resistance to exercising- ADHD issues maybe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have ADHD, and I do Pure Barre. The studio is very close to my house and I can register for a class at the last moment. They won’t let you in, if you are late, so I make it in time (I am late to a lot of things). The playsets are fun, the classes are dynamic and short, so I don't get bored.
I could never work out at home.

Thanks for this idea. I don't know that we have this near where I live, but I'll look for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to listen to high school or undergrad playlist music if I'm using gym equipment. I also like taling long walks while I listen to audiobooks. Classes worked best but are hard to fit into my life post-kid.

The music is the lamest excuse. Bring your own earbuds or AirPods and listen to whatever you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

I’m wondering if the feelings I have five or ten minutes into a workout could be ADHD related. I also can’t meditate. I start feeling really bored and my mind starts wandering when I’m working out. I just can’t keep doing it. Yes I also just don’t enjoy it, that’s true.

You're not taking challenging enough Classe if you're bored and wandering. I take hard HIIT classes and I'm just trying to keep up, I can't say I'm bored doing 30 burpees followed by 2 mins of jump rope, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

I’m wondering if the feelings I have five or ten minutes into a workout could be ADHD related. I also can’t meditate. I start feeling really bored and my mind starts wandering when I’m working out. I just can’t keep doing it. Yes I also just don’t enjoy it, that’s true.

You're not taking challenging enough Classe if you're bored and wandering. I take hard HIIT classes and I'm just trying to keep up, I can't say I'm bored doing 30 burpees followed by 2 mins of jump rope, etc.

I haven't been taking any classes, I've been attempting things at home or on my own. Running, walking, treadmill, biking, swimming... alll solo.

It looks like a class or something more organized would be a good idea. Maybe a bootcamp fitness program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

[Anonymous]

OP, another person with ADHD here. Interval training helps me. Eg, going hard (either running or walking faster) for 1 minute, then going easier for 2 minutes. I also tend to bring my phone and watch a show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

The judgy ignorance on this thread is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

The judgy ignorance on this thread is ridiculous.

What’s ridiculous is grown adults creating labels for lazy. OP likes doing easy things and doesn’t like doing hard things.

Turns out doing hard things actually makes you progress in life. That’s a universal truth. Crazy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

The judgy ignorance on this thread is ridiculous.

I am someone with ADHD who works out and I have told OP twice that her responses don’t sound like this is ADHD driven. I believe she has ADHD, she’s just not describing her aversion to working out in a way that sounds typical of an ADHD pattern. It sounds like she is a person (with ADHD) who doesn’t enjoy working out, not a person who enjoys working out when she does but whose ADHD makes it difficult for her to be consistent. That’s the difference.

[Anonymous]

Uncoordinated introvert here with ADHD who exercised once a year until a month ago.

I combined what I love (scrolling the internet) with exercise. I bought a treadmill with apps and a place to prop my laptop or phone so I can read/listen to whatever I want. I open two tabs. The first tab--music I like. The second tab--walks through interesting places filmed in 4k. This morning, I went for a 30 minute "walk in the rain through Manhattan". Last week, a "walk through Central Park". When I want to give up, I pull of Nike motivational ads. It works for my ADHD because of the novelty aspect.

It keeps my mind engaged while my body exercises--without the use of music and something visual, my mind drifts into random places, most of which feel terrible).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

The judgy ignorance on this thread is ridiculous.

I am someone with ADHD who works out and I have told OP twice that her responses don’t sound like this is ADHD driven. I believe she has ADHD, she’s just not describing her aversion to working out in a way that sounds typical of an ADHD pattern. It sounds like she is a person (with ADHD) who doesn’t enjoy working out, not a person who enjoys working out when she does but whose ADHD makes it difficult for her to be consistent. That’s the difference.

There are a bunch of us here with ADHD, and you are the only one thinking that her aversion is not ADHD driven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

The judgy ignorance on this thread is ridiculous.

What’s ridiculous is grown adults creating labels for lazy. OP likes doing easy things and doesn’t like doing hard things.

Turns out doing hard things actually makes you progress in life. That’s a universal truth. Crazy!

Task avoidance for things that are difficult or challenging is a well known symptom and diagnostic criteria for ADHD. OP I am sorry you are dealing with such uninformed and uneducated posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - The walks with a friend do help. I like to chat while I walk. So there's that.

What kind of classes do you like (those with ADHD or who find exercise boring?)

Looking back in my past, I don't think I ever had the experience of enjoying any exercise classes. I did really enjoy a dance class I took years ago, in college. I think having to pay attention to the different moves kept me more able to focus.

I also enjoyed contra dancing for the same reason.

Honestly you just sound like someone who doesn’t enjoy working out. That’s not ADHD, that’s actually just most people.

Hah. This.

I work out and have for decades. I hate it. But I do it.

Just like I hate doing my taxes or filling out expense reports after a business trips.

The judgy ignorance on this thread is ridiculous.

What’s ridiculous is grown adults creating labels for lazy. OP likes doing easy things and doesn’t like doing hard things.

Turns out doing hard things actually makes you progress in life. That’s a universal truth. Crazy!

Task avoidance for things that are difficult or challenging is a well known symptom and diagnostic criteria for ADHD. OP I am sorry you are dealing with such uninformed and uneducated posters.

Did I mention I teach elementary school? I'm used to it.

The process of posting this question, and then reading possible suggestions and doing my own research has led me to come up with a possible strategy that may work for me. I put "work out" on my to do list, with three different options at three different times. When I work out now, I am getting something on that to do list done, so my mind lets me relax at least a little bit. At least, it worked the couple times I tried it, so that's a step in the right direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am someone with ADHD who works out and I have told OP twice that her responses don’t sound like this is ADHD driven. I believe she has ADHD, she’s just not describing her aversion to working out in a way that sounds typical of an ADHD pattern. It sounds like she is a person (with ADHD) who doesn’t enjoy working out, not a person who enjoys working out when she does but whose ADHD makes it difficult for her to be consistent. That’s the difference.

OP here. I can agree with your bolded statement. When I work out, I do not enjoy it. But the *reason* I don't enjoy it is that my mind wanders when I do it, and I start to feel anxious. I believe that could be because of ADHD, but honestly that was just my best guess. A reason I thought it could be ADHD related, as I believe I mentioned in my first post, was that when I started taking medication for ADHD, I was able to exercise for a while without my mind wandering and making me feel anxious.

I got some good suggestions here about taking classes that could keep my mind a little more engaged which I will follow up on when I am able to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uncoordinated introvert here with ADHD who exercised once a year until a month ago.

I combined what I love (scrolling the internet) with exercise. I bought a treadmill with apps and a place to prop my laptop or phone so I can read/listen to whatever I want. I open two tabs. The first tab--music I like. The second tab--walks through interesting places filmed in 4k. This morning, I went for a 30 minute "walk in the rain through Manhattan". Last week, a "walk through Central Park". When I want to give up, I pull of Nike motivational ads. It works for my ADHD because of the novelty aspect.

It keeps my mind engaged while my body exercises--without the use of music and something visual, my mind drifts into random places, most of which feel terrible).

What a great idea! OK, what is a treadmill with apps? I do have a treadmill... can I replicate this without buying a new one?