ADHD Help: Exercising and ADHD

ADHD and Exercise…Why is it so difficult?

With ADHD you look for activities with immediate results. Exercising doesn’t provide that unless there is an immediate sense of urgency to exercise, people with ADHD might be less likely to start exercising. 

ADHD Help: Consistency is Key

Create a SMART goal. 

ADHD Goals need to be Specific- Choose a type of exercise or location 

ADHD Goals need to be Measurable- Choose the amount of time to commit; duration or how much per week

ADHD Goals need to be Achievable- You believe you can do it, not what others think you should be able to do

ADHD Goals need to be Realistic- Make sure you have access to what you need to meet this goal

ADHD Goals need to be Timely- Set a date to achieve the final goal

Example: Walking- For a full week, write down the number of steps you take without making any changes to your lifestyle. From that you determine your walking steps target goal. 

Baseline = 2000 steps

New Goal = 3000 steps

In a 10 hour day, walking for 1 minute an hour, 10 minutes a day will get you an extra 1000 steps. Use a stopwatch feature on your phone to keep track. 

People with ADHD might not be able to do this all 10 hours. Start small and work on getting 1 day a week and continue to increase. If you get injured or are sick, adjust your goal accordingly. Reassess every month and adjust the goal as needed.