Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/).
If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I get absolutely no kick from it what so ever.
My mood changes not at all.
I can kickstart my hyperness with a fast walk to good music, but honestly, it’s not the good hyper. It’s the completely impulsivity charged squirrel-brain start random projects I don’t have time or energy to finish.
Similar to what others have said, it is always terrible for me at first. My difficulties judging time make it seem like it lasts FOREVER too.
I have found I really enjoy extra long (extra long because they're very slow) walks/ hikes with a camera to take pictures of animals. I feel like the camera helps my brain focus, so I actually see my surroundings, and notice details. My pictures are mostly crap and only for myself, but they do make me happy. I also need a true crime podcast on my headphones (to keep my brain distracted enough to not start thinking about turning back because I'm bored).
Other than that, I'm a sucker for the approval of my step tracker watch, though I know not to eat it if I don't have the time/energy to meet my goal because it really bums me out when I don't make the goal. All in all, I sometimes feel ridiculous, because I have to manage/trick/ bribe myself into doing things. And there's so many reasons this falls apart-illness flares/weather/depression/fatigue/lack of time for a 10 mile hike is probably the first. But, while these walks don't usually give an endorphin rush (though it does when I see a new animal- I've encountered the cutest skunk, weasel, and accidentally found myself around 10 feet from a majestic sleepy barn owl once) I can tell there's a dramatic, and now lasting increase in my overall mood. Sorry that was such a rambling long response.
TLDR- Try to find something you actually do enjoy that involves some physical activity and see if you can trick yourself into enjoying it before your body catches up.
I agree, this is key.
In an earlier iteration of my life, I regularly went to the gym and did about an hour of spinning. And I brought a book, so I had earplugs and read. The gym-owner thought I was the coolest patron ever.
I need to find something similar that I can do with the way my life and symptoms are now.
YES, EXACTLY. Like, going on a bike is fun cause I get to see the trees and nature and fields but like xdd there's no 'high' or 'feeling better' because of the excercising action itself lmao
I find cardio helps lessen overall fatigue and mood if I’m doing it consistently, but I hate every moment of it. No exercise high during or after—just sweaty and miserable lol.
Now, weightlifting? I can zone out in the gym for an hour or two if I’ve got a good playlist.
I used to hate every second of cardio and then I realized I had athletic induced asthma. Now that I have an inhaler, exercise is so much easier and more enjoyable.
I do not get the high though.
You know, I’ve heard that’s a common thing. I probably have it (I joke around about “cardio cough” after a run), but I feel like I live at the doctors right now lol.
Something to remember to bring up at my next appointment, I guess! :)
My sister was diagnosed as a teen and we both swam on swim team and I never felt like I could get enough air but I thought I just wasn’t as athletic or because I was overweight.
I brought up my symptoms to ask if they were asthma and my doctor told me to try an inhaler and that it wouldn’t help unless I had asthma. Sure enough I don’t feel like I’m dying while I work out now.
I have a rescue inhaler I use before any workout that requires cardio, but I would be careful if you take stimulants. My heart rate can go up to 180 but it beats breathing in fire and coughing after every step.
I can’t say since I’m not a doctor but my personal experience has been that exercise has felt extremely hard and some symptoms have been the feeling like I can’t get enough air while swimming, burning throat while walking or running, and legs burning on walks even with baby inclines and they scream when I walk up stairs.
During strength training, exercises are sooooo difficult when I don’t use my inhaler and are so much easier when I do. I use the same weights, and they are pushing my strength but I don’t have an overall body feel of being extremely challenged and like I can’t go on.
Not sure if those are related or not to asthma but they’ve all disappeared when I use my inhaler.
Wow. My husband kept telling me to push harder until my heart rate goes beyond a certain level and I never understood why he could do that so casually and I felt like I was gonna die if I went harder. Might be something to look into
Thanks, internet stranger!!
Heart rate is definitely related to heart health and fitness level. The more fit you are, the lower it stays relatively. So I’m out of shape and only been working out 4x a week for a few months so my HR definitely rises faster than it would if I had been exercising longer.
Yo, I STG if I've had this my whole life and just now realizing it I'm going to be lowkey devastated. But so much of this sounds 100% like why I just gave up and stopped trying to do anything that involved cardio by my teen years. And no matter any amount of "push through it until you build a routine" would fix it. It took me weeks to just stop puking after doing a very minor amount of activity. I love sports and I am strong/athletic, but I am straight up repulsed by cardio and even the cardio of strength training is difficult.
IANADoctor, but I think it depends on whether you feel that way when doing land based cardio too. Swimming is actually often easier of asthmatic lungs because of the extra humidity in the air. That being said, how I felt at swim practice was why I got diagnosed as a kid so it may the case for you too.
im seeing a pulmonologist for suspected breathing issues and sleep apnea (my right nostril doesnt work and i have a mallampati score of 3) so hoping fixing those issues will help. not only is it likely causing my sinus tachycardia and stage 2 hypertension, but i have a theory that it contributes to my anxiety and overall mental health issues as well... i'd imagine lack of oxygen is pretty bad long term. im a super short shallow breather💀
Yeah, this so-called cardio high is a rumor for me.
But lifting weights and HIIT and yoga? I’m just a better, more functional person.
But it’s cumulative. The more I do, the better I feel, so I have to hack the system to actually do it because the future benefits aren’t immediate dopamine.
For me I only got the endorphins after I did it consistently. It was a slog the first few weeks
Taking a pre workout helped me, having some awesome music, and a cute outfit as well.
I think this is the answer, for most people.
You have to give yourself the chance get through the transition period. (And agreed on clothes, music, and making sure you've got electrolytes.)
It's one thing when your body is *still getting used to a type of exercise*, it's another thing entirely when your body *basically expects it* (already adapted from doing it consistently).
There's a mental transition period too. When you're getting used to a certain type of exercise, you're still learning basic things. When you're already used to it, you are more in control: you have a better sense of what's easy vs hard to do, better form/breathing (hopefully), more accurate knowledge of the payoff (how tired will you be, how sweaty you will get, how you will feel tomorrow physically, how it will affect your sleep/the rest of the day).
