Jake Latham
In the United States Specialized bikes are intervening in childhood development by funding a support program to aid school-aged kids manage their learning differences with the ‘Riding for Focus’ scheme.
The Specialized Foundation programs are designed to introduce students to cycling’s positive effects on health, wellbeing, and academic performance, with a particular focus on students with learning differences like ADHD.
Specialized founder and CEO Mike Sinyard has long dealt with the effects of ADHD in his own life. Sinyard decided that it was time to explore whether or not there really was science behind riding’s impact on the brain.
The Specialized Foundation supports cutting-edge research to investigate how aerobic exercise, specifically cycling, can become an integral part of a comprehensive treatment program for kids suffering with ADHD. Through the pilot programs, we’re finding encouraging results in support of this mission.
The Specialized Foundation website says, “By introducing children to cycling at a young age, we believe that we can help them create lifelong habits with a positive effect on their health and wellbeing. And as cycling is a combination of adventure, fitness, self-reliance, and fun, it’s ideally suited to schoolchildren.”
Applications were open to schools across America and the ‘Riding for Focus’ program provides schools with everything that they need to get their students riding, including bikes, safety equipment, and training.
Read more at the Specialized website here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi1DA30Up-g
