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ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurological condition that interferes with many typical functions of the brain, particularly those related to planning and organization, impulsivity, focus and attention, and executive functioning.
Like most other mental health conditions, ADHD is best managed with a combination of strategies that consider an individual’s overall health, daily routine, social and emotional needs, and even their personality. For people with ADHD, this often looks like taking daily medications, eating a balanced diet, working with a counselor or therapist, and exercising.
Wait…exercising? Yes! There are a number of studied benefits to using exercise as a means of alleviating ADHD symptoms in both adults and kids. “Improvements in neurobehavioral functions [because of exercise] have been demonstrated,” says Sid Khurana, MD, medical director of outpatient services at Nevada Mental Health, “including reduced impulsivity and hyperactivity, improved attention, and enhanced performance on executive functioning tasks.”
But how do you take a broad suggestion such as “exercise more” and turn it into better management of ADHD? Here are 6 types of exercise to try—as well as how to overcome some common challenges to exercising with ADHD.
Does exercise help ADHD?
There’s been a lot of research on how exercise impacts the brains of kids and animals, but not as much on adults, according to Andrew Kahn, Psy.D., associate director for Behavior Change & Expertise at Understood.org. We can extrapolate what we know, however, and apply it to adults—and what we know is that moderate to intense exercise can reduce the ADHD brain’s tendency to be overactive, especially with how it processes stimuli.
While struggling with attention is typical in people with ADHD, Dr. Kahn says this symptom is often misunderstood; it’s not so much inattention but misplaced attention, or having difficulty focusing on the right things in an environment. Some studies have shown that exercise helps mute an overactive brain, allowing people with ADHD to filter out unnecessary stimuli. Other studies, says Dr. Kahn, suggest that exercise may be able to reduce impulsivity, making it easier to think before you act.
If you’re wondering why exercise has these effects on people with ADHD, there’s an easy explanation: dopamine. “Stimulant medications and intense exercise both stimulate dopamine, which regulates energy levels down to more typical levels,” Dr. Kahn says. “It results in better neurotransmitter function that allows people’s brains to do what they would normally do [without ADHD].”
In other words, exercise has a similar effect on neurotransmitters as, for example, a dose of Adderall or Vyvanse, increasing dopamine and improving executive functioning. In fact, Dr. Khurana says that people often report worsening in their symptoms when they stop exercising.
That said, it’s tough for anyone to start up a new exercise routine, and some common challenges make it especially hard for people with ADHD. Dr. Kahn says that people with ADHD experience “disorganization, poor time management, disrupted sleep schedules…in the absence of consistent habits, it can be exceptionally hard to fit exercise in.”
What kind of exercise works best?
Here’s some good news: any kind of exercise is good exercise if you have ADHD. There’s some evidence that more complex activities (like swimming, biking, martial arts, or even rock climbing) may be better for people with ADHD, but “the best exercise is the one you can do regularly, consistently, and that [you] enjoy most,” according to Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Kahn agrees that lower-energy activities can be effective in reducing symptoms of ADHD, but he does note that you will need to do them for longer than high-energy activities to get the full impact. If you’re short on time, a high-energy activity like running will give you more bang for your buck than something like Pilates (though there are physical and mental benefits to both).
“There is more robust data and evidence supporting aerobic exercise and improvement in ADHD symptoms, [while] other modalities of exercise like yoga or Pilates have a very good evidence base for improvement in mood, anxiety, and executive functioning,” says Dr. Khurana.
Types of exercise for ADHD
If you don’t already have a favorite type of exercise, here are some of the best ones to try if you have ADHD.
1. Cardio
High intensity cardio like running, cross-training, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can raise your dopamine levels in a short amount of time, allowing you to benefit from better brain function after only a brief workout.
2. Biking or swimming
Many people overlook the fact that biking and swimming can both get pretty intense! There are cardio benefits to both, and since you can do them indoors or outdoors, these activities are a great choice for someone with ADHD who gets easily bored by performing the same type of exercise in the same environment day after day.