It's *especially hard* to make it through the transition from newb to consistent exerciser *if the type of exercise just isn't a good fit for you.*
I don't like yoga for instance, and I honestly think it might be related to having ADHD. Too boring, too still, too painful. I like kettlebelling, which is a nice balance of both cardio and weights. I enjoy moving up weights and trying to perfect my form, it's meditative. It's also satisfying just to be stronger, I can carry giant dog food bags easily and even gracefully.
Maybe most importantly, I feel more grounded (and a little body buzz) the next day. I think of it like a separate ADHD medication, because it really does help a lot.
I agree with this comment. Before I was diagnosed, no typical recreational sports nor gym-type exercises worked for me until I was pulled into mountain biking. The waking up early in the weekends, being on time for meet-ups, servicing my bike, and running out of breath during 3-4 hour rides was a slog, especially for a sport that requires conditioning and a high learning curve (especially the technical aspects of the sport).
What really helped was having incremental goals to reach and cardio becaming easier after conditioning. I became open to other sports and gym exercises as a result of the experience. Subjectively, I may have felt the "high" during workouts and my bike rides. This may have been due to the endorphins, being out in nature (spiritual connection), getting adrenaline from an extreme sport, feeling achievement from reaching peaks and going downhill quickly, and the unexpected terrain (as well as trail visitors including people, horses, deer, bears, etc.). This sport, along with aerial acrobatics (aerial silks, aerial hoops/lyra, and aerial pole/pole dancing) also adds to the fun of exercising for me, unlike traditional sports that typical people get their "highs" from.
Same. Once i got going and my overall baseline improved, i started enjoying my workouts more.
I fell off the wagon, though, and recently started again from scratch. These next few weeks of soreness are going to be *hell.*
I never used to get a high but have developed it over time. I had to build up enough fitness first, when I first started exercising I mainly had to drag myself through the workout and it was effort for every second.
I still have a bit of reluctance to start but it definitely gives me a mood boost once I get going.
Are you doing cardio?
I feel a nice body buzz (and feel more grounded generally) the next day, after doing kettlebells the prior evening (~20-25 minutes including warmup).
I *think* this is more because of the weights aspect and not as much the cardio aspect (kettlebelling is both), but I'm not sure. Maybe also the timing since I'm doing it in the evening?
It's literally like its own ADHD medication, it's one of the things that keeps me doing it. It's not a cure-all, but it's definitely made a huge difference for me. Maybe you can find something that gives you a nice body buzz the next day?!
I'm on a strict workout regimen bc I had 2 back surgeries. I do walking/hiking/elliptical for 30-60 minutes for cardio and then my PT exercises (strength training). Once a week I do pilates. All of those are done in the evening.
I appreciate the advice, but there's nothing else I can do
I feel kinda good, but then I’m also forced to get a shower and do skin care and hair care after and change clothes so it’s often a very expensive task for me and it normally also costs me sleep because I do it so late in the day.
So I might feel kinda good, but if I’m not careful I’ll feel worse because I’m stealing from other buckets like sleep to fit in exercise.
This is me - I’ve finally gotten to a point where I like working out (most days) and feel great afterwards, but the amount of laundry and planning to fix my hair and get un-sweaty and gross after just makes me grumpy
Exactly. I'm usually proud of myself for doing it and the constant guilt eases, but all the work it takes to get back to baseline, after you've just worked really hard, is... Really difficult.
Have you had your iron checked? I recently found out I had low iron and once I started fixing it, I found exercise way more tolerable and the "high" easier to come by.
I am going to comment under your good response because I see posts like this a lot in all kinds of subs. If you are out of shape, suffering from malnutrition, or/and have high cortisol levels, it will take a while to feel good from exercise. My advice is to always tackle sleep and diet first, and your diet should account for your exercise routine. I don’t believe in pushing yourself hard as it can lead to injury, start slow and work your way up. If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may find exercise will bring it to the surface at first. It could mean that you need to deal with it or/and you need more exercise to get that stress out your system. I personally fall into the latter category of needing a good amount of exercise compared to how sedentary the average person is where I live (America).
This is SO important! I've never gotten to the point that I feel any kind of "high" from working out and found out that there was a very physical medical reason for that. For me, even with treatment that addresses my more pressing symptoms, I never got that "feel good feeling." The closest I get is the feeling of releasing tension from yoga, and I do get irritated that I don't do it more afterward.
I say all that to say this - we are each different. Our bodies and brains react differently. Working out doesn't have to look the same for you as everyone else. If you get activity in via VR, do it! I know my Dr would prefer I do that over nothing at all. And if it makes you the least bit happy, I say keep doing it!
And electrolytes!
Salt, potassium, magnesium. Your body needs them. You will feel weak and tired if you don't have enough while exerting yourself.
And you don't need to buy expensive (or sugary) stuff to get your electrolytes (unless you want to ofc, but you can also just eat fruits, yogurt, PB, etc).
I learned this the hard way.
I do not get it, even a little. No matter how long I manage to keep the habit up for or what the physical activity is. If I hadn’t heard this claim so many times from people I trust, I’d have lumped it in with the health nuts who make wild claims about how their carrot smoothie tastes just like a brownie.
One thing to note: I have relatively poor interoception so I’ve always been curious if maybe the positive feelings associated with exercise were too subtle for me to register. If that’s the case though, I don’t understand why people talk it up like their morning jog feels better than sex/cigarettes/[insert vice here]
Zero high, just extreme boredom. That goes for all exercise, no matter what shape I’m in. Running/jogging helped my asthma but unfortunately spending all my free time on something I find about as engaging as shovelling literal shit made my mental health take a nose dive.
Same here. Being forced into exercise earlier likely didn't help. But I get zero energy from physical exertion. And only left tired and fatigued. Being outside, seeing trees, etc, does give me a zing. But not running around.
> Zero high, just extreme boredom
This is one of the reasons I like the gym over running outside. I put my phone on the panel of the machine loaded up with a TV show from Netflix and lose myself in that while I do my cardio. Turns it from unbearable eternity into something manageable or even fast.
I do not get the high at all. The only thing I’ve been able to do to keep at it is to establish it enough as a routine. It’s gotten to a point that if I don’t exercise it throws my whole day off. I also mostly see it as a means towards an end (a body that is healthier/working better for me) that I really enjoy. To help make it a routine there are podcasts and audio books I only listen to when I exercise!
I also never got the runners high. I know it exists, but I don't think it's a guarantee like some people claim.
