Q Is exercise helpful for a child with tics? I'd like to know which types of exercise are best.
A Regular aerobic exercise improves the brain's dopamine balance and lowers stress hormones, making it beneficial for tic management. Rhythmic full-body exercises such as swimming, cycling, and running are particularly effective.
Detailed Answer
Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), contributing to stabilization of the basal ganglia-cortical circuit. After aerobic exercise, dopamine and serotonin are released in a balanced manner, and a reduction in tic urges has been reported. Swimming is a full-body rhythmic exercise where water resistance is excellent for relieving stress, making it recommended for children with tics. Intense contact sports such as martial arts and rugby can excessively raise excitement levels and actually trigger tics, so caution is needed. Thirty to sixty minutes per day, four to five times per week, is ideal, and activities done outdoors in sunlight additionally help serotonin secretion.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, moderate physical activity circulates Qi (vital energy) and resolves Liver Qi Constraint. In particular, walking or running outdoors in the open air at a regular time is a natural and effective way to promote Liver Qi circulation.
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