32 Attention

ical relationship between the body, brain, and mind. As Dr. John Ratey and Erihe ical relologicalologs a bia bibiolologbiol elationship hip elationshere is s and mind. As Dr. John As Dr. John Ratey and Eritween the bodyp between the body, brain,the body relatologic elolog elatelatelatatal ricalologicalbibiol is a s a biolbiol nship between the bodyological relations dy, brain, and As Dr. John Ratey and Eric atioelatioatatelatio nd min

ointed out inHage p pointedan poi pointedgermangermanan n out in outHage ed oan p ed out out out outut outHageHage p pointed poi pointedgermgermgermanHage an ointed out in Spark: How Exercise Will Improve the Performance of Your Brain, Spark:Spark:SpSpar mprove the Performance of Your Bra of Your Brain, k: How Exercise Wik: How Exercise Will Impxercise Spark: How Exercise WiSp Will Improve the Perfoformance of Your Brain, ciseexerciciseciexercise

blocks of learning in the brain. Further, they wrote, “Darwin taught us that cuesescues t ldlding es thees the buildlding the bes the ing ks of f learniksks of f learniblblocks ther, they wrote, “Darwin taugtaught us that brain.ning in the brain. Furththe braithe braicues ldlding bles t bling blblblocbloccucueseses tes t thees t learning in the brain.blocks o n. Further, they wrotete, “Darwin taught us that

al mechanism we use to adapt to constantly changing environmentslearningarning s ththng is thththning is thni the al mec mechaival mechanisme survivalthe ththe thning is ththe thning is thning to constantly chang nments asm we use to adapt to sm we use toningni s the survival mec mecthning is thni the survrvrvivalival hanism we use to aal m pt to constantly chahanging environments.”

Human beingsHuman ings wer move. AmonAmono moveere born to move. Among thong the e born to move. Amer w rts, the experts, wer wer move AmAmo move. were . Amrn to move. Amgs wer

consensus is tthe cons is that exexer one of the sse is one ofexercise is one of the singlgle grexercise is one of test greatee greatestis tha tha se is onerciseis tis tha inglingl sin

ings a person cathings son can dodo to im ove physical aimprove ysical and mnd men to impr tal tal ental men mengs a pings cacacan dodo t improvo imprings ags n n m m tal tal ental men

alth. Exercise wouhealth ercise would bld be th ug of the centure drug the century y ifthe dr if it if iExercisehe se wse w wou would bld bExheal sealth. Exercise

me in a pill. For pecame pill. For peopleople with ADHD, exerciseh ADADHD, exercise canan bith AD be an be . Focame ll. For peper peopme in a pill. Fome pill. Fome in a pime pill.

even more important, especially if deven lly ifore important, esp especially ifif done in combiifif done in combinanatiy if tion tion more ore im

with a complex sport that requires thewi ires complex sport thahat requir the exercisinxercising of theof thehe he

executive functioninex ive functioning brain.brain.

!e problem with exercise is that it’s a repe!e is that iblem with exercise at it’s a repetitise is that i petitive, borve, borpetitiveve, bo -

ing, routine task—a classic characteristic aing, characterik—a classic ch ic around whwhcharac ich d whwhich

those with ADHD struggle to engage their . In gageggle to engage ir attentionon. In to enga In

short, exercise is boring (see the February 2015(see the Febru 2015 ntionAtteAttentio

article on boredom).

Poll the experts on an optimal exercise prescription andon and imal

responses will vary. Typically, answers include frequencuency,

duration, and intensity—something like aerobic exercisrcise

three times a week for sixty minutes at 60 percent of your your

. I’m con"dent there is some biologiximum heart rate. I’m con"dent there is some biologihere is some biomaximu . I’m m con"dent there is some biological

cks such expert answers, which makes thesearch that backs such expert answers, which makes theanswers, which mak theresearch that ba makcks su expert answers, which makes them

aschnically correct. However, as an ADHD and attentionas an ADHD and attention technically correc tten attenener as an ADHD

coach, I "nd in many instances such prescriptions becomences such prescriptions become coach, I "nd in coaccoach, I "nd in macoach, I "nd mebecocomecoon

tivation—they get in the way of actually hey get in the way of ac ally e obthe obe obstacle to activatithe obstacleobststac tuallyallyactu

the exercise. I’ll illustrate with a personal example. ate with a personal exampling doing thing the doing th amplamplample exercise. I’ll illg the exthe examplpl

