ADHD and Exercise Pt 2: Unlocking Focus, Mood, and Movement
Sometimes it just gets to be too much. I feel I haven’t stopped all week, my mind has this endless list of work tasks, family commitments, upcoming events, and my brain keeps circling back to a conversation that didn’t go well 8 years ago. I feel restless, anxious, shameful, frustrated and irritated. All at once.
What I know I need here, is exercise. At the end of a vigorous session, my thoughts align. I have focus, I feel calm, I can take on nearly anything. That’s the power of exercise for ADHD: it rewires your brain, grounds your body, and resets your emotions. Oh and Neuronormative people usually feel pretty good after exercise too!
Why Exercise Helps ADHD
1. Neurochemical Boost
• Increases in dopamine & norepinephrine production for sharper attention
• Elevates BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) to enhance synaptic plasticity.
Our brains and bodies want us to move. This reward pathway then tops up the Neurotransmitter sink.
2. Cognitive & Emotional Gains
• Improves mood regulation and lowers anxiety/depression symptoms
• Breaks negative thought loops that fuel hyperfocus on worries
We focus on the movement, the effort we are needing to put in, and that turns down the volume on the internal mental chatter.
3. Motor-Skill Improvements
• Targets balance and coordination deficits common in ADHD (e.g., “postural sway”)
• Strengthens sensorimotor pathways to reduce clumsiness
We feel more connected to our bodies, and our nervous system has more practice getting everything to move together.
4. Social & Self-Esteem Wins
• Group classes foster connection and buffer rejection-sensitivity dysphoria, training alone, we can feel the success of doing the hard thing
• Mastering a new skill builds confidence and positive self-image
It is worth noting, its not just ADHD folks who benefit here. Exercise can help everyone in this area.
Designing ADHD-Friendly Workouts:
Some things to consider for your ADHD clients as a trainer, or for yourself.
A. Match the Disposition
• Hyperactive individuals: high-intensity or cardio bursts to channel excess energy • Inattentive/“under-aroused” types: moderate resistance work with clear movement cues
You need to cater to the place on the spectrum of Hyperactive and Inattentive you or your client is. Interval timers can be a game changer here, or ascending or decreasing workouts where the numbers can be crossed off a sheet of paper. Low tech can be better here, as it reduces the chances of you being pulled into a doom scroll for a rest period, that turns into the session.
B. Drill Coordination & Balance
• Single-leg work, steel-mace 360s, rope-flow patterns, dancing, martial arts.
Click here for workouts with Mace, Rope, and Kettlebells
Co-ordination issues, often seen as clumsiness can be a result of ADHD. Working in exercises and activities into training can help improve this. Aim for a couple of sessions a week, for 8 weeks and see what improvements you have.
C. Gamify & Inject Novelty
This keeps things engaging for those with short attention spans, and can create a degree of urgency to the workout.
Traditional Programming
Fixed sets + reps every session
Linear progression charts
“Squat, bench, deadlift” cycle
ADHD-Adapted Programming
· Interval-timer circuits (e.g., 40 s on/20 s off)
· Dice-rolled variations (sumo, goblet, box squat)
· “Mystery” movement of the day from the trainer
If you’d like some workouts like this click here
Quick Example: Roll a 6-sided die to pick your exercise—1–2 = lower body, 3–4 = upper, 5 = core, 6 = full-body. Keeps your brain guessing!
Building & Sustaining the Habit
Leverage Instant Rewards • Finish every workout by logging “how I feel” in a journal—celebrate the rush. • Track streaks in a habit-tracker app, or calendar for visual motivation. A growing string of X’s on a calendar is an awesome feeling.
Chunk & Change • Break workouts into 5-10 minute segments. Each mini-win fuels the next. • Swap one exercise weekly (e.g., cable pulls to ring rows), same muscle group and angle of force, however different equipment.
Use Environmental Cues & Timers • Set your workout shoes by the door as a visual trigger. • Employ countdown timers for rests and active-recovery prompts.
Trainer-Specific Tips
• Build in Buffer Time: ADHD clients may arrive late—schedule 10 min extra and normalize occasional delays.
• Frame Every Exercise: Before each set, remind them “this builds the core strength you need for daily tasks/sport/issue.”
• Active Rest Strategies: During rest, prompt dynamic stretches (leg swings, hip circles) to channel excess energy and curb off-topic chatter.
• Personalize & Listen: Every ADHD brain is unique—ask “What move excites you today?” and co-create the session. I like to start sessions by asking how they are in their body, and how they are mentally. This can help you get a head start on barriers that could pop up in the session. AND this applies to every client, regardless of neurodiversity.
Try It Today
Pick one favourite movement (kettlebell swing, rope flow, box jump).
Set a 12-minute interval timer: 40s work / 20s rest.
Log your mood before & after.
Feel that dopamine hit? You’re helping your brain get a bit more focus and calm.
Further Reading
• John J. Ratey, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
• Edward Hallowell & John J. Ratey, Delivered from Distraction
• Thom Archer, The ADHD Advantage
• ADD Resource Center, “ADHD and Exercise: How to Build a Lasting Routine”
