How To Create An ADHD Workout Plan You’ll Actually Stick With

You already know how good exercise is for you. When you’re moving consistently, you feel better: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it?

Consistency.

Because you’ve tried. So many times.

You’ve probably put more effort into this than most people you know.

And if you hear one more stump speech about motivation or willpower from a neurotypical fitness influencer whose full-time job is working out… you’re going to scream.

(Again.)

Here’s the good news:

You’re not lazy. You’re not unmotivated. You’re not even undisciplined.

You’ve just never had a workout plan designed specifically for your brain.

I’ve been there.

And I can tell you firsthand: what works for everyone else does not work for us.

ADHD brains need less friction, more dopamine, and a structure that works with us, not against us.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to build together over the next 15 minutes.

Six years ago, I read a blog post that completely changed my life.

I’m hoping this one does the same for you.

If you’ve ever:

• Dreaded workouts that feel boring or repetitive
• Burned out on programs that were too rigid
• Struggled to stay consistent even with something you liked…

This guide is for you.

I’ll help you discover your ADHD workout style, walk you through the 5 essential components every ADHD-friendly plan should include, and show you how to finally build a plan you’ll actually stick with.

But before we dive in, let me explain why I care so much about this and why what I’m about to share might actually help.

How I Lost 70lbs While Undiagnosed & Unmedicated

I was 27 years old and weighed 255lbs when I decided to get serious about losing weight and getting back in shape.

At the time, I had no idea that my undiagnosed ADHD was behind the three biggest obstacles I kept running into:

• I constantly and intensely craved high-calorie foods, even when I wasn’t hungry.
• I struggled to consistently motivate myself to workout.
• I’d spiral into binge eating after any routine disruption: colds, kids’ school cancelled, travel, etc.

For the next three years, I fought my way through those patterns and slowly worked around them.

It wasn’t quick. It certainly wasn’t clean. But I lost 70 pounds.

Most months felt like two steps forward, one step back.

If I’d been diagnosed and had access to the ADHD meds I’m taking now, I probably could’ve done it in half the time.

But honestly? I’m glad I didn’t.

Because struggling through that process forced me to figure out how to do this on the highest difficulty mode.

And that’s what’s allowed me to help other people with ADHD—especially those who can’t get medication, or whose meds don’t give them the boost they were hoping for.

If that’s you, or if you’re just tired of trying to follow fitness advice that clearly wasn’t built for your brain…

You’re in the right place, and I’d like to officially invite you to join the ADHD FITNESS community, and get support from people who actually understand what it’s like to be you.

The Four ADHD Fitness Archetypes (And What They Need In A Workout)

So much of fitness success for ADHD folks comes down to one thing: understanding yourself.

The more time you spend trying to force a routine that doesn’t fit your brain, the longer it’s going to take to find the one that does.

Forget trying to build the scientifically optimal plan. You might enjoy hyper-fixating on it for a while, but if it doesn’t align with how your brain actually works, you won’t stick with it.

Consistency doesn’t come from motivation or discipline.

It comes from designing a routine that works with your brain, not against it.

That starts with being honest without yourself about what you can do, and what you can’t.

Yes, you’re capable. You can absolutely get fit. It may not always be comfortable or convenient, but it’s 100% doable once you find the right method.

But that method only works if it’s sustainable for your mind, not just your body.

If a workout plan demands more executive function, structure, or motivation than you can consistently generate, it’s the wrong plan for you.

Over time, I’ve noticed four common patterns in the way ADHD folks relate to fitness. I call them The Four ADHD Workout Styles, and your ideal workout plan will depend on which of these archetypes you identify with most.

You don’t need to force yourself into just one. Most people relate to a mix of two. But knowing your primary tendencies will help you lean into what actually works for your brain, your energy, and your life.

Here’s a quick overview of each archetype, and what they should be building their plan around:

Which style are you?

Most folks resonate very strongly with one type but see themselves in a second type as well.

Personally. I’m a Competitor but with a heavy does of the Connector.

Progress is my primary motivation, but group energy gets me through those days when I feel like I’ve never achieved anything and everything is pointless and… well you get it.

Need more help figuring out your style? Take the Quiz!

The Five Essential Components Of An ADHD-Friendly Workout Plan

Identifying your ADHD Workout Style should help you stop trying to force workouts that you hate and free you up to pursue the types of exercise activities you can enjoy.

But we’re not quite done, because no matter which style you resonate with — Explorer, Connector, Minimalist, or Competitor — there are a few things that need to be built into your ADHD Workout Plan if you want to set yourself up for long-term consistency.

Think of these as the rules of the ADHD workout game: the structural supports that help keep your plan from falling apart the moment life gets chaotic or your dopamine dips.

I’ve arranged them roughly in order of importance.

1. Workouts Should Require Minimal Executive Function

If it requires too much thinking, it won’t happen.

This is one of the biggest reasons ADHD folks struggle with fitness. It’s not that we can’t do the workout, it’s that getting to or through the workout is often too mentally demanding.

An ADHD-friendly workout plan, once made, should eliminate choices and require as little thinking as possible.

2. Workouts Should Be Pre-Scheduled With Clear Start & End Times

If a workout isn’t scheduled or anchored to an existing habit, you’re a lot less likely to follow through.

Scheduling workouts and having clear start and end times solves a LOT of problems for ADHD folks.

It helps turn workouts into a habit you don’t even think about. It helps prevent time blindness from derailing attendance. It eliminates the need to think about timing or scheduling.

Having objective, pre-determined metrics for when you’re working out and when the workout is over gives your brain the structure it craves.

3. Your Plan Should Include A Way to Track Objective Progress

If you can’t see it, your brain won’t believe it’s working.

Your brain needs an objective metric it can track to prove to itself that your effort is paying off, especially on those days when you don’t feel like anything is working. The exact metrics you track aren’t that important, so long as seeing progress on those metrics will matter to you: PRs, repetitions, speeds, wins, even just a “completed” streak.

Make sure you don’t pick a subjective metric like how you feel or how you look in the mirror. While stuff like that may work for neurotypical folks, it’s far more likely to demotivate you than help, and ultimately, those subjective feelings are exactly what we’re trying protect against by tracking something objective.

4. Your Plan Should Include A Fallback Plan for Hard Days

All-or-nothing is the enemy, especially when your workouts are ambitious.

The biggest consistency-killer for ADHD brains is expecting every day to be a high-functioning day. Spoiler: they won’t be.

Your plan needs a bare-minimum version of success: something you can do on the days you don’t want to move at all, but still feel like you showed up.

These aren’t lazy or cheat days. These are lifeline days, and they are an absolutely essential part of making your workout plan sustainable long-term.

5. Workouts Should Include A Personalized Dopamine Payoff

If your workouts aren’t causing some form of dopamine release, you won’t be consistent.

What releases dopamine looks a bit different for each ADHD Workout Style:

• For Minimalists, simply checking the “done” box can be enough.
• Competitors tend to get theirs from hitting measurable milestones.
• Connectors can get theirs from social energy or accountability.
• And Explores usually get theirs from novelty or surprise.

They key is making sure that YOUR workout plan consistently results in you feeling a dopamine payoff.

That doesn’t mean your workout needs to be fun from start to finish. It won’t. But some part of it needs to be fun, satisfying, or otherwise rewarding.

For ADHD folks, dopamine is what fuels action. Don’t build a plan designed to run on fumes.

In the next section, I’ll show you how to take your Workout Style and apply these 5 essential components to build an ADHD Workout Plan you’ll actually stick with.

How to Build Your Personalized ADHD Workout Plan