How I Developed an Exercise Routine to Combat ADHD

Thanks to my attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), I often started exercise routines, hobbies, and projects before abandoning them shortly afterward. I used to rue missed opportunities to achieve proficiency in different disciplines, so I vowed to pick a hobby and stay the course. I picked exercise three years ago, and three years later, I'm happy to report I've stayed the course.

Exercise Helps ADHD, But Building a Routine Had a Problem

I've always been sporty, just not consistently. So, when I made exercise a non-negotiable mainstay of a post-diagnosis lifestyle, I didn't complicate matters. In my experience with ADHD, there's a natural inclination to get granular on a subject, to over-research it in a burst of intensity usually present for the birth of a new interest. Unfortunately, these bursts don't last long for me. They shine bright and burn out, and get forgotten about in relatively short order.

So, I didn't go microscopic with exercise this time. Instead, I simplified my process. I made regular the things I had done sporadically in the past: doing calisthenics, jumping rope, playing soccer, playing squash, practicing martial arts, and hiking. As long as I was exercising regularly and vigorously, I wasn't going to annoy myself about optimization. Am I exercising for at least five days a week? If the answer to that question was yes, then that was good enough.

Hear my thoughts on exercise and how it helps my ADHD in the video below.