I’m currently being diagnosed for ADHD (i probably have it but i still need the confirmation from my therapist), and I was wondering if you have problems being consistent with physical activities.
I always start very confident and very excited, but after a couple of weekend the thing dies down.
Even if I force myself to pay and go to the gym, I often don’t reach the end of the subscription and quit.
This is also a problem with home exercises, running, hiking…
If it’s a self motivated workout, I will almost never do it.
If it’s a sport league that plays on the same day every week, it will end up being the most consistent routine I have.
It honestly changed my life when I started meeting with friends at specific times each week to lift weights. Having it be an actual appointment that would affect others if I didn’t show up made all the difference. I was super excited to be there and never missed a day.
Then their schedules changed and they are no longer available when I am. I still like working out… but it’s so hard to make myself do it and I am super inconsistent now. It depresses me to think about it
Sounds like you need new friends. I wonder if there’s a market for an app to find workout buddies?
This is partly a normal human behavior but ADHD people have it worse. Gyms rely on people quitting, thats why a day pass costs so much.
The only sport I found consistently entertaining so far is bouldering. Gym is boring af.
My ADHD makes it hard to be consistent with anything…
I can’t be consistent with home exercising. I have to go to a gym to feel motivated and even then any hiccup will throw that into a loop. Sports I’ve been graciously regular with, but I feel like roller derby was invented for neurodivergent people.
Doing shit alone is hard, and the moment you stop you have to start over the whole sticking to your routine process.
I’ve always hated the gym, because I’ve never enjoyed sports for their own sake. I mean, I’ve never enjoyed sports at all, really, but gyms are horrific places for me.
God yes. I’m basically incapable of maintaining an exercise regimen without relying on a partner to keep me on track. When I lived with my sister, I was consistent enough with running that I eventually ran an entire 5K, and it was one of the proudest moments in my life. Now that I’ve moved out, I can’t stick to a regimen for more than 3 weeks. It also really doesn’t help matters that I loathe how I feel when I get super wet (especially when it’s because I’m sweating, which makes me super sticky too), and so all the endorphins and good feelings you’re supposed to get from exercising are immediately overwhelmed by disgust at how gross I feel and how much I hate the feeling of my clothes sticking to my skin and how much I need a shower and annoyance at how long it’ll take to dry off after the shower so I finally stop feeling wrong.
I’ve basically given up all hope of losing weight and maintaining that weight loss in any permanent capacity, and I fucking hate it. No diet, no exercise plan, no amount of fasting, no amount of self motivation, no medication can overcome my fucking ADHD brain deciding that sitting idle and playing with my distraction box is better than actually taking care of myself.
My only remaining hope is that a combination of Adderall suppressing my appetite, combined with converting the fidgeting I do into just enough activity to qualify as “exercise” if you squint funny enough can help at least maintain my current weight.
So far the only sport that kept me hooked, and I would consistently show up to practices for, was fencing. And sweet baby Jesus fencing is unexpectedly an insane workout for legs, stamina, and coordination.
Unfortunately, I lost all my gear to a flood and no longer live near any clubs.
I need to take a look into martial arts or the climbing gym nearby.
Accountability buddy, only way I can keep up going to the gym 3 times a week is when someone goes with me. Nothing else worked.
Sports become my special interest, I get obsessed and really into them. Then suddenly they’re not and I just can’t make myself do the thing I’ve loved doing for the previous two years
I used Beeminder and it really helped with keeping me going to the gym.
Unfortunately, the gym canceled the contract with my company fitness provider. So that’s that and I’m now procrastinating on finding a new gym.
But I really recommend finding tools to keep yourself accountable especially on recurring tasks like gym visits.
You may want to read into the concept of Commitment Devices.
