Movement as Medicine: Why Exercise Fuels ADHD Performance

Author at her first trail race - 2009

When you think about treating ADHD, medication might be the first thing that comes to mind. And for many, stimulant medication is life-changing. It can bring focus, reduce chaos, and help complete challenging tasks. But not everyone can tolerate medication. Side effects, additional health conditions, or simply how a brain responds mean that medication isn’t always an option.

That’s my story. After I was diagnosed, I tried many medications. None of them helped. For a while, I wondered if my potential was capped since medication was the only tool I knew. Would I be stuck battling distraction, restlessness, and cycling through periods of brilliance followed by boredom or burnout? It wasn't a promising prospect. Eventually, I would realize I had an effective path, and that path was running. 

Trail running was a hobby I enjoyed for its exploration of nature and how far my body could go. As you might expect, my running has had periods of hyper-focus with impressive progress, and then times when it would fall off a cliff unexpectedly: the all-or-nothing hallmark of ADHD. 

But the more times I returned to running, the more I noticed that movement regulated my brain. Running gave me clarity and calm when my thoughts felt scattered or I was overwhelmed. It stabilized rejection sensitivity. It fueled the kind of sustained executive function (decision making, planning, organization, administration) that previously seemed like holding on to sand in a storm.

Why Movement Works as an ADHD Performance Strategy

My experience isn’t a fluke. Exercise acts directly on the same brain systems that ADHD medications target. Movement increases dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which play a critical role in motivation, reward, and executive function (Meeusen & De Meirleir, 1995).  Research shows that even a single 20-minute session of moderate aerobic exercise can improve attention and cognitive performance in individuals with ADHD (Pontifex, Saliba, Raine, Picchietti, & Hillman, 2013).

For me, ultrarunning has become both medicine and metaphor. Covering fifty miles or more isn’t about attention or glamor. It’s about showing up for yourself with intention, building structures that support consistency, managing complicated variables like terrain, weather, and fueling, and learning how to keep moving when things get hard and uncomfortable. That’s exactly what ADHD requires: the ability to navigate the highs and lows, the on-and-off cycles, without giving up on yourself or losing sight of the bigger ambitions.

But movement as medicine doesn’t have to mean running ultramarathons. For some, it can be a morning walk before work. For others, it’s cycling, hiking, yoga, or even a few minutes of dancing between tasks. The form of movement isn’t what matters. What matters is the practice of using your body to support your brain: giving yourself a way to reset, refocus, and reconnect.

Summary

If you live with ADHD, movement is more than exercise. It’s one of the most reliable, accessible tools you can use to regulate your energy, manage your focus, and lean into your potential. For me, now that I fully understand this impact, walking and running have become a daily self-care and ADHD-maintenance practice. It’s how I demonstrate to myself that I can take on big challenges, not through inconsistent bursts of motivation, but by stacking small, intentional steps that carry me across finish lines I once thought were out of reach.

References

Basso, J. C., & Suzuki, W. A. (2017). The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review. Brain Plasticity, 2(2), 127–152. https://doi.org/10.3233/BPL-160040

Gapin, J. I., Labban, J. D., & Etnier, J. L. (2011). The effects of physical activity on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: The evidence. Preventive Medicine, 52(Suppl. 1), S70–S74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.01.022

Meeusen, R., & De Meirleir, K. (1995). Exercise and brain neurotransmission. Sports Medicine, 20(3), 160–188. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199520030-00004

Pontifex, M. B., Saliba, B. J., Raine, L. B., Picchietti, D. L., & Hillman, C. H. (2013). Exercise improves behavioral, neurocognitive, and scholastic performance in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Pediatrics, 162(3), 543–551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.08.036