The Effect of 8 Weeks of Exercise Therapy Program on Static and Dynamic Balance of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Children

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of 8 weeks of exercise therapy program on static and dynamic balance in attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children. 30 ADHD children (mean age 8.07±1.1 yr, weight 25.6±7.5 kg and height 126±11.1 cm) voluntarily participated in the study with their parent's consent and were divided into control and experimental groups randomly. Before exercises, the Biodex Balance System (BBS) was used to measure static and dynamic balance. The experimental group performed 8 weeks (three sessions per week) of balance exercise while control group did not perform any balance exercises during this period. After the program, static and dynamic balance was evaluated. Data were analyzed by independent and paired t tests. The results showed that in the experimental group, static and dynamic balance were significantly different in all three indexes of general, anterior-posterior and interior-exterior before and after the exercises. These findings were also significantly different in the control group. The results showed that balance training and exercises can play a significant role in improving static and dynamic balance of ADHD children.