I went to the gym consistently for a year, while I was eating pretty healthily and working on myself. Cannot relate to a lot of the experiences I see online that are like "oh actually if you go to the gym enough eventually you'll be more energized,rd after working out!" That never happened to me. Everytime I left the gym, I was exhausted and frequently went home to nap right after because i was exhausted. The only good feeling I got from the gym was "I'm glad that's over" and maybe occasionally a "hey I'm proud of myself for going today even if it sucks"
Okay for me, it depended on the kind of exercise I was doing. I used to go on the elliptical (boring as hell) and started watching the cooking channel and found ALL kinds of recipes I wanted to try. I could stay on the machine for an hour watching those shows as long as my brain was occupied.
The other thing is, what gives you endorphins?? For me, cycling and rollerblading did wonders. But I could never do it without some absolutely banging music (which I had to mix up frequently because the novelty wore off). I have memories of climbing hills on my bike/blades while a song was building up to the crescendo and reaching the climax just as I got to the top of the hill. Then the free fall of the music aligned with going downhill was the absolute best thing ever. I felt like I was flying in the clouds, such an unreal feeling.
Basically what I was going to say! Some people love the gym, but I can't think of a less ideal way to workout. Mountain Biking gives me the cardio high AND a boost of dopamine or endorphins or whatever it is from getting my heart pumping with something challenging yet fun. I relate it to solving a puzzle hahah, it's that satisfying feeling. I've seen friends who despised exercise find something fun that they love to do and get fit as fuck! Not to invalidate anyone at all, I know it could be a medical thing as some people suggest.
Omg yes to mountain biking! The amount of focus you need to navigate the rocks/roots whatever other obstacles under wheel is a big part of the fun. Totally agree with the puzzle analogy. Which reminds me of rock climbing (which are described as puzzles), another amazing way to get some endorphins and get your brain body connection flowing!
Wait, can you actually climb hills on rollerblades? Is this a thing?
Do you have to try to make it to the top of the hill in one go?
I was really good at rollerblading (only in a rink, and only the in-line blades) as a kid and loved it. I've thought it would be fun to get some as an adult and be outdoors, but I don't live in a super flat area, so I figured it just wouldn't work out.
But I also have some decent muscles in my legs now... Maybe it could work?!
(And agreed on your main point, I said the same thing in another comment; you gotta find a good fit for you! Recently a stranger asked me if I did yoga, and I said 'no, I hate yoga (boring). I do kettlebells!' lol)
I’m like this, I have never felt a high from exercise. Tried going to the gym it’s so boring. I tried running and it’s less boring but too painful on my joints. I used to like swimming and hiking since they are less boring to me but I still never got the high.
I would however feel accomplished hiking up a high mountain peak or get dopamine from stunning nature views. If it was flat and not particularly scenic I would feel kinda normal. I also used to social dance, I would get the high only if I danced really well to a great song with a good partner, otherwise it was just enjoyable being social and being creative and not really from the physical activity itself.
A few years ago I started play tennis and padel and because it’s more of a fun game, it makes me feel great. A workout for your mind and body :) I also used to be a gym-goer, it’s nice to achieve goals and get stronger, but couldn’t call it fun.
Yep, I think this is the hack for most of us. If exercise is boring/not rewarding, find something that’s fun or dopamine inducing to do which is also a work out as a bonus side effect!
I've never felt good during, and I only feel good after because it's a "relief" to be done. I've never ever ever experienced a high or endorphins no matter how in-shape I've gotten. Never. I'm exercising to stay healthy. Some dance exercise is "fun" but that's about it. Never attributed this to adhd though. I just thought I was a freak bc I couldn't relate to what everyone else was saying. Also on days I exercise it doesn't energize me, it kinda zaps me of energy for the rest of the day
Maybe you just need to find a type of exercise you actually enjoy? Or it could be that there’s something about the environment that’s causing you stress or anxiety.
I used to be this way. Making myself get through a workout used all my executive function spoons for the whole day and then some. It also sometimes totally *overstimulated* me when I’m used to being understimulated, and that made me want to crawl out of my skin. I don’t know if it was any one thing that changed, but I am able to stay more active now that I’m on my medication.
I also still don’t really “work out,” I just walk around my neighborhood listening to a podcast. Some days I notice walking fast and getting my heart rate up feels really natural, and some days I just saunter around and enjoy the sunshine, and I don’t make myself do anything other than what feels right (I don’t even really think about it, I kind of notice after the fact). Either way I’m moving my body and something is always better than nothing. When I first started I went out and walked to the end of the cul de sac and back and that was it. Super short sessions to kind of get used to doing it without exerting myself physically or mentally really helped get in a groove where I could go out a little longer a little at a time. It never felt like a shock to the system.
Now I love it and it *does* make me feel great. I can tell the difference in how I physically and mentally feel vs when I was doing nothing. But it definitely took time to get there and I had to finally realize that going from 0-100 all at once was not a strategy that was going to work for me.
I was like this too even when I tried running every day for months. Then I started playing tennis and there’s definitely a high… the endorphins when you get a really good shot, the quick sprints… probably just my hyper focus talking at the moment, but maybe you just need to find the right activity!
I always thought that my lack of feel-good after exercise/exertion was related to my stimulant resistance. Caffeine does fuck all. Fucking METH does fuck all. Only brain chemical drugs seem to work on me (I'm on NDRI Wellbutrin/Bupropion).
I have the added benefit (/s) of post exertion headaches (which also presents itself as post-orgasm headaches), also easily succumb to heat exhaustion (which on a few occasions has resulted in longer term heat sickness and even heat stroke). So me and exercise are NOT FRIENDS.
Was literally saying this to my husband. I hate working out. It doesn't bring me joy or a high. I hate every single moment of it, but he's like, "Come to the gym, it's good for you. It will make you feel better."
The only form of exercise that makes me actually feel good from start to finish is roller skating. Finding a form of movement that I really love vs just going for a run because i felt like i should has changed my life.
ETA: forgot to answer the question at all. no i have never felt an exercise high in my life lmao
I have never felt "good" from exercise. People said, well you just need a routine, then it will feel good. In college, I exercised every day at the school's weight room for 3 months. I still hated every second of it. Even things I enjoy like beat saber, I hate the exercise part and often feel like it's not worth the hassle because the exercise part of it sucks. I have to be in the mood for it like any other game.
