Jimmy G. was a distracted and disruptive fifth grader.

“In the morning, when he came in, he’d be up in everybody’s business, up and out of his chair, constantly blurting stuff out,” says Amy Young, his science and social studies teacher at Spooner Middle School in the North Woods of Wisconsin. (Unlike most middle schools, Spooner spans fifth through eighth grade.)

But once Jimmy (whose name has been changed to protect his privacy as a minor) started attending a cycling class, Young noticed a dramatic change in the 10-year-old’s behavior.

“After riding, he can sit down, he’s focused, he gets right down to work,” she says. “He’s like a different kid!”

Jimmy has been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and takes medication for it. Even so, cycling makes a noticeable difference in his behavior — which his parents have recognized as well.

Taught by P.E. teacher Ryan McKinney, the class began as part of cycling nonprofit Outride’s Riding for Focus program. Outride, formerly the Specialized Bike Foundation, was founded by Mike Sinyard (also the founder of bicycle brand Specialized). Fourteen years ago, Sinyard, who also has ADHD, noticed that going for a bike ride helped him focus. After a ride, he realized, he was more attentive in meetings, for example.

“That really kicked off this bigger idea, ‘Is this something that is unique to him, or is there broader science to back it up?” says Esther Walker, Ph.D., Outride’s executive director — and a cognitive science researcher in her own right. In 2012, Sinyard partnered with RTSG Neuroscience Consulting to launch a pilot project at two middle schools in Natick, Massachusetts to see if integrating cycling into the school day could help kids pay attention and focus. Participating students biked for a half-hour before school, five days a week, for a full month. The results were encouraging: Not only did kids with ADHD see symptoms improve, every kid benefited.

Read the full article about bicycle at Reasons To Be Cheerful.