Exercise and ADHD: Why Your Brain Feels Better After Moving
Learn why exercise helps ADHD brains focus, and small ways to start today.
You open your laptop, determined to finish that report. Five minutes later, you’ve read the same sentence ten times. Your leg is bouncing under the desk like it’s got a mind of its own. Finally, you give up, push your chair back, and do a few jumping jacks right there in your living room.
After a minute of moving around, you sit down again, and surprise: your mind feels a bit clearer. That mental log-jam eases. Wait, did you just focus better after basically procrastinating with exercise? Maybe you’re not crazy… maybe you’re onto something.
If you need to move to think, you’re not alone. A lot of us with ADHD feel calm only after we’ve paced the hallway, hit the gym, or danced in the kitchen. Needing physical activity to kick-start your brain is a real part of how ADHD works. Today, we’re digging into why exercise can be a game-changer for the ADHD brain, and how to actually make it happen when motivation is low.
(Pssst… at the end, don’t forget to grab the ‘Apply It’ worksheet. It’s there to help you turn these tips into action.)
Why exercise helps your ADHD brain
If you’ve ever wondered, “Can a workout really help me focus, or is that a myth?”, you’re asking the right question. Researchers and clinicians have studied this for decades, and it turns out physical activity can do a lot for ADHD. In fact, regular exercise is linked to improvements in:
Attention and focus (fewer “brain fog” moments)
Impulse control (a bit more pause before you act)
Executive function (better working memory and planning)
Mood and stress regulation (less anxiety and restlessness)
It goes beyond just feeling calmer after blowing off steam. Exercise triggers actual changes in the brain. Think of it like this: ADHD brains are often low in dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These are the chemicals that help us feel alert, motivated, and focused. Most ADHD medications work by boosting these exact neurotransmitters. Guess what else does that? Movement. Physical exercise increases dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels in the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s command center for focus and self-control. In plain English: moving your body gives your brain a dose of the very stuff it’s usually missing.
Exercise doesn’t stop at brain chemicals, either. It also strengthens neural connections. The prefrontal cortex (right behind your forehead) is like your brain’s CEO. It helps you prioritize tasks, resist impulses, and decide “hey, stay on task.” ADHD can leave this area underpowered. Regular workouts send extra blood flow and nutrients to that region, almost like weight-lifting for your brain’s “focus muscle.” Over time, this can lead to better baseline concentration and mental stamina. For instance, exercise sparks the release of BDNF, a protein that helps grow and repair brain cells, essentially fertilizing the brain for learning and memory.
So what happens when you zoom out from brain chemistry and look at actual behavior? The research has answers. A meta-analysis found that exercise significantly reduced core ADHD symptoms in children like inattention and hyperactivity. In other words, those who exercised regularly were less fidgety and distracted than those who didn’t. What about adults? Growing evidence shows we get similar boosts. A recent analysis of multiple studies concluded that even moderate-intensity workouts (think a brisk walk or a casual bike ride) lead to small but meaningful improvements in adult ADHD symptoms and daily functioning.
Even short-term, the effects can be immediate. Studies have shown that just a brief bout of aerobic exercise can sharpen attention right away for a few hours afterward. It’s like a reset button for your brain’s alertness. So, when you feel that urge to get up and move during a brain-draining task, it might be your body’s natural way of self-medicating.
Strategies to get moving (when you have ADHD)
You’re not trying to become a marathon runner overnight or magically turn into a “fitness person.” The goal here is to weave movement into your life in a way that works with your ADHD, not against it. Small, enjoyable, and consistent beats intense and unsustainable. The strategies below can help you get started:
Make it fun, not a chore. Hate running? Don’t run. Maybe you love dance, skateboarding, or shooting hoops. When you actually enjoy an activity, it’s so much easier to get your brain on board. Fun = dopamine, and dopamine keeps an ADHD brain interested. So ditch the boring workouts you think you “should” do, and pick something that sounds appealing (bonus points if it feels like play).