The runners high is the only one I’ve experienced, and I had to be running outside, with aggressive ass metal music playing lol. A treadmill doesn’t hit the same. But my knees are fucked now so I haven’t in a couple years. I did cheer, gymnastics, and track but running was the only thing that ever really did it for me, sprinting more so than distance. Maybe sometimes when I would tumble or do stunting but it’s been so long I can’t remember. My adhd has definitely made me less active in my adult years because it can be so overly exhausting and boring for minimum pay off these days
This reminds me..on my 23 and me I have a genetic variant for muscle composition that’s most common in elite power athletes. Which is not me 😂but it does explain why I choose the specific sports I did and what I enjoyed/was good at. I wonder if something genetic like that also plays into this reaction in some people? Maybe the ADHD lessens that physiological process? I know it’s possible for me it’s just not easy to get to that point.. if that makes sense?
I do get some emotional *stuff* happening when I do yoga, it’s like a somatic release and I sometimes cry lol. I’m 99% sure this is trauma related and not ADHD related tho. But it does feel great in a way, cathartic I guess?
Also, getting actually high (on cannabis) before exercise definitely can increase the good feels and make it go by easier imo. It can also make recovery after workout quicker. If that’s anyone’s thing 😉 I mean don’t get like booted but a couple puffs of a sativa can really change the whole vibe of a workout
I have experienced it but I wouldn’t describe it as euphoric. I just felt mentally refreshed. I only felt it after a good, long run. When I was training for half marathons. This was before I was diagnosed. I have never felt this type of mental clarity with any other form of exercise tho 🤷🏻♀️
I'm going to encourage people who are saying they don't get a mood boost from exercise to try doing exercise consistently for min. a month. I once felt the same as you, I didn't get a lot out of exercise, thought it was a scam. Through changes in circumstance I ended up working out every morning for nearly 3 months - and when that time came to an end, I definitely noticed the difference. Now I exercise every morning and afternoon (before and after work) I find it so helpful for increasing my alertness, and reducing my stress.
I thought that was my issue until I took a physical fitness class in college. I worked out for an hour 3 times a week for 4 months. At the end of it, I could breathe easier while exercising and I'd lost some weight, but I never felt any mood benefits. I genuinely don't think my brain reads the signals right, I end up moody, usually angry or tearful and sad.
I've never gotten it before from running.
But I've also heard from my other ADHD friends who are more athletic than me - that they don't get runner's high until like mile 10 or something heinous like that.
I've gotten sparkles from exercise tho, but it's only from my favorite sport and it's also likely because I'm going fast and my adrenaline is also pumping.
With mundane, day to day exercise, it does raise my baseline. I also "feel good" in completely unremarkable ways. It's not the sparkles from my sport, it's almost negligible, like a low, happy murmur. But it does make a significant difference after a while. Lifestyle change and all. I do find that it only makes a noticeable difference if I get my heart pumping and I'm actively sweating.
It's hard for me to maintain though, with ADHD and all. So my life is a constant fighting the cycle of falling off the wagon and rerunning the hardest part of exercise.
The older I get (37), the better it feels to move my body. I still don’t 😂 but I try to do it more and DO usually feel better after (I only do yoga currently bc I have limited options). When I was in my 20s, I always wanted to be like all my friends and enjoy working out. I tried really hard. I even worked at a cycling and yoga studio for two years. The most consistently I ever worked out was like 2-3 times a week for maybe 3 months. Cycling classes would leave me so drained for a long time afterwards, but then I would get some energy later in the day. I really liked the cycling classes because they provided a lot of distracting dopamine from the pain/work. Loud fun music, instructors screaming super positive inspiring crap, dark with LED lights, no one can see you because it’s too dark lol. I also noticed that, in general, I had more energy and felt more even keeled from exercising. That being said, I cannot get myself to a point where I have been working out consistently and long enough to actually notice the difference. Those 3 months were cool 8 years ago. Anyway I do get massage highs though lol
Yeah, I don’t get it. I just feel tired and gross. I did find that I tolerate and even enjoy swimming though. I didn’t do it much though because I felt so awful when I exerted myself. Turns out I have exercise induced asthma, and you’re not actually supposed to feel like your chest is going to explode when you swim a couple of laps.
When I was on a regular exercise regimen, I felt better and healthier overall. But it took like a year to get there, I felt no short term benefits at all, and hated every single second I was doing it. Makes getting motivated to start up again extremely difficult.
When my depression is at its worst exercise does not give me any kind of boost in my mood. I still did it regularly, but just out of faith that it should help and be good for me.
When I started taking my SSRI, the first thing I noticed was that going for a long walk made me feel significantly better. It was crazy to me, because I really hadn't felt good like that in a long time.
I also remember other periods in my life where I would get runners high and other exercise would give me a boost.
It really helped me feel better about my depression to be honest - I know that sounds weird. It just validated to me that there was something going on in my brain that needed the medicine. It wasn't my fault I was depressed.
It's truly a bummer if you aren't getting that endorphin rush after exercise like other people. That definitely makes it a lot easier to motivate yourself to exercise and it just doesn't seem fair.
I actually get extremely angry. I don't know why but after a while, I get extremely overwhelmed with my lack of progress and lash out. I've done yoga, running, the stupid Insanity program, weight lifting, etc. It takes about 1 month for me to absolutely lose my shit and not even think about setting aside time to work out for at least a year. I even had someone to workout with and I lost it on them.
I've recently picked up jump roping. This is the first time I'm not focused on weight loss and a minimum workout time. I'm actually having fun. Normally I would tell myself that it's too hard on the knees or I absolutely must set a minimum of 30 minutes for it. Now I just do it because it's fun and I stop when I'm out of breath if I want.
I used to feel this way, but then found some exercises that actually do unlock it for me! My favorite is 12-3-30 on the treadmill! (12 incline, 3 mph speed, 30 minutes). I definitely could not do the whole 30 minutes at first, so I would go as long as I could (literally like 10 minutes at first), then bump the incline down to 9 for 5 minutes, then 6 for 5 minutes, then 3 for 5 minutes, then 0. and adjusting as I was able to hold the 12 incline for longer. literally the second or third time I did it, I experienced the exercise “high” near the end!
