Exercise & ADD / ADHD
We all know that regular and sufficient exercise is important for our health—both physically and mentally. We know it can improve our physical condition, as well as our moods, and reduce our risk of various medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis, to name just a few. We also know that regular exercise is good for our brains, and can really improve our ADD-related problems with focus, attention and memory.
So, if we know all that . . . why do so many of us with ADD struggle to be consistent with moving our bodies to improve our brains?
That’s basically the $1,000,000 question when it comes to ADD, isn’t it?! Why do we struggle to do the things we know we need to do? Of course, our typical ADD-related challenges, like disorganization, poor time-management, procrastination, and weak follow-through, can get in our way. We need to find ways to do the things we need to do, including exercise, in ways that work WITH our ADD brain instead of struggling against it.
But often it’s how we are thinking about exercise, or whatever else we need to do, that prevents us from doing it!
Pay attention to how you are thinking about how you define “exercise”, and what you think about what counts as exercise. Pay attention to how much you focus on what you cannot do, what you do not have the time or the energy to do, rather than focusing on what you CAN do. How small do you have to make it for you to be able to get started? Five minutes? Taking just one flight of stairs before you catch the elevator? Often, it’s this shift in perspective that allows us to take the small steps that lead to greater gains in the long run.
Intentionally working to improve your perspective on exercise from one of perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking to one of a focus on improvement and progress can make all the difference in your ability to stick with a program, and make positive changes in your health and your functioning
What are you willing to do to get your body moving so that you can improve your ADD brain?
