ADHD is also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The individuals who suffer from this disorder often display the symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention. The children diagnosed with ADHD have a very short attention span. They find it hard to control their emotions and they struggle when subjected to social situations. This makes it hard for the parents to figure out which type of activities will be enjoyable for their kids. It should be kept in mind that children with ADHD cannot handle the extra stress. Therefore, don’t put them in the sort of situations they cannot cope with.
Taekwondo is one of the best extra-curricular activities for children with this condition. This sport not only lets children enjoy, but it is also a great way for them to ease ADHD symptoms. There are various reasons why you should enroll your child with ADHD in a taekwondo class. And in this article, we will get to know some of them from Natasha, who blogs for Dragon Taekwondo.
Ways taekwondo can help children with ADHD:
Following are how taekwondo can help your child with ADHD:
Taekwondo focuses on individual growth:
According to experts, team contact sports are the worst for children with ADHD. It’s hard for them to understand the play system. Since team sports require players to focus on their particular roles as well as others’, sports such as Football is hard to play for the children with this condition. Attention-deficit is the reason.
Sports that require divided attention don’t work out for children with ADHD. Taekwondo is one of those sports that allow children to focus on self-improvement. Martial Arts instructors pay individual attention to every child in the class. They sometimes even offer tailor lessons for children with special needs. Since they are not competing against anyone, children with ADHD can learn this sport at their own pace. This doesn’t put pressure on them to perform and it helps them improve as an individual.
Social skills improvement:
One of the best ways to improve the social skills of your child with ADHD is to enroll him in a taekwondo class with other children. If he is not okay with that, sign him up for individual lessons.
The best thing about taekwondo is that even if your child is enrolled with other children, he wouldn’t be competing against anyone. Master Taekwondo instructors admit the fact that every child learns at his own pace. They understand children with ADHD need more assistance as compared to the other kids. While learning taekwondo children with ADHD can socialize and make new friends whilst learning at their own pace. Even learning individually, these children can enjoy the team support camaraderie in a taekwondo class. This helps these children to make new friends and overcome social anxiety.
Ritual becomes a habit:
There are so many benefits that sports like taekwondo has to offer to the children with ADHD, That is why the majority of them give it a try. It is a great sport for children who have a short attention span. Since taekwondo is based on choreographed and ritualistic practices, rituals become a part of our day to day life. Learning through ritual works for children with attention-deficit. When children with ADHD are taught through rituals, they turn them into their automatic behavior.
For normal people, actions such as brushing teeth, washing hands and taking vitamins before breakfast are automatic. However, children with ADHD cannot remember things in order.
Taekwondo also teaches children to control their body movements and follow motions. Children with ADHD lack this often-ingrained skill. By practicing martial arts, children with ADHD learn to incorporate control into their day to day activities.
A way to release energy:
For the majority of the children with ADHD, it’s hard to stay calm in an environment where they are supposed to sit still. These children need to stand, walk around or fidget to release their energy. Enrolling in a taekwondo class, not only helps children with ADHD to stimulate their brain. It allows hyperactive children to release the buildup energy and do something positive with it.
ADHD is characterized by a lack of attention and hyperactivity. Children who suffer from this condition need more control in their life. Taekwondo is one of those sports that can bring in that control and help these children to release the energy they have built up while sitting still in a classroom.
