ADHD Body-Brain Connection: Fidgeting and Fitness

Author: Thomas C. Weiss
Published: 2015/07/28 - Updated: 2025/02/20
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: ADHD and ADD - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: Information regarding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and fidgeting, the act of moving about restlessly.

Why it matters: This article discusses how fidgeting, often observed in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), can serve as a beneficial mechanism for enhancing focus and managing restlessness. It highlights research indicating that fidgeting may be genetically influenced and that individuals who engage in more spontaneous movements tend to have lower body weight. The piece also references the book "Fidget to Focus," which provides practical strategies for utilizing sensory-motor activities to improve concentration in those with ADHD. These insights are particularly valuable for individuals with ADHD, their families, and professionals seeking to understand and support adaptive behaviors that aid in attention and self-regulation - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

Fidgeting is defined as the act of moving about restlessly. Fidgeting may be a result of nervousness, agitation, boredom or a combination of these. It may be a result of genes and is often an unconscious act. Fidgeting may involve playing with one's fingers, hair, or items of clothing. A common act of fidgeting is to bounce one's leg repeatedly. Fidgeting can be a medical sign, as seen in hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroid patients may be restless, become agitated easily, display fine tremors, and have trouble concentrating. Fidgeting in children is sometimes a sign of hyperactivity or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it's not always a bad thing. Fidgeting is an unconscious act. Most people who fidget are unaware they are doing it.

Main Item

Exercise scientists have studied fidgeting for greater than two decades. People who fidget are restless and unable to sit still. They wiggle in their chair, pace as they wait for the bus and fiddle and twist as they stand in line. A scientist who studies the genetics of fitness and fidgeting, Claude Bouchard, discovered that some people move more than others and that the tendency toward additional movement is determined by genetics. Claude even discovered that fraternal twins do not move the same amount. Claude's conclusion is that some people are programmed to move more than others.

Doctor James Levine is a physician who studies fidgeting and physical activity. James has confirmed that heavy people sit more than lean people. In one study, James found that people who are obese sat 9.5 hours each day, while lean people sat less than 7 hours per day. The question then becomes, 'do people who are obese move less than lean people because they are heavier, or are they heavier because they move less' A number of scientists think it is a combination of both and most agree that some people are genetically programmed to spontaneously move more than others. While observing patterns of people around you, as well as your own, you will soon see that some people do indeed move more spontaneously than others.

We are taught that we need to sit still and concentrate on one thing when we are writing, studying, working or engaging in other activities. Yet for people with ADHD, those things usually do not work. They are particularly ineffective when a person with ADHD need to focus on mundane or tedious tasks. People with ADHD often times work best when they are doing something else as well.

In a book titled, 'Fidget to Focus, Outwit Your Boredom: Sensory Strategies for Living with ADHD,' authors Sarah D. Wright, MS, ACT and Roland Rotz, Ph.D. share a number of practical tools that have helped their clients, support group members and others with ADHD. According to Sarah and Roland, "Fidgets are simultaneously sensory-motor stimulation strategies, the four S's. If something we are engaged in is not interesting enough to sustain our focus, the additional sensory-motor input that is mildly stimulating, interesting, or entertaining allows our brains to become fully engaged and allows us to sustain focus on the primary activity in which we are participating."

For example:

An effective fidget is respectful to others in that it is not distracting to others and arousing enough to activate the brain to sustain interest where it could not before. Different tasks will require different fidgets. It is important to choose fidgets that do not compete with the task to be completed. Rotz and Wright list the fidgets based on modality; everything from visual fidgets to auditory ones. What follows are examples of each modality from the book, 'Fidget to Focus.'

Rotz and Wright stress how important it is to give yourself permission to fidget without shame and finding the unique strategies that work for you.

Julie Schweitzer, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the MIND Institute of the University of California, Davis stated;

"What I suspect is that kids with ADHD are moving to increase their attention by activating their arousal system. Being aroused does increase attention."

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note:

While fidgeting is often discouraged in traditional settings like classrooms and workplaces, this article underscores its potential benefits for those with ADHD. Recognizing that movement can aid focus rather than disrupt it may help shift attitudes toward more inclusive and supportive environments. Further research into the connection between movement and cognitive function could lead to new approaches in education and occupational settings that accommodate diverse attention needs

- Disabled World (DW).

Author Credentials: Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a CNA Thomas has providing care for people with all forms of disabilities. Explore for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.

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Citing and References

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Cite This Page: Thomas C. Weiss. (2015, July 28 - Last revised: 2025, February 20). ADHD Body-Brain Connection: Fidgeting and Fitness. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved April 18, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/health/neurology/adhd-autism/fidgeting.php

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