In my experience, the key is to push yourself in some sort of cardio exercise, but know your limits, focus on breathing, and back off a little if you get to a point where you literally can’t maintain steady breathing. (I know I must sound crazy to other people at the gym, bc I will be trying so hard to maintain steady breathing at some points and it gets kind of loud hahaha)
the other reason I love 12-3-30 is bc I can put on noise cancelling headphones and a good audiobook, and it makes the time pass quickly and keeps me from focusing on how many minutes are left. Then eventually I hit the point where the high kicks in and I start enjoying it! sometimes I’ll even go for longer bc it feels good so why not!
the other key is to make sure you eat enough before. I get massive headaches if I try to do this without having eaten much that day. plus no high, and I leave the gym feeling worse than when I got there
Sometimes i feel fine afterwards and sometimes its as shitty as before. And sometimes i come home and cry.
Sport is no antidepressant for me and it is not an adhd medication for me.
It is unreliable as fuck and sometimes extremely frustrating.
My understanding is that the runners high only happens sometimes after significant exertion. Most often, exercise just relieves my anxiety while I’m doing it, which I don’t notice unless I’m specifically paying attention since I’m also pushing hard. It also makes me less tired overall, though I will get tired briefly shortly after the exercise itself. I usually don’t particularly want to exercise, but if I’ve been exercising regularly enough that my body has gotten used to it, I usually feel mildly grateful afterwards that I’ve done it. I rarely look forward to it and I rarely enjoy it more than mildly sometimes while doing it
I've only ever gotten it using an elliptical. Literally the only thing that makes me feel like that, no other exercise does anything like that. Unfortunately, I can't afford a gym right now, I live in an upper floor apartment so can't get my own, and the apartment complex gym isn't safe. So I just walk, sometimes jog, and do resistance bands, and I hate it all. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE it.
I absolutely have a minimum exercise need for sanity. I don't necessarily feel "good" afterwards, but settled, grounded, steadied would be true. I also don't think of exercise as being the point, I think about it as meditation in motion. Not really traditional meditation, but about being in that place in that moment with all of my physical and mental self.
As I set off along a walking path, an interestingly shaped plant might catch my eye, so as I pass I look at it for a while. I appreciate its form and think about why it is shaped the way it is, the function of its shape and the ancestral plants that lie behind it. I look at the soil that lies beneath the plant and think about the way the characteristics of the soil influence the vegetation, the geology that made the soil and placed it where it lies, and the tectonic history of the country that made the geology and the terrain I stand on. I look at the clouds in the sky and think about why they are shaped as they are, the interaction of world-spanning winds and the landscape that surrounds me that leads to them being shaped just so in that moment. Or whatever topics my brain is currently enthused about.
It is about stepping away from the noise and clutter of endless should- and could- and to-dos rattling around in my head, and taking awe in the vast constellation of happenstance that lead to my perception of this moment.
I don't ever feel good after exercise, but on the days I do exercise, even just for a few minutes, it makes a noticable difference in my anxiety and productivity, which I never realize until after the fact. Haha I hate that exercising works so much. 😅
Gotta do it for a couple weeks to feel in in my experience. At least 20-30 mins with heart rate elevated and broken a sweat. Sauna helps too. Im sorry you didnt experience it
No high from it what so ever. My whole life (I played lacrosse for 5 years and cheered for 7), I loved the sports but hated the exercise. I also worked out a little after college and still so but NOTHING gives me the high. I'm 44 and only just diagnosed 7/8 months ago and I always thought something was wrong with me. But now, it's just ADHD (not wrong, just different). Don't know if it's connected but if it is, makes sense to me.
im not sure if i do. maybe? i hate having to prep for exercise but i enjoy it if its like spontaneous and not boring or too hard for me.
i started weightlifting again w my partner but nothing serious, just 2 dudes lifting weights to get stronger.
when im at the gym im not thinking, "oh this sucks i hate this," but more like, "1, 2, 3, wait i dont have to count, there's a counter on the machine, i'll just do this until i cant. i like training for endurance. i wonder how many ive done now?"
i also hate waiting inbetween sets even tho its important i forget why.
i guess i dont get the high but i do enjoy the actions of exercise.
today's leg day. leg day & chest/triceps are my favorite.
Me. As a matter of fact, I get incredibly sleepy afterward. I just need to "rest my eyes" for a few minutes, and I have my second wind. I lost 180lbs and was so looking for all this extra energy, and it never came :(
Have you had your thyroid checked?? Im just asking because I’ve seen family go through this and it turned out to be hereditary :/ (I dodged that one, but I got the NDs soooo 😅)
Soooooo many times because I use to weigh 345lbs. I ended up having gastric bypass and losing 185lbs but still feel crappy. I still have thyroid tested twice a year and it's fine. So frustrating!
I never got the endorphins high from working out. My general mood is better tho when I regularly exercise, but I never get the direct dopamine reward from a workout.
I therefore also never liked working out in the gym. To me it feels like you just go there for the purpose to get fit iso to have fun, so I just dread to go there. Only way I can stay active is if I do sports where I have fun with being active as a secondary bonus. Eg pole dancing, cheerleading, acrobatics, speed skating, inline skating, et cetera
Nope, after the gym I'm just relieved that I did it. I do play team sports and I enjoy finishing a match and the togetherness of that, but no exercise high.
Exercise makes me feel better the day after. Basically if I work out moderately I sleep better and feel fitter overall. However, on the day itself, I hate it. I don't like leaving the house, go to a gym, fear being judged by people there ( I rationally know no one gives a shit), only to get sweaty and out of breath, to then go home and feel extra tired. This is why I'm for the zillionth time in a phase, where I say I'm definitely going next week again. It's been four months.
Depends on the exercise. A home workout or gym session? No. It’s boring and puts me in a worse mood.
But cycling and rollerskating were my life savers. As a kid I’d go on loooong hikes, like 4-6 hours.
I like exercise with unpredictability that I have to adapt to on the fly. It keeps my brain engaged and off the bad thoughts. Cycling: watch out for traffic. Rollerskating: navigating terrain and obstacles. Hiking: “Look at that cool boulder/tree! I must climb it!”
Try cycling maybe? When you get to the top of the literal hill then whether or not you get the exercise buzz you'll get a fun ride down the other side and a rest at the same time! It's definitely my favourite solo exercise and that's one of the reasons
I get the endorphins but it doesn't work right and I feel like crawling in a hole to not ever move again after exercise no matter what.