3. CrossFit
Dr. Kahn notes that CrossFit is a particularly high-intensity exercise that might appeal to people with ADHD; there’s a lot of variety, often some friendly competition and camaraderie, and a push for showing up regularly, which fosters consistency and helps form habits.
4. Team sports
Team sports with higher levels of consistent movement are a great way to achieve regular moderate exercise, says Dr. Kahn—think soccer, basketball, and hockey. The team setting may also help support you (or your child) with social development, since people with ADHD often struggle in this area.
It’s important, though, to make sure your coach and teammates are a good fit for you. Dr. Kahn says cross-country track is a particularly great team sport for people with ADHD, since it involves high-intensity cardio, allows for a bit more independence, and has a good reputation for being diverse in its team members.
5. Martial arts
Also a moderate-intensity exercise, many forms of martial arts are perfect for adults and kids with ADHD. If you’re not a fan of traditional exercise or team sports, then karate, taekwondo, judo, or jiu-jitsu might be a beneficial alternative.
“Martial arts have a unique tie-in to the brain,” says Dr. Kahn, “emphasizing mind-body connections like mindfulness and deep breathing.”
Just like with team sports, it’s important to work with an instructor that understands neurodiversity; Dr. Kahn says he spends a lot of time working with patient families on finding the right dojo for their child (i.e., one that can accommodate someone who may be more impulsive than their peers).
6. Yoga and Pilates
While not the gold standard for exercising with ADHD, there are still benefits to low-impact activities that assist with emotional regulation such as yoga and Pilates. Some people with ADHD have trouble focusing their attention long enough to achieve a beneficial state of mindfulness or meditation, but incorporating these practices into a physical activity—and enhancing the mind-body connection—can make it a bit easier.
Starting an exercise routine with ADHD
If you’re having trouble making exercising part of your routine, it’s important to know what your own personal barriers are. For example, Dr. Kahn says someone who spends 20 of their 30 available exercise minutes searching for a missing sneaker or earbud might benefit from setting out a bin the night before with all the things they’ll need to workout in the morning.
You can also work on making exercise more fun—more like play!—and less like drudgery, so you have more motivation to work out. It’s wise to eliminate your usual distractions; if opening up a social media app on your phone always ends in you accidentally spending all your free time scrolling instead of exercising, set time limits on your device to avoid getting sucked in.
Lastly, anticipate that starting a new routine will take some time: “Habit formation is something that can happen at different rates for different people, and ADHD comes with lower frustration tolerance, so it’s going to take some work,” Dr. Kahn says.
Exercising safely with ADHD
For the maximum benefits in managing your ADHD, you may want to consider exercising alongside other ADHD therapies, such as medication, diet, and counseling. But if you’re taking stimulant medication, be mindful of when you take your daily dosage and when you exercise.
“I generally advise people to avoid exercise in the first few hours of taking a stimulant,” says Dr. Dimitriu. “With higher-dose stimulants, there is some remote risk of tachycardia or arrhythmia, especially if the stimulant dose is high, the workout is intense, or the person is dehydrated or hot.”
RELATED: Is it safe to exercise while taking Adderall?
Likewise, be mindful that if you’re taking a mood-balancing drug like Intuniv, higher doses can lower your blood pressure and cause fatigue or nausea.
Preworkout and ADHD medication can interact because often workout supplements contain caffeine. Taking more than one stimulant at the same time can have negative side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any dietary or exercise vitamins.
Beyond those concerns, you can exercise whenever you choose on most ADHD medications, but if you have the flexibility, consider working out at a time that provides the biggest benefits. Dr. Dimitriu suggests using exercise as a way to transition once your stimulant starts wearing off; not only can it help you go from working to relaxing more smoothly, it can decrease the irritability that often occurs when “coming down” off the stimulant.
