Colman Noctor: Learning improves when children have opportunities to move more

Thinking on their feet: A restless child needs to move, not to sit still. Children learn better when exercise is part of their day. Picture: iStock

A FAMILIAR classroom scene: Chairs scrape, pencils tap, and a child rocks slightly on the back legs of their seat. The teacher pauses mid-sentence to say, "Feet on the floor, please".

These moments are often seen as disruptions or signs of poor discipline, because children are meant to sit still and focus. 

But these small movements aren’t always problem behaviour — they can be signals of an internal struggle.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: For many children, particularly those with ADHD, the expectation to sit still and focus for extended periods is not just difficult, it conflicts with how their brains are wired.

Movement is not a distraction from learning, but a foundation for it. 

For example, a study from the University of Shanghai, earlier this year, found that physical activity supports brain development through serotonin release in early childhood, reinforcing the value of movement in learning.

An ADHD myth

A persistent myth about ADHD and movement also needs addressing: The idea that children with ADHD are full of excess energy that must be ‘burned off’.

ADHD is not about having too much energy; it’s about not having enough neurochemicals, like dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter essential for motivation, attention, and reward. It helps us stay engaged, regulate impulses, and complete tasks. 

In individuals with ADHD, dopamine levels are typically lower or less efficiently regulated. When dopamine drops, the brain doesn’t become calm and still; instead, it becomes restless. 

It seeks stimulation. Fidgeting, difficulty staying seated, and wandering attention are not signs of excess energy; they can be attempts by the central nervous system to self-regulate.

So when we ask a child with ADHD to sit still and focus, we are often asking them to remain in a state where their brain is under-stimulated.

It’s not a behavioural issue; it is a neurological one. And it is why movement breaks matter, and why we must rethink their purpose.

Moving in right direction

Movement breaks are not outlets — they are interventions.

When a child moves, by jumping, stretching, walking, or even standing, the brain responds. Blood flow increases, oxygen levels rise, and, crucially, dopamine production is supported.

Movement does something stillness cannot — it helps regulate the systems that underpin attention. For a child with ADHD, even a short burst of movement can mean the difference between disengagement and re-engagement with learning.

Movement, therefore, is not a reward or a luxury; it is a support.

If you observe a child with ADHD in a traditional classroom, the signs are typical: Constant shifting, bouncing legs, and attention drawn to every sound.

This behaviour is often interpreted as defiance or lack of effort. In reality, it is the brain responding to low dopamine. Understanding this neurological process changes everything.

These children are not choosing to disengage; their brains are struggling to stay engaged. Without appropriate support, this struggle can escalate into distraction, disruption, and negative attention from adults.

Movement breaks can interrupt this cycle by offering a structured, acceptable way for the brain to get what it needs before problems escalate.

The benefits of movement extend beyond ADHD. Research suggests that all children learn better when movement is incorporated into their day.

Attention naturally fluctuates. It rises and falls throughout the day, so expecting sustained focus for long periods runs counter to how the brain works.

Studies consistently show that short, structured movement breaks improve attention, increase on-task behaviour, and enhance engagement.

While some people argue that movement disrupts learning, evidence shows the opposite: Children return from movement more focused and better regulated.

For too long, learning has been treated as if the brain operates independently of the body. The neuroscience tells us otherwise.

Movement activates multiple brain regions linked to memory, attention, and emotional regulation. The cerebellum, once thought only to control movement, is now known to play a role in cognition. 

The prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functions, becomes more active when the body is moving. In simple terms, movement wakes the brain up.

Yet classrooms often demand the opposite: Stillness, silence, and control. While these have their place, making them the default creates an environment that clashes with children’s natural development.

This principle extends beyond the classroom. At home, similar patterns can emerge: Children struggle to complete homework and become restless or irritable. 

The instinct is often to double down, to insist that they sit still, focus, and “finish it”. But, sometimes, the most effective response is the opposite.

One of the most powerful shifts we can make, as parents and educators, is to stop asking, "How do we get this child to sit still?" and, instead, ask, “What does this child need to keep learning right now?" 

Because behaviour is always a communication. The child who can’t stop moving, who drifts off, or becomes disruptive is signalling a need for stimulation, regulation, or a reset.

Scheduled exercise

Movement breaks should be seen as proactive resets, not reactive responses. In practice, they are simple and cost nothing. They don’t require large-scale government funding or complex systems. 

Movement can be as straightforward as two minutes of stretching, a short walk, jumping jacks, or a quick, structured activity that raises heart rate. Breaks can be scheduled regularly or used flexibly, depending on need. 

What matters most is consistency. When movement becomes predictable and embedded in routine, children begin to use it to manage their attention rather than fight against it.

Encouraging a short movement break before returning to the task is not avoidance; it is support. The goal is not to push through dysregulation, but to help the child reach a state where focus is possible.

We may also need to rethink what learning looks like. There is an ingrained belief that stillness equals attention. A quiet classroom appears productive, but appearances can be misleading.

A child sitting perfectly still may be disengaged. A moving child may be actively trying to stay focused.

If we prioritise compliance over understanding, we risk overlooking what matters most — the ability to learn.

Movement breaks challenge traditional norms. They ask us to trust the science and recognise that learning is both cognitive and physiological. 

When we understand that ADHD-related agitation stems from low dopamine, not excess energy, our perspective shifts. Movement is no longer the problem; it becomes part of the solution. 

And if we embrace this shift, we can begin to create classrooms and homes that work with children’s brains, not against them.

From a developmental perspective, children are not designed to sit still for long periods to learn. Recognising this invites us to reconsider the limitations of our current approach.

Perhaps the change required is not complex, but simple, and long overdue.