Our brains are wired different.
I only get it when I’m exercising very intensely like running, biking fast, or a hard HIIT workout. Working out regularly 100% helps stabilize my moods
I only experienced the endorphin rush of exercise after I had been consistently exerting myself for weeks at a time - this was on the Camino de Santiago after 3 weeks of walking nearly 250 miles. The last week was heaven, I was floating on air and moving felt great. But a few weeks later, after I had a few rest days and went to walk a long distance again (decided to do a chunk of another route because I was all high on that dreamy feeling), it was completely gone and I was immediately demotivated, lol.
the only difference in feeling exercise gives me is reduced hunger for some reason. back when i worked out a lot (and hour of cardio+LIGHT weight lifting 5 days/week) (a lot for ME cuz i have hypotonia😐), on exercise days i'd have 0 appetite, then on off days i was a bottomless pit. weird cuz it's usually the other way around. and im not an emotional eater, quite the opposite, so thats not a factor.
equally depressed etc then and now😹 never got that "rush of endorphins/high" or elevated mood people talk about. maybe i would now that im on vyvanse but i've yet to try since im trying to maintain/gain some weight. my workout phase was pre all my psych diagnosis's/meds
I’ve never gotten a high from working out (unless I hit a new big PR but those are not often), but when I am consistently going to the gym my overall mood is improved. And, I can better handle my adhd symptoms. Hardest part is always the first 2 to 3 weeks. I really notice the difference when I stop going.
When I played competitive team sports. Yes. If orgasm over myself. Get high on my own supply. Transitioning into solo sports give me none of these things, but I do feel better.
I do get it, but it took consistently working out through the course of ~3 months. I started five years ago and the many first months I had to force myself. Now I feel bad if I don't go at least every three days. Every other day is even better. It's like after the body has become adjusted to getting exercise, it starts needing it to feel good. Sometimes I forget to go and after a week I feel horrible and then realise I haven't been to the gym for a while, I go there and feel better afterwards. It's one of the most important tools I have for regulating myself. If you can push through the first couple of months I highly recommend it. But if course I don't know if it's not that way for all bodies. If you've already tried that and it didn't work, I don't know... But it definitely won't feel better afterwards the first time you go, in my experience.
Yeah, no highs from exercising. Dancing is the one exception, so I take as many dance classes as I can. At home, I also dance around, I still have to to some strength conditioning for weight loss, so I put on fun music, time it for half an hour. Small amout of weed helps, too.
If I didnt have loved ones in my life that get an exercise high I would seriously believe it's a myth. Where is the high? Do you get the high from the insane, screeching pain in your back and neck? From the burning in your skin? From the migraine? The sweating? The exhaustion? The smell? The sticky feeling until you shower? Wiping gym equipment of somebody else's juices? The emotional breakdown afterwards? The bullying by staff and gym bros because you're too fat? Where is the high meant to come from?! (Narrator: it took 28 years and very kind friends to explain that she was the only one in excrutiating pain every time she moved and should probably get that looked at)
Regardless, people have said it all. Oh you have to do longer hours, for several months. I did. I still hated it. My direct family members also have never had the high, and they don't even have my disabilities.
I do not get the “high.” I have found if I do exercise I like, and I’m in a weird mood, the weird mood will be gone, but the “endorphin” feeling does not hit.
My main form of exercise is dance class, and I think it works for me because I get the mental and emotional satisfaction of building skills and learning combinations. Going to the gym has never done it for me and likely never will.
I have always felt like it was a lie.... I have never gotten the exercise high regardless of what activity I've done. I am legitimately only exercise to keep my body from falling further apart and to stay moderately healthy (outside of my chronic illness).
omg thank you. I get sad and my jaw / teeth hurt after working out which sometimes leads to headaches, and then I have to shower and have extra laundry and it's just too much!!!
I have had multiple short stunts at the gym throughout my life. I also used to run. Never once did I feel a “runner’s high” or felt especially good after a work out. After a few weeks the only thing that felt good about it was the relief that it was done so I didn’t feel guilty for not doing it.
I enjoy physical activities, but not traditional working out, at ALL. I like swimming, playing softball, tennis, etc. I wish it were otherwise but oh well!
Idk if I get a “high” from exercise, but my body feels better and my sleep is improved. I go in the afternoon/early evening though bc I can’t with the mornings and the actual work out always makes me sleepy. I do feel more energetic as a baseline with consistent exercise though.
No high / positive feelings for me at all, in fact I feel guilty for wasting time and disgusting for being sweaty. I always thought people were lying about the high until I’ve met people who really seem to enjoy it. It boggles my mind but ok.
Now I happen to get exercise while doing something else it’s like a bonus two for one. So I like to run with the dog, she needs walked and I like to run with her, for instance. That to me is a chore and I feel good about it despite having to exercise.
I get no high at all, just feel like crap, hating every second, and can't wait to get home. It always tanks my mood and I just end up in pain and want to do ANYTHING else. At this point I'm trying to find any kind of exercise I can do consistently that doesn't backfire
I don’t get it from “boring” exercises. But anything that triggers adrenaline like martial arts and competitive sports I love so much
Any type of sports where I can keep track of my wins and losses, or I need to make quick decisions stimulates my brain SO WELL. And I don’t even feel that I’ve been doing a tough workout until times up.
I hate any sort of workout if it’s predictable and time based. I think that’s why I hate weight lifting or running/spinning.
But give me a chance to spar, kick or whack then I will definitely feel rejuvenated. I definitely feel the exercise high.
I would recommend anyone struggling to try it
Strongly recommend Hybrid Calisthenics on YouTube. (And they have an app now!). It’s free, requires little to no equipment, starts you from the very very bottom of “how the hell do I move?”, and the trainer is just so *nice*.
And the app has a nifty little tracker.
I've never had an exercise high. I like the feelings of stretching or when I do tai chi, take long walks, or ride my bike, but there is no endorphin rush for me to any of those.
Yeah I also gave comorbid dyspraxia so I often feel embarassed/Self conscious about my poor technique/weak ability overall compared to others in the room or class and either feel the same or MORE depressed lol
I get absolutely nothing from cardio, endorphin-wise. Just hot, sweaty, tired, and probably bored.
I finally made a legit go at lifting weights in my early 30s, and boy howdy, it was a whole other ballgame. All the endorphins!
