Sweating Towards Control: How Exercise Helps ADHD Students

College students with ADHD face unique challenges. Their daily struggles can feel like a battle. Let's dive into the power of exercise to help them manage their emotions and improve their overall happiness. Regular exercise may be a game-changer. How so? Well, it can boost a student's ability to handle their emotions. Exactly how does that happen? Exercise can help them control their emotions and overall quality of life. This is particularly true for college students with ADHD. These students might also be using medication to manage their condition. They might be taking medication for their ADHD. Students who exercised regularly were better at suppressing their emotional reactions. This was the case for both those who were medicated and those who weren't. A huge percentage of them were able to do so. There was a big difference in results though when it came to cognitive reappraisal. We can understand the difference between these two strategies as this: expression suppression is when we try to hide our emotions while cognitive reappraisal is when we look at a situation from a different perspective. These who were taking ADHD medication saw a stronger link between exercise and cognitive reappraisal. This result didn't hold true for those who weren't on medication. So, in a way, exercise might be doing a lot more for students who are medicated. Exercise probably has more benefits than just managing emotions. Sure, students might notice less hyperactivity. But there could be more going on. Exercise could be helping them feel more accomplished. This feeling of accomplishment could be an unexpected side benefit. It's clear that exercise is doing a lot more than just helping with ADHD. Let's be clear. Exercise isn't a cure-all. It's not going to make everything better. But it can help ADHD students manage their symptoms. They might feel better overall. Exercise helps them feel better about themselves. This study involved a lot of students. They answered lots of questions. Some also shared their thoughts in interviews. Researchers were especially interested to know how exercise impacted ADHD students' emotions and well-being. Multiple students felt that exercise was a big part of their success. Exercise clearly has a lot of benefits for ADHD students. It can help them manage their emotions. It can help them control their impulses. Regular exercise might even boost their self-esteem. It's important that ADHD students make exercise a habit. They should see it as a big part of their routine. It's not a quick fix. But it might make a big difference in the long run. Please think long and hard about this. Does this work for you? If so, then try it.