Background: Physical exercise is known to produce numerous psychological beneficial effects in healthy and clinical populations. Nevertheless, little is known about the relationship between exercise and ADhD symptoms, let alone among adults with ADhD. this study examines the association between exercise and three ADhD symptoms: (1) behavioral impulsivity; (2) intrusive unwanted thoughts and (3) worry. the latter two are cognitive facets of anxiety, a prominent symptom of ADhD.
Methods: Physical activity was measured using a selfreport questionnaire. thirty participants with a diagnosis of ADhD were divided into two groups: Participants engaging in frequent aerobic activity ("high activity" group), and participants engaging in non-frequent physical activity ("low activity" group).
Results: Adults with ADhD engaging in frequent aerobic physical activity report significantly less behavioral impulsivity and experience significantly less worrisome and intrusive thoughts.
Conclusions: Our results reflect an association between physical activity and reduced symptoms of impulsivity and intrusive and worrisome thoughts in an adult ADhD sample. the results of this pilot study may encourage further investigations emphasizing the causal link between physical activity and ADhD symptoms. Suggested underlying neurobiological mechanisms, clinical implications and limitations are discussed.