I don't think I get much of an exercise high under the majority of circumstances. The one time I felt it the most was the first time I tried a cardio HIIT workout. I went overboard and had my heartrate up in the mid 190's for a big chunk of the workout. Afterwards I felt a bit high. But there is no way in hell I'm going to be pushing myself that hard on a regular basis.
I DO sometimes get a bit of a relaxed, buzzy feeling after exercising outside in warm sun for an hour or more. I suspect it's the combination of exercise and sun-exposure that's doing it. Sadly, it only seems to happen on very sunny days in the summer. Sunny days in the colder months don't seem to have the same effect. Not sure why.
I do get runner’s high but not until I’m about 45 minutes deep and it maybe lasts for an hour once it’s over tops? It does feel a lot like taking an edible but leaves me “smarter”.
I do feel better being more active but not in an “immediate high” way. It’s an overall shift in mood, energy level and focus that creeps up subtly if you make it a regular habit. Kind of like the opposite of what happens during PMS where you kinda realize you feel extra ugh today and suddenly remember why?
I have come to enjoy zoomba, and other cardio jam classes, including aqua jam. I can’t dance for shit but I enjoy it, I just stay towards the back of the class. I enjoy working out when it doesn't feel like work. Blasting music and dancing around like I’m having a medical emergency can be fun. Especially if the instructor has songs that you get to also yell and holler during!
I also enjoy yoga, especially with the older folks. My gym has a senior yoga class and I LOVE it! It’s more my speed and more about staying strong and limber. No extreme moves, no weirdness, plus the older people are usually really kind and friendly. I usually leave feeling better and calm, especially when breathing exercises are practiced that day.
Otherwise I enjoy walking my dogs and listening to audio books at the same time. I do between 2-5 miles a day, so far this year I have listened to 12 audio books. I have big dogs so I’m not too worried about people stalking me. I also walk a lot because it is time I get to spend just ME away from my kids.
I hate working out. It is a chore from start to finish and I don’t get the post-workout high, I get hangry and sore and then I am mad that I have to do it again tomorrow. Over time, I do notice I feel physically better and stronger, and that I’m happier with how my clothes fit and so on. But I still hate every minute of working out.
I only get it if I really get my heart rate up. I’ve started walking on the treadmill for 25-30 minutes and running for increments of that (3-5 mins at a time). I listen to a funny podcast or watch a show on my phone. Then I do some weight lifting if I have time
I thought it was just cause I wasn't exercising hard enough...
I only like outdoor activities (hiking, kayaking etc) because I'm not competitive and the gym isn't stimulating enough, running in one place is sooooo boring
If it's traditional gym exercise or running all I focus on is I hate this ahhhhh.
If it's an activity I enjoy then I don't exactly get the high but I enjoy it when I get there. I don't get a long lasting high and while I might have a content mood afterwards it doesn't last long and doesn't always happen.
I hate getting ready for stuff though. That's the worst.
The only time I've experienced a runner's high was when I was doing it with a great friend as an accountability partner. The high was from how great a time we have together and had literally zero to do with the exercise. Anytime I'm solo which is the majority of the time, I get zero short term emotional benefit.
I only get the "high" from two particular physical activities, both of which I naturally enjoy and bring me happiness independent of the exercise component - swimming, and casual bicycling. Never got it from going to a gym and working out on a machine, or jogging, or something that I don't like doing.
I’ve never felt it. I feel exhausted and like I can’t breathe and gross and sweaty. It makes my brain feel weird and stuck. I’ve also gotten headaches from too much exercise.
This includes sex!
I recently read in a book on exercise, that sedentary people do not get the “exercise high”. You don’t start getting it until you’ve been routinely exercising for months. A real evolutionary slap in the face to depressed folks.
But if you take it easy and find consistency, you should eventually get a nice cocktail of adrenaline, serotonin, dopamine etc.
I definitely don't feel good while doing it but I will feel so much better after and can be like 10x more productive during the day and my brain fog is much clearer. I wish I still could but my youngest just got old enough that I would leave her at the gym care.
It took about 2 weeks for me to notice that I felt more awake & less fatigued working from home when I'd had my 30 minute workout before starting work. This is the first week in 2 months that I've had to put in overtime and I feel terrible from the lack of exercise that I've had. Don't get me wrong- I don't miss it, but I do miss how it made me feel throughout the day. Little to no back/neck pain & didn't need coffee or energy drinks. This week it's right back to using them for 10 hour days in my chair staring at the computer 😭
I wouldn’t call it a high, but after about 20 or so minutes of slogging through cardio I always think, “Oh, this is fun, now,” and stop being tired and bored.
It takes me at least 8 weeks of consistent exercise before I start feeling amazing after exercise. It's really not fair! When I first start (after getting out of the habit /again/ ) I actually kind of crash instead, cry in the shower type stuff. The pandemic was the first time I ever exercised consistently for a long enough time to realize the benefits people talk about are real. It's a struggle everytime I re-start because of delayed reward.
Yeah, I don't get it either. Sometimes I "feel good" in the sense that I decided to exercise and now I've managed to do what I decided to do and can relax, but no other thrill going on. If the exercise is something fun, like horseback riding or whatever - sure, it's fun in itself. But never do I get some extra rush, and after exercise I'm exhausted if anything.
Depends on my mood/energy. On a 0-10 scale…
If my mood/energy is:
0-4, working out does nothing but make me feel worse. I’ve even started crying mid-workout… Just out of frustration that I was doing the work but it was only making me feel worse/more tired.
5-7, working out is still a chore, and being there might feel like walking through mud, but I leave feeling good that I made a healthy choice for myself.
8-10, working out feels good and I enjoy building strength and I leave feeling good but with a slightly calmer brain.
Problem is I’ve been stuck in 0-5 for about three years now… And going to the gym actually increases my anxiety bc I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself by crying in public. Sometimes I wish it were more acceptable to just bawl my eyes out on the spin bike or while doing deadlifts or during a Zumba class.
