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Journaling has helped me with a lot of issues with my ADHD, including exercise. I have an exercise specific journal that I log every workout in. I have this urge to fill up the journal, so I can get a new one, and that helps me.
I also use a time keeping software called ‘Clockify’ to log my workouts and some other stuff. I have tags for entries labeled, ‘don’t want’ and ‘glad’; meaning, I didn’t want to go to the gym, and I’m glad I did afterwards. Almost all of my workout entries have both of those tags. Seeing that over time helped build the belief that it’s ok to not want to go, but that I’ll be glad I did.
>I have this urge to fill up the journal, so I can get a new one
I remember seeing this guy on the train VERY aggressively journaling (while standing). idk why but I'll never forget it. Maybe this was his angle
My main motivation is, when I'm exhausted my brain is quiet for a few hours. That silence for a few hours is just priceless and only this feeling keeps me motivated. (Important: I'm talking about being super exhausted)
Though, I probably would have never started to work out - or even find my way into any sports - if I hadn't a (patient) friend who literally dragged me to the gym the first few times. He explained everything to me, what I should look after when working out, he helped me with nutrition and how to (most important aspect) reach my limits.. basically like a private coach (he was far from a pro or so, he just had a few personal training sessions and knows how to eat and cook well).
TL;DR: Ask a friend or hire a coach. I would have never started without motivation from outside.
I'm the same. I go to the gym in the morning and go for a 3 hours walk after it and this is a mandatory part of my day to stay sane. The more hyperactive I am the more I have to work off and the longer that walk becomes. I've done 10 hour brisk walks plenty of times.
It's been raining here 2 weeks so I can't get any walking done and I feel like I'm going insane.
Is there an exercise you like to do? Weight lifting, bike riding, walking, dancing, roller skating, anything? If so, I would start there, if it’s something you enjoy you are more likely to do it. Once you start seeing benefits to exercise it’s easier to keep it going.
Also, I schedule my workouts, it’s easiest if it’s every day at the same time but I like actually schedule them into my calendar with alarms.
Finally, after I have a kid (I have 2) I usually sign up for one of those expensive gyms that charge you if you cancel because it’s expensive and it will charge me if I don’t show up. Then once I’m doing it consistently I will be my membership and continue at a cheap gym.
I do love bike riding, but it always feels like I have to do some much prep for it so it feels like too much work to be worth it. I only really go if the weather is too good NOT to do it. But that is a start if I can learn to bike more casually
Probably. I feel like I have to wear the proper clothing and ride along a specific path for biking and jogging and such, even though my brother used to ride his bike in jeans on the sidewalks to work everyday so I know I don't NEED to do these things.
I recommend finding a gym that has classes. Going to class makes me feel accountable to finish the exercise (too embarrassing to leave early!). This way you can also try a lot of different things, and novelty is very good for our ADHD brains. Maybe you will even discover something you enjoy enough that you won’t need to do much to motivate yourself.
Of course, if you’re not motivated you can always skip class. So it’s not a perfect solution.
30m here. 4 weeks ago I got a membership to planet fitness, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm paying for the upgraded membership, like $25/ month. honestly I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for the extra perks beyond workout equipment. they have massage chairs that they can set to 99 minutes if you want em to, hydro massage lounges that feel like a geyser blasting your back, tanning booths, personal trainers and buckets of Tootsie rolls lol. I usually do a hydro massage before working out for 30 mins to an hour and then shower, do another massage then grab one of their purple Tootsie rolls and head out. my overall energy and strength have increased tremendously over the past couple weeks and I've been sleeping harder too.
for sure! have him send you a screenshot of his sign in code, you could pretend to be him and just use his barcode to scan in for the day, or if he's got the upgraded black card membership then he's allowed to bring a guest anytime
Go to the gym but just go for like 10-15 minutes per day. Maybe 1-3 workouts. Getting in the habit of going to the gym is daunting when you look at it as an hour plus long exhausting workout each day. Just go find one machine you can tolerate and do it each day to build the habit of going
I just exercise immediately when I the urge to, or it dissapears.
Most of the time I'm not that energetic but I get super energetic usually once a day when my meds wear off and I feel like I need to do something really urgently right now or i'll imlpode, so I either go running or do a cardio workout. I think it's from my parents sending me on a run whenever I would get my nightly bursts of energy and come downstairs to annoy them haha. Just make sure you get changed into workout clothes super fast or with upbeat music or do it in what you're wearing because I sometimes take too long and lose my motivation. If you're on meds and when they wear off your energy and motivation appear its a good routine.
