ADHD and Exercise, Benefits, Obstacles To Exercising, And Solutions To Those Obstacles. Here are notes taken from my Vancouver Adult ADD Support Group meeting about this topic. I started the group in 2004 and have I think 29 notes from our meetings on various topics relating to ADHD, have a look at a few.
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ADHD and Exercise. Exercise is the provider of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine & beta-endorphins and reducer of stress and helper that makes it easier to focus on boring tasks.
Exercise is the number one non medical way to manage ADHD. I often suggest to my adult ADHD coaching clients to exercise before they have to do boring or repetitive tasks, it will help make it easier for them to do them and to get more of it done because it will be easier for them to focus with all that extra dopamine.
Facilitator: Pete Quily
Thanks for Kat for taking notes.
Warm up.
Think of a time when you got off your exercise routine and were able to get back on track. How did you do it?
Benefits of exercise:
Dopamine
Serotonin
Norepinephrine
Beta-endorphins
Spark The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain – Dr. John Ratey
Self-esteem
Momentum
Social component
Mood happier
General self care
Energy
Accomplishment, success
Better sleep
Anti-aging
Immunity
Working things out in your head
Calms you down
Nature benefit
4th BC ADHD Awareness Week Oct 19-25, 2015
Obstacles to exercise:
Low energy
Getting started
Distracted
Child care
Weather (including light)
Procrastination
Cost
Lack of support
Time/delusion of lack of time
Time management
Belief I must do it for 1-2 hours
Health problems
Lack of motivation
Denial/minimization
Car/bus pass
Stories we tell ourselves
Don’t feel like it
Motivation/reason
expectations
Solutions to some of those obstacles:
Assume you will get bored, plan for it and adapt/adjust
Do something totally different
Exercise partners commitment
Exercise group commitment
Specific doable goals
Competition
Interesting destination
Purpose
Limit yourself
Do it right away
Make a game out of it
Just start
Flow
Put on exercise clothes
Get your workout clothes prepped
Checklist
Reduce friction
Create a plan
Schedule time with reminders
Multiple playlists
Pay up front
Personal trainer
Buddy partners
Try something new
Surround yourself with others doing the same thing
no negative self-talk/negative people
Group Exercise
Get in pairs and identify your specific exercise goal, what your possible obstacles may be and what you will do to overcome those obstacles.
Make sure you ask your partner these questions:
What will you do?
When will you do it? later or next week is a vague adhd wish you know won’t happen. Make a specific promise day and time.
How will you remember to do it?