Hello brains! Today I'm going to talk about exercise. W-wait! Where are you going?!
Okay, okay. I get it. We all know that exercise is supposed to be good for us.
Most of us are pretty sick of hearing about it actually. So why aren't we all
doing 30 to 60 minutes of it three to five times a week. Plenty of reasons; too
tired, too boring, abs are for people who haven't realized there are more
important things in life. Many of us do try but it's pretty hard for most people
to stick to a regular exercise routine, and the executive function challenges
that come with ADHD can make it especially difficult. Also, ADHD schedules
can be pretty hectic, and when we get busy, self-care like exercise is often
the first thing to go. I'm no exception. When this channel started to take off, I
decided having more time to work on it, was more important than going to play
tennis with a friend. Who cares that my tummy's a little doughy. I've got videos
to make you guys can't see it anyway. (Taps stomach) Freedom! What I forgot to factor in is
that exercise isn't necessarily for the body. It's also amazing for the brain
ADHD brains in particular. But is it worth all the time and effort, to work
out just for the brain benefits? How exactly does exercise affect our brain?
Ready... wait for it. Cool science stuff. (Music).
So when you exercise what actually happens in your brain? I spent a month
and a half looking into it. With the help of doctoral candidates, Patrick A. LaCount,
who happens to be researching the impact of exercise on ADHD. Scientifically
speaking when you exercise there's basically a huge, neurotransmitter party
in your brain. During exercise your body releases happy chemical, a.k.a endorphins!
You may have heard of them. At the same time exercise also boosts dopamine and
norepinephrine. The same neurotransmitters that stimulant
medication increases, in order to help us focus. "Whaaa." This all happens pretty quickly,
which is why you tend to feel happier, and more productive for an hour or two
after you workout. It's also why you might sleep better
that night and not feel as stressed. But there's a long-term brain benefit too,
and it's something you've probably never heard of. Exercise increases production
of something called BDNF. BDNF is a protein, that basically acts like
fertilizer for the brain. How? It promotes neurogenesis, a.k.a, the creation of new
brain cells. Yes fellow nerds! When you exercise you are literally growing your
brain! All right I'm sold! What do I have to do?
*All* exercise benefits ADHD brains. So do what's fun for you. Do whatever kind of
exercise you like to do. If you don't like doing any kind of exercise, don't
exercise. Just go do stuff you like to do that happens to involve moving your body.
Your whole body. Technically that counts. How do you know what you like to do, that
involves moving if you don't normally do things that involve moving? Start with
your interests. I love dogs. I love learning. I always wished I knew how to dance.
Hey! Like video games? Try 'Dance Dance revolution. Harry Potter? Quidditch! Yes,
this is a real thing! They're 'quiditching'! What?! There are so many interesting things
to do. There's no reason to do stuff you don't like. Of course even once we find
something we like to do, it can still be hard getting out the door. So here are
some strategies that might help: accountability. If I'm the only one who
will know if I didn't do yoga that day I'm not doing yoga. Showing up for tennis
got a lot easier, once I had a regular tennis partner. If I didn't show up, he
didn't get to play. Preparation. Who moved my tennis racket! Why don't I have any clean
socks! Where did I put my car? Don't wait till the last minute to get started.
While you're feeling motivated, go ahead and sign up for the class ahead of time,
pack gym bag, lay out your clothes the night before. Sleep in them if you have
to! Make things as easy on yourself as possible. If it's easier to go than to
cancel you're more likely to go. Novelty. It's easy for us to get bored even if
it's something we like, and that makes exercising so much harder. So buy
yourself a new outfit. Look up a new trail to hike. Have at least a couple of
activities you can choose from, so you can do what you feel like doing that day.
Try the latest fitness craze. I did that. It's hard! What it looks like is, "Ah, I'm
upside down." What it's really like is, "AH! I'm upside down! It's not as relaxing as
it looks. Start slow. After learning all this stuff,
I was so excited about how much exercise benefits my brain, I spent 30 minutes
racing around the house and promptly hurt my back. Guess how much moving I did
after that? Trick question! I had to move my whole house. That was not fun. Do not
recommend. Exercise at a regular time. I try to move in the morning if I
possibly can, because after that... life. But choose whatever time of the day works for
you. Maybe jogging after work helps you clear your mind. Or swimming at night
helps you relax before bed. Reward yourself. It doesn't have to be anything
huge but it's best if you work it right into your routine. Maybe you get to watch
netflix on your phone when you're running at the gym. I used to get my
favorite smoothie after class. Yay! Instant feedback! And finally but
arguably most importantly. Track your activity. Not how many reps you did or
how much you weigh - that's not what we're here for. Just track: what you did,
for how long, how enjoyable it was, and how it affected whatever it is you care
about. In my case I'm tracking sleep focus and stress - especially stress! This
will help you find what type and length of movement works best for your brain.
Not someone else's! By the way if you meant to do something and didn't do it,
that's worth tracking too. Not so you can beat yourself up over it, but so that you can
start to see what gets in your way and move it. Or so that you can find
something else that you like enough that you'll actually want to go. That's it for
this week. Check with a doctor before starting any exercise program. I am NOT a
doctor. Especially if... Especially that last one. Yeah! Just because we feel
invincible doesn't mean we are. If you liked this
episode, subscribe and if you love this episode and want to help me make more,
consider donating to my patreon page. Like these brains did! Thank you to all
of my patreon brains It's because of you that Edward and I are able to put so
much time into this channel. Each episode takes us anywhere from 40 to 80 hours to
make. On top of testing out the strategies. And you're the ones making
that possible. Let me know what gets you moving. Comment below
hit me up on Facebook or Twitter, and I will see you next week. Bye brains!
Question time! Hey what's happened to question time?
I'll be honest I keep forgetting to do it, but no more. Ask me questions in the
comments below and I will pick one to answer at the end of next week's video.
And if you remember Patrick from earlier in the episode, he's joined our team as
a research consultant. Patrick volunteered because he's passionate
about spreading up-to-date scientific understanding about ADHD. So science and
brain based questions are great too!