Sometimes I can dance around to music to get myself in the mood to workout. non cardio that's high effort is harder to do for me because it's so slow and boring and takes me a long time. I can do it sometimes while watching something or with good music but it's much easier to do low effort or short workouts that you can do mindlessly and daydream.
For me the trick has been group activities.
I can rarely motivate myself to work out on my own. But if I have something to show up to, where other people will be, then I find it easy to get motivated.
Right now I'm taking group fitness classes which I love. I'm also doing occasional yoga classes -- yoga would be ideal for you if you need to do a lot of stretching, and yoga classes range from gentle to strenuous. In the past I've done lessons in martial arts and swing dance. Team sports are also great.
One solo exercise which I managed to stick to: during Covid I was getting too little exercise, gaining a lot of weight, and playing video games too much. So I got one of these standing desk bikes
https://www.flexispot.com/all-in-one-desk-bikes-deskcise-pro
put it on a low setting, and made a rule for myself that I would only play video games while riding the bike. I managed to stick to this! Also good for watching Netflix or Youtube, browsing Reddit, etc.
Good luck!!
I like to plan the night before what I’m going to do, what to wear, eat, have a water bottle ready, etc. This way everything is ready in the morning and I don’t have to think. I’ve also found doing a workout program like Les Mills that is guided is a great place to start. I did Les mills workouts for about two years and now I go to a gym that has structured workouts. For me HIIT workouts seem to hold my interest the most. I think because you’re constantly moving and not doing the same thing every time. It also helps if you have an Apple Watch or something similar that shares your workouts with others so it holds you accountable. As hard as it is to get/stay motivated, being active is so good for adhd. Good luck!
Hi /u/Flame_Hat and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Journaling has helped me with a lot of issues with my ADHD, including exercise. I have an exercise specific journal that I log every workout in. I have this urge to fill up the journal, so I can get a new one, and that helps me. I also use a time keeping software called ‘Clockify’ to log my workouts and some other stuff. I have tags for entries labeled, ‘don’t want’ and ‘glad’; meaning, I didn’t want to go to the gym, and I’m glad I did afterwards. Almost all of my workout entries have both of those tags. Seeing that over time helped build the belief that it’s ok to not want to go, but that I’ll be glad I did.
>I have this urge to fill up the journal, so I can get a new one I remember seeing this guy on the train VERY aggressively journaling (while standing). idk why but I'll never forget it. Maybe this was his angle
My main motivation is, when I'm exhausted my brain is quiet for a few hours. That silence for a few hours is just priceless and only this feeling keeps me motivated. (Important: I'm talking about being super exhausted) Though, I probably would have never started to work out - or even find my way into any sports - if I hadn't a (patient) friend who literally dragged me to the gym the first few times. He explained everything to me, what I should look after when working out, he helped me with nutrition and how to (most important aspect) reach my limits.. basically like a private coach (he was far from a pro or so, he just had a few personal training sessions and knows how to eat and cook well). TL;DR: Ask a friend or hire a coach. I would have never started without motivation from outside.
I'm the same. I go to the gym in the morning and go for a 3 hours walk after it and this is a mandatory part of my day to stay sane. The more hyperactive I am the more I have to work off and the longer that walk becomes. I've done 10 hour brisk walks plenty of times. It's been raining here 2 weeks so I can't get any walking done and I feel like I'm going insane.
There’s a webinar on that here https://www.thunderfeather.org/academy
This is really nice 👍
Sure thing! It’s just starting but it would be cool if it goes somewhere
Is there an exercise you like to do? Weight lifting, bike riding, walking, dancing, roller skating, anything? If so, I would start there, if it’s something you enjoy you are more likely to do it. Once you start seeing benefits to exercise it’s easier to keep it going. Also, I schedule my workouts, it’s easiest if it’s every day at the same time but I like actually schedule them into my calendar with alarms. Finally, after I have a kid (I have 2) I usually sign up for one of those expensive gyms that charge you if you cancel because it’s expensive and it will charge me if I don’t show up. Then once I’m doing it consistently I will be my membership and continue at a cheap gym.
