Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Ride It Out: How Cycling Helps Kids Focus

After Mike Sinyard, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), noticed that bike riding helped him focus, he founded the Specialized Bike Foundation, now Outride, whose “Riding for Focus” (R4F) program now is in 400 middle schools in the US and Canada. And it has had some astonishing results. P.E. teacher Ryan McKinney at Spooner Elementary School in Wisconsin, who began an R4F class as part of Outride’s R4F program and then started an after-school Bike Club, suggested studying the impact of cycling and other outdoor sports as part of a daily intervention class for students who need extra help called “What I Need”. He asked teachers to recommend fifth and sixth grade students who struggled with attention, focus or behavior. Half went to McKinney’s daily early morning 45 minute WIN class, then to their core classes; half were a control group. The students took a standardized test called FastBridge three times over the year to evaluate their comprehension in reading and math. In math, the kids in the cycling intervention group improved, on average, twice as much as kids in the control group; in reading, they improved nearly twice as much. On average, the cycling group required much less office discipline.

Be The Change

Today, notice a moment when you or someone around you is restless, scattered, or stuck in mental fog. Instead of reaching for distraction or pushing through, step outside and move your body — a brisk walk, dancing to a song, a jog around the block. Then, return to what needs your attention and notice if you’re able to meet it differently.