Many years ago, I swam competitively in college and ompetitively in college Many ears ago, I swam

de consolation "nals at US nationals. In those days I’d nationals. In those dmade

im up to "#een or sixteen thousand meters a day. Afthousand meters a day.swim -ff

college, I continued to work out and swam from time rk out and swam fromter coll

to time. For whatever reason, I believed a swim workout believed a swim woto tim

wasn’t a workout unless I swam between three and four wawasn’t a workout unless I swam between three and four etween three and

ththousand meters. Until about a year ago, that prescription hat prescriptieters. Until about a year ago, thaha

was wawas the very obstacle that kept me from working out, mostworking out, -

ly becauly because I’m short on time and out of shape. It wasn’t until ape. It wasn

I realizedI alized a workout of two thousand meters was better was be

than threehree to four thousand because, in actuality, the longer

Optimal Exercise & ADHDby Jeff Copper, PCC, PCAC, MBA

So what is the answer to how much

exercise you should do?

It’s the amount that you will do.

After all, most of us have

engineered movement

out of our lives.

In my perspective

as a coach, some

workout is better

than no workout

even if it doesn’t meet

optimal prescriptions.

SHUTTERSTOCK

33February 2016

rkout was e�ectively zero because I wasn’t swiwicausbebebecause I wasn’t swibe wiworkourkout was out was ly zectiveectively z berkou bebebeo beo bely zero bely zero workrkou becausbecaus snrkou because I because bebe snworkrkouout sn’t swimmwimmI wasn’t swimminwimmmming ing at e�ectiverkout was e�ece�ec g at

all. Doing the shorter workout was better thanas b was betkout an nthan nall. D he shooingoing t rter workout as betas betkoutor workoutut wasut was betutkoutkout ththananetter thette an nan none at aone atat all.ll shorterall. Doing the s

what is the answer to how much exercise you shoow mto how erciseis theis theSo what is what is wer to ow mucow m how a wer wer wer to ow much ow much owto howwer r tower nswer to uld erciexerciuch exercise you sho you you should you should hould ou shohe answeSo what is the

mount that you will do. A!do. A!erA! you erA!erhe amoIt’s the at you you wat youhe amomohe will do. wilou wmomoun thatunt that you A!erA!erA!er all, moA!er all most of us st of us all, momostst all, momost of us stmount that you will do. do? It

engineered movement out of ouut of our liveut o ves. engin engin vemevevemeinineerenginngin utnt outment ored ineered ve lives. In ves. In n my pern my In ves. In n my per pernginnginnginininininin red movement out of our lihave eng --

spective as a coach, some workout is betteis better thanrkout is better thanthan no workthan no workrkspec som som as a workome woome wooms a coacs a as a cos coaccoac thanan no workthan no workcocococoach, some workout is bettespective as a co --

out even if it doesn’t meet optimal prescriptions.prescriptions.ons.ons.out snt even optimal proptimal pres meet op meet opti meet ’t men if ons.tions.s.ons.out evenout out ou doesn’t meet optimal prescrout even if it d

point I’ve discovered in ultsin coaching adultsults ts int An poinint poinAnothe red in discovered inint I’ve dint I’other key poy po adadg adoaching adAnot y poAnother key An point I’ve discovered in

since most exercise epeti most exercise is just repetiseercise s erciexerexexerwith that, s that, swith ADH erciost exerciseerci most exercisece m m sincet, sin tis tha tha tha ADHD is thaDHD is tha tha tha epetis just repetiepetis just repetiwith ADHwith ADH ince most ex since mos -

most adultsg, most adults with ADHD cannot sustults with ADHD cannot sustain ing, ulultsg,g, mg, m adt tive nd most ad most ndve and ultsaduladultst adt adoring,ing,g,g,nd bornd borinoring, not annotive a a ing,ti inve a inorinorinortive and bor most adults w

such a routine task. So won such a routine task. So what’s a person to ine task. So what’s a person to cus on s ututinuc sk. Sofocutheir focus uch a roh a ro ine task. Soutins onfocueir focucus task. So wrouts oncucus oncuei cufocutheithei focutheir fothei fo persperson to such a routine ta

mes to commercial realen it comes to commercial real estate, the estate, they say WhenWhen it ommercial om comme alalWhendo? Wh mes to ommercial realommercial real estto com com? Whenen? y say mes to comme

out location, location, location. When it comes to When it comes is about tion, locaticationtion Whit is ab on, loca tion. WhWhcacatiabab mes to location

e tent sustained exercise for those with ADHD, it is with ADHD,consistent ise for thrcise e wico ed eed exerc those wie wixercxercis D, i

alsocial, social, soabout so sososocial. al. alal.

