Running up and down a staircase is believed to be a sign of ADHD by many people.
And we’re not talking about dashing up and down for exercise, either.
I was perusing an ADHD forum and noticed a a thread question:
Does running up and down the stairs mean you have ADHD?
For this article I interviewed Dr. Robert Myers, creator of the Total Focus program at Legacy Publishing.
Dr. Myers is a clinical psychologist with 30+ years of experience working with children, adolescents, families and parents, specializing in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Dr. Myers explains: “Running up and down stairs certainly can be a sign of hyperactivity, which is one symptom of ADHD.
“However, if the child is fairly young it could simply be the sign of a very energetic child.”
Do you know any young kids who don’t run up and down the staircase?
This seems to be common behavior among children and even adolescents.
This type of behavior can also be a natural byproduct of athleticism.
If a child is involved in sports, doesn’t it stand to reason that they would habitually run up and down their house’s staircase? This doesn’t mean they probably have ADHD.
All of this reasoning also applies to adults. My own habitual dashing up and down my home’s stairs has nothing to do with my attention span or how “hyper” I may be in various situations.
I’m athletic and into physical fitness, and I never want to develop a slow body.
It’s only natural, then, that I’d have a habit of dashing up and down my staircase simply to get from one level to the next.
As a personal trainer, I encourage kids and adults to run up and down their home’s staircase!
Over time, the extra calorie burn can mean a few pounds of fat lost.
