The Differential Impact of Acute Exercise and Mindfulness Meditation on Executive Functioning and Psycho-Emotional Well-Being in Children and Youth With ADHD
Hannah Bigelow, Marcus D. Gottlieb, Michelle Ogrodnik, Jeffrey D. Graham, Barbara Fenesi
Frontiers in Psychology June 14, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.660845 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Children and youth with ADHD aged 10–14 (male = 11; White = 80%) |
| Interventions | Exercise Mindfulness meditation Reading (control) |
| Duration | 10 min per intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Acute exercise Psycho-emotional well-being Mindfulness meditation Executive functioning Inhibition |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation improved performance on all executive functioning tasks (inhibitory control, working memory, task-switching) whereas exercise and reading did not (d = 0.55–0.86). Exercise enhanced positive mood and self-efficacy whereas the other interventions did not (d = 0.22–0.35). The authors describe these as preliminary evidence that the two interventions support differential aspects of functioning in children and youth with ADHD. |
Abstract
This study investigated how acute exercise and mindfulness meditation impacts executive functioning and psycho-emotional well-being in 16 children and youth with ADHD aged 10–14 (male = 11; White = 80%). Participants completed three interventions: 10 min of exercise, 10 min of mindfulness meditation, and 10 min of reading (control). Before and after each intervention, executive functioning (inhibitory control, working memory, task-switching) and psycho-emotional well-being (mood, self-efficacy) were assessed. Mindfulness meditation increased performance on all executive functioning tasks whereas the other interventions did not (d = 0.55–0.86). Exercise enhanced positive mood and self-efficacy whereas the other interventions did not (d = 0.22–0.35). This work provides preliminary evidence for how acute exercise and mindfulness meditation can support differential aspects of executive and psycho-emotional functioning among children and youth with ADHD.