7 Home Exercise Workouts for Energetic Children with ADHD
Exercise has great physical benefits. It maintains cardiovascular health (preventing conditions like stroke and heart disease) and assists our bodies in managing blood sugar and insulin levels, which can help with weight control. In addition, exercise can help regulate our sensory and nervous systems, and boost mental health and self-esteem.
Exercise is especially for children with ADHD. Research has proven that movement boosts mood and brain function in those with ADHD, improving focus, concentration, attention and general wellbeing.Â
Exercise also improves sleep, which can be a big problem for many of our children, and is great for burning off excess energy.
As parents and carers, we should seek to build exercise into our child’s daily routine. Online exercise videos are easy way to do this. Lots of our children enjoy screen-based activities, so if they aren’t excited by the idea of working out, the screen factor might increase their motivation!
If we are looking to limit our child’s screen time, there are also sports activities and fun games we can play at home to keep them moving.Â
Exercise and Workout Videos
Dancing is a fun, expressive way for our children to enjoy movement. Dancing to music we like makes the activity extra motivating – and listening and moving at the same time uses multiple sensory systems, which our children can benefit from.
Just Dance Kids is a great game where children can enjoy learning dance routines to well known songs. You don’t need a gaming system to enjoy the Just Dance experience – there are plenty of videos on YouTube children can dance along to. Repetition can be key with these. Find one song that your child especially likes, and help them learn the movements. Over time your child may learn the routine so well they can anticipate the next move, which can rewarding and enjoyable. If that isn’t motivating, they can of course just freestyle too! You can make Just Dance part of your day-to-day routine as a way of getting a daily workout in for your child (and maybe you too!). Flamingo Chicks have produced an amazing series of inclusive dance videos, with Makaton signing and adaptations for different needs and with a different theme for each session. This Inclusive Space Dance Class is great example of their work. Do visit their YouTube channel for more.Â
We love this series of bite-sized creative dance sessions from Wriggle Dance Theatre. The instructions are clear and children are given plenty of opportunity to be creative.Â
Although not specifically adapted for disability, this series by Misha and Monkey may work for your child.
This is a great series for keeping your younger children fit. There are some nice easy exercises which are well explained and demonstrated with lots of time to get it right.
This is a brilliant resource by Cosmic Kids is helpful to teach yoga and mindfulness to smaller children. There are lots of great themes to keep it fun and engaging for children with all interests. They use simple instructions so this may also work for some older children with learning difficulties.
This video by Lucy Wyndham-Read uses artwork to make the workout visually engaging.  Â
Koo Koo Kanga Roo includes a very large series of videos.
They have some fun songs and some easy to follow dance moves or you can just do your own thing. There is something for any child’s taste.
This YouTube channel offers “healthy music for a  child’s heart, body and mind”. It is aimed at toddlers and pre-school children with lots of songs to sing and dance along to. Movements are simple so easy to follow or just freestyle dance to.Â
Joe Wicks is a popular fitness trainer. His live YouTube workout videos/PE classes for children were hugely popular during the first lockdown.
The workouts were different every day so there are plenty for children who need lots of stimulation and variety to choose from. If your child is better with routine, or needs time to learn movements, you can choose one to repeat. Â
