It’s no secret that we all need exercise. Exercise makes us stronger, does everything from help regulate our appetite to give us a sense of daily structure. Sometimes we think of exercise as that one thing that can drown out the noise in our lives and allow us to focus on our work.

It takes nothing more time-consuming than a google search on “ADHD and exercise” to show that this is not only a huge thread in popular exercise culture, but also the stuff of serious scholarly research. “Physical Exercise as a Reinforcer to Promote Calmness,” “How to Reach and Teach Children with ADHD,” “Sport Participation and Lessened Anxiety in Children with ADHD,” are all part of a growing body of research.

This research supports a simple thesis: kids with ADHD and other learning differences and disabilities greatly, often dramatically, benefit from physical exercise. There’s simply no grey area here – daily exercise can be the tie that binds together your child’s learning, it is the thing that facilities their attentiveness, participation, and ability to retain information. You can click to read more about personalized exercises, here.

We are the YMCA Academy. Our school lives in the Central YMCA. That means two things. First, that we couldn’t possibly be more central. Our school has Bay Street to the west, Yonge to the east, Grosvenor to the south, and Breadalbane to the north. Second, and most important, that our school has, arguably, the best fitness facilities of any school in Toronto. We have it all here and student use it as part of our curriculum – a curriculum of health, learning, and community. We also encourage people to use Indoor trampolines for kids, which is one of the best form of aerobic exercises.

As always, I extend to you my invitation. Come out for a visit. Have a cup of coffee. Want to test the facilities here for yourself? Great – I’ll give you a Day Pass when we meet and you can spend the rest of your day exercising at the Y!

School is a week away. Come see The Academy and decide for yourself is this is the right fit you’ve been looking for.

Don Adams, Head of School

Aug 28th, 2012 – Exercise and Learning Disabilities