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Comment by xerox13ster | Hacker News Reader

As someone with ADHD, I've noticed that I can stick to a schedule and control my symptoms throughout the day by exercising first thing in the morning. I'll run to work and for the first portion of the day, I can focus effortlessly, and after a short workout or bit of cardio at lunch I can extend that a little bit into the afternoon. It's vastly helped my mood and my ability to maintain an even keel.

I'm happy to see this posted, it's always been told to me that exercise is as or more important than my medication or organizational skills when it comes to managing my disorder, and when I can get myself to stick to it, it's a pretty amazing difference

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I've found periods where I've gone to the gym have been characterized by improvements elsewhere too. But then either the novelty of going to the gym wore off or life circumstances changed (move house / workplace etc) and gym stopped. That's gotten me like 3 times now.

Come to think of it in uni when I first started going to the gym coincides with the semester I actually got a D+ and a D- because I got distracted by going to the gym and chasing girls.

Mixed bag. Keen to start up again though, I do think it's helped when I can manage.

Before I make a change in residence or work, I have a plan for continuity of good habits.

Sign up for the new gym. Figure out where going will fit into my likely future schedule. Set an explicit period of lapse due to the effort of moving (or whatever life change is disrupting the norm).

Of course that is in an ideal situation. Sometimes you don't have enough notice for this (COVID stay-at-home threw me off).

>Of course that is in an ideal situation. Sometimes you don't have enough notice for this (COVID stay-at-home threw me off).

Sometimes the impulsive behavior gets the better of you too.

Try picking up a routine that doesn't require a gym. If you've got a pair of running shoes and a pull up bar in your house, you have no excuse any more :)

Other than a brain that just won't do it.

Do you have extra clothes at work or how does that part work out?

I don't do it, but I do run right after work, just before dinner. I find that just wiping the sweat off with a dry washcloth and putting on clean clothes cleans me up just as well as a shower. So if I did run to work, I'd just throw a washcloth and clean change of clothes in my backpack, and feel confidently clean all day.

EDIT: YMMV (I may not sweat as much as some people.)

Woah, would not work for me, I sweat like Niagra falls after a run.

Coincidentally, my running buddy does too. I didn't think of that, so thanks for reminding me. I guess I should add a ymmv to my original comment.

i ran ~3miles to work for a year and biked 10+ miles daily for many years. Having a change of clothes is a requirement. a shower nearby helps a lot, but I really don't think it's a requirement. 10-15minutes of cool off time in the shade or a walk about will help remove all the sweat. If you're still self conscience then you should bring some baby naps and do a sort of hobo shower.

I wish I could exercise first thing in the morning. Is it about getting cardio/increased heart rate, is that where the benefit is derived?

Why can't you?

I've found that it's difficult at first to start a new habit, but that if I stick with it for a few weeks to months it becomes a routine and I'll adapt.

What kind of exercise do you do early in the day? Once thing that stops me from doing, say, jumping jacks in my bedroom is that I don't want to upset the neighbor downstairs.

Oh hey, I can answer this -- I work out to ease ADHD symptoms and live in a shitty wood-framed SF apartment. Using a kettlebell or any heavy object you can hold in your hands, you can do the following routine in near-silence first thing in the morning:

Goblet squat, deadlift, bent-over row, pushups, overhead press. It's reasonably comprehensive, takes less than 10 minutes, and involves enough exercise to keep me moderately sane all morning.

Thank you. I'm going to get a kettlebell. What's a good weight to start off with? 15, 20 pounds?

The plank is a great silent exercise.

You can buy a home elliptical.

I run. I go before sunrise usually and enjoy the fresh air.

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