obesity.

Putnam discusses what he calls "optimal stimulation" and analyzes the role of dopamine in an exercise program, and "the runner's high." He considers the wide range of needs that children may have and offers suggestions on how parents may help their child find the right exercise program. He considers motivation and the family dynamics that either foster or hinder the child's opportunity to exercise.

Putnam clearly believes that the use of drugs to treat a hyperactive child should be the treatment of last choice, and I couldn't agree more. Who knows what the long-term effects might be? Read this book and see how you as a parent might be able to make a healthy choice for your child.

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