5 Ways Moving Your Body Helps with ADHD
Improves Focus
Managing ADHD can sometimes feel like trying to juggle ten balls while riding a unicycle and trying to make your grocery list. Your attention is everywhere, and it’s hard to keep a steady rhythm.
One of the greatest benefits of moving your body as a way to support your ADHD brain is improved focus. Whether it’s completing a project at work or keeping up with household responsibilities, better focus helps you stay on track and get things done!
2. Reduces Anxiety
Living with ADHD often means dealing with a high level of anxiety due to missed deadlines, forgetfulness, or simply feeling out of sync with others. Moving your body can help reduce this anxiety. You deserve to live without the constant worry that comes from your ADHD symptoms — when anxiety is reduced, life feels a whole lot lighter!
3. Increases Ability to Prioritize
Deciding what to tackle first when everything feels equally important is a hallmark struggle for people with ADHD. When you move your body, you’ll be able to implement tools like color-coded to-do lists, deadline mapping, and structured time-blocking so much easier!
You can make clearer decisions about what to focus on first. Being able to prioritize helps reduce overwhelm, giving you a greater sense of control and accomplishment.
4. Improves Your Working Memory
Ever find yourself walking into a room and forgetting why you went in there? Or trying to remember a new person’s name, only to lose it the second they walk away? This is classic ADHD working memory in action!
If you want to improve your working memory, moving your body and getting your heartrate up a bit can really help!
Working memory is like your brain’s sticky note, holding onto bits of information temporarily. With improved working memory, you’ll be better able to hold onto information long enough to use it effectively—whether it’s remembering names or keeping up with multiple tasks.
5. Increases Ability to Regulate Emotions
Emotional regulation is one of the lesser-known struggles of ADHD, but it’s often a huge challenge. Intense emotions can show up out of nowhere, making it hard to stay calm or manage reactions. By increasing your ability to regulate emotions, you can respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively, which can strengthen relationships and boost your overall well-being.
Sera Gray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Arizona. As a neurodivergent therapist with ADHD, she is passionate about providing neurodivergent-affirming care to Highly Sensitive People (HSP) and adults with ADHD and trauma. When she’s not in therapy sessions she can be found with her nose in a book, hanging out in the forest or spending time with her family. Click here to learn more about Sera and here to schedule a free consultation.