Let me start this my mentioning I am a therapist with ADHD and I have by no means been “cured” of my ADHD. I will say that it’s less of a landmine for me when it comes up though. I give a large amount of this credit to 5 ways exercise helps ADHD.
Do I still sometimes forget things?
Guilty as charged.
Do I have a flight of ideas when I should be doing a much more pressing task?
Also, something that happens.
That said, those things don’t happen as often and I am not as hard on myself about them. James Ochoa, an ADHD guru in Austin, talks a lot about Emotional Distress Syndrome in the ADHD brain and there is a lot of truth to what he is talking about. A piece of treatment is beating those EDS cycles and part of this is overcoming some of the past trauma and reflexive negative responses that ADHD can cause (hint, EMDR can help with this). Exercise is also key to building other parts of your resiliency and functioning. It’s should be no surprise that exercise, diet, and sleep are core ingredient for mental, physical, and emotional stability.
So where does exercise fit in all of this? 5 Ways Exercise Helps ADHD
Okay, okay. I was on a bit of a tangent there but exercise is also an important ingredient in ADHD management.
- Self esteem – When you workout and start making it a healthy habit, inevitably it gives you a starting place where other good habits can gain footholds. It also helps you to literally feel good (and maybe a little sore too) but over time you can see the progress that you have made. After working out, you can feel the difference in your body and brain and those good vibes can radiate through you and into others.
- Good chemicals for your brain – Working out can do a lot of good for your brain. It decreases a stress hormone (cortisol), increases dopamine, and helps build brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which is thought to help memory and learning. Also, a recent meta-analysis found that “moderate to vigorous exercise” helps to improve motor skills like just overall motor speed, strength, and body control at a pretty high level, almost equal to medication. The same study also pointed to better attention and reaction time as a result of exercise. There are some data that suggest that folks who exercise regularly have larger hippocampal volume among other things.
- Release for stress – exercise can be a wonderful release valve to help lower stress levels from work, school, parenting, etc. The challenge is trying to find a way for you that allows you to workout a bit mindfully. If you are running on a treadmill while listening to movie while thinking about work, this likely won’t be as helpful. So, think about ways to single focus yourself on your activity while you workout. I should give all of this with a bit of an asterisk. For some people it may help to start with something simple like walking on a treadmill while watching a show they like, walking/running with a friend, or doing something athletic while listening to an audio book. Whatever helps you get started.
- Regularity builds structure – Know what will help you to build accountability. This could mean having a friend meet you at the gym or your partner join you for a walk. I personally do online workout routines from home every morning as it helps to release any anxious energy I may have and get my day on the right track.
- It helps academics – Some research has pointed out that engaging in consistent exercise led to improved academic performance for kids. Interestingly exercise even improved academic performance more than if the kids had spent that time in class or studying.
What are the best activities for your ADHD?
So the best activities to pursue are those that provide moderate to high exertion coupled with cognitive problem-solving. Good examples that I always recommend include rock climbing, basketball, swimming, weight lifting, martial arts, and dancing. All these could be great options but you have to do something that you ultimately enjoy.
Workouts programs that you might find enjoyable:
Mark Lauren Fitness – Mark Lauren has built what is coined as the #1 doctor recommended workout program. It’s a functional fitness program that is less about getting super strong and more about building all the muscles and flexibility that get weak from sitting at a desk all day. In general, I think he has a wonderful program that is very good for the body. I did it for 6 months and while you don’t end up getting huge, you will generally feel better due to it’s corrective nature. It’s pure bodyweight, so you don’t need anything to do it – which might make it an attractive entry point for many people. Interestingly, this program has a big following in Germany.
Apple Fitness Plus – This program is more of a buffet than a structured program like Beachbody or Mark Lauren Fitness offer. What’s nice about it is that if you are in the Apple ecosystem and have an Apple Watch, you can see on your iPad or Apple TV how you are doing with your goals and against the other people who have done this program on average. The interface for the workouts is easily the best as are the production values. Their cycling, running, and yoga programs are excellent. Instructors are very diverse in their backgrounds and generally do a good job with their focus on form and movement. The negative is you can over work muscle groups if you aren’t careful and certain instructors have faster tempos than other and it can be hard to discern this. AF+ does really well if you travel a lot for work. It’s very versatile but it isn’t as structured as it could be. It will be up to you to build your plan for HIIT, strength (upper & lower), yoga, etc days. AF+ doesn’t require weights, but if you have some, you can easily take advantage of their whole program. My favorite part about their programs is you can see the type of music that goes with each workout – and they are adding new workouts each week.
Beachbody On Demand – Beachbody has a ton of programs and you will need weights for them and possibly a pull up bar of some sort. A recent program that is similar in ways to Mark Lauren’s program is 645 with Amolia Cesar. It also helps to build strength and conditioning for those who have been stuck behind a desk for a while. His pace and slow build is helpful to avoid injury and focus on form. I am also a fan of LIIFT4 and LIIFT More (35-45 min), and P90X3 (30 min), X2 (45-60 min), and P90X (60 min – here is a link to the internet archive of it – just make sure to note the schedule). Tony Horton can be annoying but he has built some good programs over the years and people get results from it. Lastly, I will recommend Body Beast for the person who likes old school weight lifting. Sagi’s workout is a good one and leg day is one of the hardest I have done. The weakness is the lack of warming up he does and cool down stretching. It’s easy to get injured as a result of this. Also, Sagi can be a bit of a jerk to the staff on the program, but it’s one of the better “git big” routines online.
Power Nation Fitness – Tony Horton’s newest stuff is outside of Beachbody and called Power Nation Fitness. He incorporates mindfulness and nutrition into his programming, which is helpful. I think the push for supplements is a bit of multilevel marketing. If you have done P90x and are longing for more modern versions of programming, this is it.
The Pump Club – If you have a gym membership and want to use an app while you are there, this is probably the best option for you. Arnold Schwarzenegger is behind this app and it’s thoughtfully put together for helping you to build muscle or condition with video shorts helping to focus on proper form. It gives plenty of options so you can swap out squats for leg press if that feels more comfortable. The goal of this program is you set it, and follow it each week. There is a strong user community behind it, but you can easily get hurt with bad form, so keep that in mind.
Workout equipment for traveling or at home:
Each of these programs is going to have things they endorse or sell. If you are just starting out, I would suggest just getting some resistance bands and a yoga mat to get going. That should work for most programs except for P90x and Tony’s stuff as he has a ton of pull ups as well – so you will need a pull up bar. Personally, I really have liked these adjustable dumbbells as they helped me to get rid of a ton of dumbbells in a rack at home and that saves space. Also, this neatly fits in a closet.
Photo by Anastase Maragos on Unsplash