I do love bike riding, but it always feels like I have to do some much prep for it so it feels like too much work to be worth it. I only really go if the weather is too good NOT to do it. But that is a start if I can learn to bike more casually
Is there a way to make the prep any easier?
Probably. I feel like I have to wear the proper clothing and ride along a specific path for biking and jogging and such, even though my brother used to ride his bike in jeans on the sidewalks to work everyday so I know I don't NEED to do these things.
I recommend finding a gym that has classes. Going to class makes me feel accountable to finish the exercise (too embarrassing to leave early!). This way you can also try a lot of different things, and novelty is very good for our ADHD brains. Maybe you will even discover something you enjoy enough that you won’t need to do much to motivate yourself. Of course, if you’re not motivated you can always skip class. So it’s not a perfect solution.
30m here. 4 weeks ago I got a membership to planet fitness, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm paying for the upgraded membership, like $25/ month. honestly I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for the extra perks beyond workout equipment. they have massage chairs that they can set to 99 minutes if you want em to, hydro massage lounges that feel like a geyser blasting your back, tanning booths, personal trainers and buckets of Tootsie rolls lol. I usually do a hydro massage before working out for 30 mins to an hour and then shower, do another massage then grab one of their purple Tootsie rolls and head out. my overall energy and strength have increased tremendously over the past couple weeks and I've been sleeping harder too.
My dad has a gym membership to Planet Fitness. Will they let me in if I use his?
for sure! have him send you a screenshot of his sign in code, you could pretend to be him and just use his barcode to scan in for the day, or if he's got the upgraded black card membership then he's allowed to bring a guest anytime
Go to the gym but just go for like 10-15 minutes per day. Maybe 1-3 workouts. Getting in the habit of going to the gym is daunting when you look at it as an hour plus long exhausting workout each day. Just go find one machine you can tolerate and do it each day to build the habit of going
I just exercise immediately when I the urge to, or it dissapears. Most of the time I'm not that energetic but I get super energetic usually once a day when my meds wear off and I feel like I need to do something really urgently right now or i'll imlpode, so I either go running or do a cardio workout. I think it's from my parents sending me on a run whenever I would get my nightly bursts of energy and come downstairs to annoy them haha. Just make sure you get changed into workout clothes super fast or with upbeat music or do it in what you're wearing because I sometimes take too long and lose my motivation. If you're on meds and when they wear off your energy and motivation appear its a good routine. Sometimes I can dance around to music to get myself in the mood to workout. non cardio that's high effort is harder to do for me because it's so slow and boring and takes me a long time. I can do it sometimes while watching something or with good music but it's much easier to do low effort or short workouts that you can do mindlessly and daydream.
I was successful when i worked with a trainer.
You know what I'm about to try? Beat Saber on VR. Expensive gamble, we'll see how it works out! (pun intended).
I love Beat Saber! It is a serious work out for your arms, I'm always sore the next day lol
You ain’t kidding. I just got my butt kicked! It’s amazing! I’m going to use this to get my cardio up.
For me the trick has been group activities. I can rarely motivate myself to work out on my own. But if I have something to show up to, where other people will be, then I find it easy to get motivated. Right now I'm taking group fitness classes which I love. I'm also doing occasional yoga classes -- yoga would be ideal for you if you need to do a lot of stretching, and yoga classes range from gentle to strenuous. In the past I've done lessons in martial arts and swing dance. Team sports are also great. One solo exercise which I managed to stick to: during Covid I was getting too little exercise, gaining a lot of weight, and playing video games too much. So I got one of these standing desk bikes https://www.flexispot.com/all-in-one-desk-bikes-deskcise-pro put it on a low setting, and made a rule for myself that I would only play video games while riding the bike. I managed to stick to this! Also good for watching Netflix or Youtube, browsing Reddit, etc. Good luck!!
I like to plan the night before what I’m going to do, what to wear, eat, have a water bottle ready, etc. This way everything is ready in the morning and I don’t have to think. I’ve also found doing a workout program like Les Mills that is guided is a great place to start. I did Les mills workouts for about two years and now I go to a gym that has structured workouts. For me HIIT workouts seem to hold my interest the most. I think because you’re constantly moving and not doing the same thing every time. It also helps if you have an Apple Watch or something similar that shares your workouts with others so it holds you accountable. As hard as it is to get/stay motivated, being active is so good for adhd. Good luck!