“Many children who are casually described as hyperactive today are not suffering from a neurological disorder,” Dr. Türker Bıyıklı says. “They are suffering from a lack of movement.”
With the rapid changes of technology and its effects on social life and our daily habits, Dr. Türker Bıyıklı argues that modern childhood has drifted dangerously far from its biological roots. Screens, rigidly structured schedules and prolonged sitting are results of today’s integration of technology in our social and educational structures.
But childhood, he emphasizes, is not designed to be sedentary. It is designed to move.
Is today’s environment failing children?
The rise in behavioral labels has coincided with a quite dramatic reduction in physical activity among children. Long hours at desks, limited access and incentive to outdoor play, as well as early exposure to digital devices, have created what Dr. Türker Bıyıklı describes as a ‘poorly structured physical activity environment’.
“When we ignore the fundamental truth that childhood is a period of movement, we begin to misinterpret children’s behaviors,” he explains. “Restlessness, impulsivity, or difficulty focusing are often treated as problems within the child, rather than signals from the child’s environment.”
Neuroscience strongly supports his claim. Brain development is not governed by genetics alone. Especially in childhood, the brain is shaped by experience - with movement being of its most significant architects.
Particularly during physical activity, critical brain regions are activated simultaneously. This includes the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum and basal ganglia - areas which play a central role in attention, planning, coordination, emotional regulation and behavioral control. Equally important is sensorimotor integration - the brain’s ability to combine sensory input with movement. Dr. Türker Bıyıklı explains that when this system develops properly, children are better equipped to focus, learn and regulate their emotions.
However when it does not, the effects can look familiar: boredom, short attention spans, impulsive behavior, and emotional volatility.
“This is often described as a behavioral issue,” Dr. Türker Bıyıklı says. “In reality, it is a developmental deficiency.”
The critical first years in the context of environment
With the many debates that exist around educational models, scientific literature is extremely clear about one thing: early childhood is irreplaceable. More specifically, between the ages of zero and six, the brain is at its most plastic, meaning it is particularly responsive to environmental input.
During this critical period, balance, coordination, spatial perception and body awareness are formed primarily through movement. Children who run, climb, jump, experiment with and explore their physical environment build more than just strong muscles - they build stronger neural networks.
Over the decades, research has shown consistently that children who engage in regular physical activity early in life demonstrate better motor skills, higher attention capacity, and greater self-confidence. Important is that conversely, children deprived of adequate movement during these formative years face a higher risk of learning difficulties, issues regarding attention, and even lower academic performance later on.
The takeaway from the clear and dense accumulation of data through these studies is that once the critical window is missed, the opportunity cannot be fully reclaimed.
Movement as a regulation tool
While we would all like to master the art of self-regulation by meditation, children do not regulate themselves by sitting still. They regulate themselves by moving.
Motions and activities such as running, pushing, pulling, and climbing help children organize not only their bodies, but also their emotions. In fact, physical activity stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine - all of which are chemicals directly and strongly involved in attention, motivation, and mood regulation.
“In this sense,” Prof. Dr. Türker Bıyıklı explains, “movement is the body’s natural balancing mechanism.”
When children are prevented from moving, that mechanism is likely to break down. The result may then appear as restlessness, exaggerated emotional reactions, or an inability to remain seated. Often, behaviors that are misinterpreted as pathology rather than biology.
Given modern school structures and the integration of more digital devices, today’s children are growing up in environments that firmly demand prolonged inactivity. Many spend hours seated in classrooms, only to be followed by more hours in front of screens. While the progression comes with clear benefits, there are also universally observed effects on the environment that raise concern: play spaces are shrinking, and physical education is often treated as optional or expendable.
“Forcing a child who wants to move into prolonged stillness goes against natural development,” Bıyıklı says. “The behavioral responses we see are not signs of disease. They are signs of unmet biological needs.”
So not every active child is hyperactive. In many cases, he argues, the problem lies not within the child, but within the system surrounding it.
Movement and academic success are not opposites
Dr. Türker Bıyıklı emphasizes that one of the most persistent misconceptions in education is that movement interferes with learning, because science strongly suggests the opposite.
Further, children who engage in regular physical activity show stronger executive functions, improved problem-solving skills, better stress management, and higher academic performance. Movement enhances concentration and learning speed - it does not diminish them.
“Academic success cannot be built by increasing classroom hours alone,” Bıyıklı says. “It must be built by using movement strategically.”
As a result of misconception and over simplified re-structuring of educational systems, physical activity is now often treated as a break, free time, or a secondary subject. Dr. Türker Bıyıklı calls this a serious mistake.
Physical activity is not a luxury. It is a learning tool, a behavioral regulator, and a foundation for lifelong health. Schools, he argues, must integrate scientifically planned, sustainable physical activity programs into daily education, not as an afterthought, but as a core component.
Before we label, we should ask
Before labeling a child as “hyperactive,” Dr. Türker Bıyıklı urges parents, educators, and clinicians to pause and ask a simple question: “Does this child have enough opportunity to move for healthy development?”
Labeling children is easy, he says. Creating environments that understand and support their developmental needs is far more challenging - and far more important. Because a moving child, he reminds us, has the foundation to become a healthy individual.
Dr. Türker Bıyıklı is an expert in exercise science, sports physiology, athlete health, physiotherapy, and osteopathy. He is a Professor at Marmara University, in the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Coaching Education Department. He holds multiple doctoral degrees in sports sciences, osteopathy (DO), and physiotherapy (DPT).
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