When it comes to managing ADHD, most people think about medication, therapy, or lifestyle strategies like creating routines. However, one often overlooked tool for improving ADHD symptoms is exercise. More than just a way to stay physically fit, regular movement can significantly enhance focus, emotional regulation, and overall wellbeing for individuals with ADHD.
But how does exercise help, and how can you incorporate it into your life in a sustainable way?
Why Exercise Helps with ADHD
Exercise has a profound effect on the brain. Research shows that physical activity increases the availability of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin—three key neurotransmitters that are often lower in people with ADHD. These chemicals play a vital role in attention, motivation, and mood regulation.
In addition to boosting these neurotransmitters, exercise helps to:
Improve executive functioning – It enhances skills like planning, organisation, and working memory.
Reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity – Especially in high-energy forms like running, swimming, or martial arts.
Enhance emotional regulation – It has long been known that physical activity can help reduce anxiety and improve mood, which are difficulties that most people with ADHD experience.
What Types of Exercise Work Best?
Not all exercise is created equal when it comes to managing ADHD. Higher intensity exercise, and also mind/body exercises like yoga have been found to be useful for temporary symptom reduction.
A research study on children with ADHD found that aerobic exercises, such as running, swimming, and cycling, significantly reduced symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.
A study in adults with ADHD versus controls found that both cycling and Hatha yoga improved impulsivity in people with ADHD but did not affect other ADHD symptoms. Yoga did not improve any measures for the control group.
From talking to my own clients, some stress the importance that regular exercise has in helping regulate their ADHD symptoms and mental health. Some require physical activity first thing in the morning to allow their day to start well. For some people with higher levels of physical hyperactivity, they will actively seek high levels of activity to help regulate themselves.
Making It Sustainable
For many people with ADHD, the challenge isn’t knowing that exercise is beneficial—it’s sticking with it. Here are some ADHD-friendly tips to help make exercise part of your routine:
Start Small and Build Gradually – Aim for short, achievable goals, like a 5-minute walk, and increase as you go.
Find What You Love – Experiment with different activities until you find something that makes you want to come back for more.
Schedule Your Exercise - putting exercise into your calendar and using reminders makes it much more likely you will do it. Setting implementation intentions to exercise will further increase the likelihood of doing the task.
Use Body Doubling – Partner up with someone for accountability, even if they’re not doing the same activity.
In Summary
Exercise can be a useful tool that complements other strategies for managing ADHD, such as medication and therapy. Regular movement can help sharpen focus, improve mood, and give you a sense of control over your symptoms.
An excellent book on the power of exercise on the brain (including a chapter on ADHD) is Spark by Dr John Ratey and Eric Hagerman. Dr Ratey is a psychiatrist with ADHD who uses exercise to help manage his symptoms.
Dr John Ratey writes about exercise for ADHD on the ADDitude website.
ADHD expert Dr Russell Barkley critically reviews exercise for the treatment of ADHD symptoms in children, teenagers and adults in his YouTube video.
