Have You ADDercised Today?
For me, ADD and exercise go hand-in-hand. One of the best kept secrets about managing ADD is, participation in exercise or physical activity. Now, we all know that exercise can have benefits; it can improve your cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. This will result in the general improvement of your well being.
Studies confirm and show that exercise increases levels of two key brain chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals help people focus. So, if we “connect the dots”, it’s rather obvious that if someone with ADD exercises………….their brain will produce dopamine and norepinephrine resulting in increased focus.
Perfect, the problem of ADD is solved!! Well, not really. The difficulty is that by the next day, the effect of exercise has worn off, including the increased levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in our brains. In my case, daily exercise was the action I chose and it has delivered results. The most important thing in establishing any level of exercise, is to consult your Doctor and be sure to exercise within your capabilities. For me, I work out every day. My workouts include running 10km, weights at the gym, biking, ice hockey, roller blading, squash and a good old fashion walk sometimes.
No matter what I do, exercise helps me to keep my focus, burn off excess energy, melt away frustration and places me in better state of being. I was recently away on a trip with my kids and found working out to be a challenge. During that time I noticed I was more irritable and less focused. Upon my return home, getting back into my daily exercise routine got me back on track. So, the secret formula consists of one part ADD and one part exercise. Combined, you get ADDercise. What is your next ADDercise activity? Quick, someone notify Wikipedia …..I think I’ve just created a new word!
November 10th, 2007 at 5:22 am
I love exercise too. I do it often. But my tendency is to over-exercise and totally exhaust myself nearly to the point of injury. That runner’s high is so wonderful. But I overdo it to the point where I’m worthless for the rest of the day. Finding a balance is hard. Knowing when to stop when your brain says “Keep going, this feels good!” is a real challenge.
TGG