Start small (like, really small). Grand plans to work out 5 days a week often crash and burn, especially with ADHD’s erratic motivation. Instead, commit to super small bites, it should almost feel too small. Think 10-minute walks or a quick stretch each morning. Tiny goals feel achievable and give you a hit of accomplishment. And if you’re feeling good once you start, you can always do more. Consistency beats intensity here.
Schedule it into your day. We ADHDers don’t do vague plans. “I’ll exercise sometime” usually means “I’ll forget or get sucked into Reddit instead.” So make it concrete: put a workout on your calendar like a meeting, or always go right after something you already do (e.g. after your morning coffee, take a walk). Having a set time or trigger helps bypass the whole “when should I fit this in?” drama.
Buddy up for accountability. It’s way harder to bail on a walk or gym session if a friend is expecting you. Find an exercise buddy or join a class/team. Social pressure can be a useful hack: it adds structure and a little positive peer pressure to keep you consistent. Plus, if it’s a class or team sport, someone else is essentially co-piloting your activity; less planning for your brain to do! (Fun fact: complex activities like martial arts, dance, or team sports engage your brain more and might boost things like working memory and self-control more than repetitive solo workouts, so don’t be afraid to try new classes or sports, it’s both brain and body training!)
Use movement as a brain reset. Next time you’re overwhelmed or stuck on something, try a quick movement break. Do 15 push-ups against the wall, pace around the block, or blast one song and dance like a fool. Physical activity, even for a few minutes, can shake off excess tension and restart your focus. Keep a stress ball or mini-bicycle pedal under your desk; small fidgets and stretches during work can release just enough energy to calm the mental chatter.
Remember, all movement counts. Cleaning the house, walking the dog, an impromptu dance party in your kitchen, it’s all valuable physical activity.
Dive into our ‘Apply It’ worksheet (Paid Subscriber Perk)
Before you scroll away and promise yourself you’ll “work out later,” take five minutes to fill out the worksheet below. It’s a quick way to turn the ideas from this issue into action while they’re still fresh. It’s short, doable, and made for ADHD brains. Use it to find one fun way to move, one tiny goal to try, one habit that actually fits your life. Small steps today can mean more energy and focus tomorrow.
She couldn’t sit still, so she danced
Karina Smirnoff is a World Trophy Champion and five-time U.S. National Champion ballroom dancer best known from Dancing with the Stars. She’s also an ADHDer who grew up with nonstop energy. As a child, her parents signed her up for figure skating, gymnastics, ballet, and piano to help her burn it off. She stuck with some of it for years, but nothing lit her up like dance. It was fast, expressive, and just hard enough to keep her brain engaged. The structure and movement gave her an outlet that school never could. Her need to move became a strength on the dance floor.
She didn’t learn she had ADHD until adulthood, after a friend encouraged her to get evaluated. The diagnosis helped everything make sense. She realized that the same drive that once made life harder is what made her excel as a performer. With the right tools like structured movement, breaks, and medication, her traits stopped feeling like barriers and started working in her favor. It’s a reminder for all of us: sometimes the thing that feels like too much in one area is exactly what makes us shine somewhere else.
Partnered with Joult Health
If you’re dealing with brain fog, low energy, or mood swings that don’t fully make sense, you’re not alone. Joult Health looks at the often-overlooked root of chronic illnesses: metabolism. Their team of doctors from Harvard, Stanford, and Northwestern check for things like hormone shifts, nutrient imbalances, and blood sugar crashes that can quietly amplify ADHD struggles. You’ll get a response within 20 minutes and a plan built around your brain. Try it free for 24 hours. Paid members get 30% off membership ($149 value). Just reply to this email for the code. Available in the US only. joinjoult.com
How did you enjoy our newsletter today?
If this read helped you, pass it on: a like, comment, restack, or share helps more ADHDers thrive and feel less alone :)