By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – September 1, 2025
Exercise is one of the most effective natural treatments for managing ADHD. It enhances focus, attention, and overall well-being. But when it comes to how much exercise is enough, the answer is surprisingly simple: the amount you will actually do.
Experts often recommend 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity three times a week, but for many of us, that can feel overwhelming and lead to doing nothing at all. Instead, focus on what YOU can do. Whether it’s walking around your house a few times or a short workout session, any activity is better than none.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. As a former internationally ranked swimmer, I trained up to four hours a day. Over time, I set a 3,000-yard swim as my workout standard, but I often skipped it because it felt like too large a task. When I lowered my goal to 2,000 yards, not only did I consistently show up, but I often exceeded my target, swimming up to 3,000 yards without even realizing it.
The takeaway? Rigid exercise prescriptions can become obstacles. Instead, prioritize consistency over perfection. Adjust your expectations to fit your current capacity, and you’ll find yourself more motivated and likely to stick with it.
Exercise doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. Start where you are, small and then build momentum. Movement will work its magic on your ADHD. For more tips and insights, subscribe to Attention Talk Video or explore my Website, digcoaching.com. Also, watch my video on this topic, “How Much Exercise Helps ADHD?”
TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome, everybody, to this edition of Attention Talk Video. I’m your host, attention & ADHD coach Jeff Copper. Today I’m here to talk about ADHD and exercise. Exercise is probably the single best thing… treatment… natural treatment, if you will, that can help those with ADHD pay attention and focus. And as an athlete… internationally ranked athlete as a swimmer back in my youth, I had a lot of experience swimming up to four hours a day… among other things. And as I’ve worked with those with ADHD and acknowledging that exercise is a big deal, the question comes up often, how much should I do? And I’ve studied this for a very long period of time, both academically and in myself. Many of the expert researchers on this will prescribe maybe 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity three times a week, or martial arts, et cetera. And what I have found actually when it comes to how much exercise you should do, the answer is really simple…. the amount that you will do.
Because if you think that you need to exercise 30 minutes three times a week and you’re not doing it, the answer is zero. But if you could walk around the house, say five times, twice a week or three times a week, it’s still helping you. It’s still better than nothing. And I myself had to take my own advice. Back in the day, I used to swim 6 to 9,000 yards a day, and often warm up was like 2000 yards. As I’ve gotten older, I, for whatever reason, picked 3000 yards, was the minimum workout, and I realized that I wasn’t doing the workouts because 3000, for whatever reason, it just took longer than my brain could handle because it is somewhat monotonous and boring. But when I lowered the threshold down to 2000, not only did I work out, but I was exceeding it to 2400, 2700 and sometimes 3000.
The point that I’m really trying to make in this video is many times the very obstacle that the experts are defining… Excuse me, the very prescription that the obstacles… Let’s get this right. The very prescription that the experts are prescribing actually become an obstacle that get in your way. So if you have ADHD and you realize that exercise helps, my prescription to you is do the amount that you will do. Something is better than nothing. And as I’ve described, exercise can be the single greatest thing that you can do to help your ADHD without taking any kind of stimulant medications. We hope you’ve taken this to heart and you’ve enjoyed this tip. For more great tips, subscribe to Attention Talk Video. Everything that I put on this channel are things that I’ve learned from coaching those with ADHD. You can learn more about myself, Jeff Copper, by going to my website at digcoaching.com. Again, subscribe to Attention Talk Video and we hope you’ve enjoyed this presentation.