most of us, it is by far easier to exercise in the presence easier to exercise in the pFor mo by far e far eas toasier to far ear eas toasier to e

ers, either along with or in competition. More o!en th or in competition. More oof others, th

not, I’ve successfully coached individuals around getcoached individuals aroundthan not -

ng exercise by focusing on the social aspects rather than the the social aspects rather than ting exe

exercise. You’ve heard the saying: “I was at a boxing match ing: “I was at a boxing match ex

and a hockey game broke out?” "e same metaphor applies: metaphor applies: and

was at a social event and I accidentally got someme exercise.” “I was

ain, my own personal experience echoes this. I am able to I am able to Agai

ce or twice a year. In c or twice a alimim m alone about one aboualout alim my woim my woswim mswim m workouout swim my imswim my alone e abouout al my wo m workouout out once or or im my workout alone about once or twice a year. In conim m con-

ce a week.wice ay, it wimm ddy, it isddy, it is twimming g buwimmwimmwimy swiwiwiwimmtrast,trast, with trast,trast, with my swiwi ing ddy,ing buddy, t is tis twice

is best ise is bwhat eng yoursking ou you’re what exe yourself ourselSo, if y, if yif you’re you’re ’re t fokingasking’re you’re e e as rself whatrself whatSo, if y you exercise is t for for

ou like.y y ply e kithe me princme principipleiple e kindthe kirincipncipleyou, just y ththe y ththplply ike.e. the samethth nciple: the iple: the y ust ust applapply you, jus kind you like. nd you like.

thSome exe isis b eciallthanthan n spthan non nononon sp none, espth ecially lly if eSome exercSome exercis isis bet better th speciaan none, espece isis brcise xercise lly if the prelly if the prerere-

not your cup of tea. A point poinea. A poscription is notscriptio your wortrth ofp ofofour cup of int not of int of t not of point of tea. A poou cup of wortrth noting notis not our our cup int worth p of tea. A point worth not you youscription is nriptio not noting is is

or running, ore than running, swcathat is be m ming, bica e ore ca be more ng swe than running, swbebe ore ca ming, bibikbe mor , swimmiore than running, swimming, bibican bebethat exercise ca -

o I coacheYears ago I coached nnis d anars ago I coached annnnnnn Yennis. Yennis. d an ihed an individuaidual ing tenning, or playin

exercise. He diaily exercise. He dioror daily e didn’tdidn’t hwoodwoododwoodod for daily eodod for dndn’t have ave ped woodwoodwhwho choppe

a #r the wood to othersally sold the wood to othea e a #ra ut h tually sold th othershers for rsrs for but hut he a #r he acactuactualactue actu for for ce but ha a #replace b

roduct!a nice byproduct!po ngnge. Wpocket change. We. W a nihange.nge. Wpocket chang W What hat a Wha Wha

mes to ADHD and exercise, know thi ADHD and exercise, know this: Excocome his: ExWhen it comet come A ADHmes to ADHD and exer ADHD and exmes -

single best natural treatment of the csingle best natural treatment of the condition. erci oncise is the singthe sing tmenest ngle best natural treatmenngle best natural trea

rythat reason, I believe everyone should have a that reason, I believe everyone should have a FoFor exactly thtly th ryryn,eason, I believe every reason, I believe eve

ciseologseologispspsychoexercise ogisogisogist!

exercise is the kind you will do. "e best durase is the kind ou will do. "e best dura"e best ex kise is the kind ou wilse is the kind you w you is the kind you -

the amount you will do. Just remember:do. Just remember: When it tion is the am ou will doill do. Just

to exercise, think social, social, social! ial, social, soccomes to ●●●●●●

ified ADHD coach based in Tampa, Florida, ampa, Florida,A certified A Jeff Copper, PCC,

MBAPCAC, MBA, specializes in coaching adult individuals and entrepreneurs AA

been diagnosed with ADHD later in life. He is the host who have b

tion Talk Radio and Attention Talk Video. Learn more at of Attention

digcoaching.com.digcoach

Optimal Exercise & ADHD