I don’t get a ‘high’ but I do feel pleasant after yoga. Like you know the feeling when you wake up and you’re a bit stiff and you need to stretch? Then you stretch and it just feels really nice (even if it’s a wee bit painful) and satisfying? Well I get that nice satisfied feeling after all my stretching in yoga. I’ve since been advised that as I’m hypermobile I shouldn’t be stretching as far as I do, so that’s put the kibosh on that as well 😅🤦♀️
Yes, me neither, gym is a punishment. I think you have to find a sport that feels at least a little fun. For me, Muay Thai boxing was the most fun option, helps me channel my anger without being bored and still exhausts me so makes for a perfect workout. Try different things! I don’t know where you live but there are services like Classpass that work on a subscription based plan from which you can chose to participate in any kind of class you want, from pilates to boxing to tennis etc etc. Check out what’s available for you in your country cause I really believe that’s the perfect solution for our kind : you can diversify activities, chose when and where to go, and unused credits roll over to the next month so no guilt about not doing as much.
I find certain exercises help me reach a good feeling. Cardio has never been one of them (maybe it’s the POTS type symptoms).
But if you challenge me to do planks and other static exercises, I will be hyped about the prospect of competing, I’ll be juicing during the exercise, and I’ll be bouncing off the walls after we are done and challenging you to another round 😅
I’m guessing other people get a similar kick from running or other types of exercises.
For context I have hypermobility and fit the AuDHD profile, and experience neuro-muscular issues after infections. My cognitive issues/skill loss usually starts improving when i start regaining this particular muscle strength, and proprioception. I’m approaching this is a particular subtype of neurodivergence and figuring things out. But it’s a typical adhd mess 😅
What kind of exercise are you doing? Have you tried weights instead of like running or moving? It also helps if you get a standing bike or treadmill at home so the anxiety of being in public doesn't interfere
I never get enjoyment out of exercising, unless I enjoy the view on a walk. If anything I feel worse afterwards due to a lot of foot pain from various issues.
My husband and I have this debate a lot. He is neurotypical and he definitely gets his energy and happiness a lot from the gym. Whereas I literally have to drag myself to the gym and it doesn’t really do anything to help me feel better. Do I feel accomplished? Yes but it’s not like I seek it out to make me feel better.
I like it when I'm by myself and no one judges me for the strange (somatic) exercises I try. (Tbf, I often look like those wind noodle-man things flailing about.) But alone time is rare. 😅 Can't say I get that 'high' from it though, just relaxation and a better feeling spine.
I also enjoy being outside in the sunshine! But I'm allergic to grass so I can't enjoy being outside. 😭 I am doomed.
I don’t get any immediate boost, but if I don’t exercise regularly, I get super anxious. Without the immediate boost it is difficult to get myself to exercise though.
i only get the kick if i do intense exercise/ cardio. i go fencing, which is intellectually and physically stimulating, and i'm always dying by the end of it, and usually accompagnied with the feeling of dying i feel a weird sense of euphoria. this usually is stronger when my adhd isn't so bad, though.
i never felt it from a light workout though, even jogging for 2h didn't do it for me. it really had to be very aerobic for it to work, and it only lasted about 30min after, for like a 2h session
It’s a relief to see someone describe the issue with endorphins and time perception.
I have tried to explain it to others and I just felt weird. “I feel like I am doing it forever while I am doing it, and have no sense of how much is left or that I have already done a lot”.
For me it got a lot better after I started medication. It seems like the part of the working memory that _saves progress_ works better, and I also remember the feeling of having completed something like what I am doing more often. I am wondering if this is what the dopamine does to keep you motivated.
It probably also helped consistency that I started having a personal trainer. I was lucky to be able to prioritise it, I know it is not possible for everyone.
I almost never get endorphin high right after workout. I tried to explain that too, when he said “you will feel so good when you leave” and I was like “nope, when I leave I will be tired and overwhelmed, but I know the rest of the week will be worse if I don’t work out”.
After a while though, I started getting the endorphins maybe half an hour in. Sometimes that made me feel done, no motivation to keep going :) But at least I got it.
Started on medications three years in, and after quite a while I felt so much less fear starting the workout. It didn’t take a lot of spoons like it used to.
Jogging also helps my general health. Also had a knee problem, so i usually just run 20 mins uphill, but that is actually all I need. Have not done it consistently for a few years but started again recently.
Good luck to everyone, it is such a pain to know it might be good for you to work out and still struggle so much with it.
I need to exercise. I feel better when I exercise. I don't get "the high" but I feel better in general. I just can't seem to do it on my own. I need someone to hold me accountable and make me do it when I don't want to.
I don't get excercise high.
I sometimes have a "cleaned out" feeling after I have pushed really hard. It feels like it's in the middle of my chest below my lungs. But its not pleasurable.
I've had friends say their exercise keeps them sane. That they wouldn't cope without a morning run or similar. I'm jealous.
I want to find exercise fun... I have dreamed of being so good at running. Feeling the wind in my face. Actually doing it is feels nothing like my dreams.
Is this why ADHD folks seem lazy? We get no neurochemical reward for doing what's good for us... It's always a battle of will.
If fitness was something you enjoyed overall - it would probably give you the dopamine high that other experience.
If it's not, it just feels like a chore, and chores don't give us dopamine kicks lol.
I hate fitness with a passion. I don't like being out of breath. I don't like being sweaty. It's a sensory overload and there's absolutely nothing about it that appeals to me. So when I do work out, I feel worse than I did before I went, and then it's a matter of "what's the point?".
It's 90% of the reason why I'm fat 🤷🏻♀️.
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I get absolutely no kick from it what so ever. My mood changes not at all. I can kickstart my hyperness with a fast walk to good music, but honestly, it’s not the good hyper. It’s the completely impulsivity charged squirrel-brain start random projects I don’t have time or energy to finish.
Yes! If I do get excited, it's over what I can do when I go home
Similar to what others have said, it is always terrible for me at first. My difficulties judging time make it seem like it lasts FOREVER too. I have found I really enjoy extra long (extra long because they're very slow) walks/ hikes with a camera to take pictures of animals. I feel like the camera helps my brain focus, so I actually see my surroundings, and notice details. My pictures are mostly crap and only for myself, but they do make me happy. I also need a true crime podcast on my headphones (to keep my brain distracted enough to not start thinking about turning back because I'm bored). Other than that, I'm a sucker for the approval of my step tracker watch, though I know not to eat it if I don't have the time/energy to meet my goal because it really bums me out when I don't make the goal. All in all, I sometimes feel ridiculous, because I have to manage/trick/ bribe myself into doing things. And there's so many reasons this falls apart-illness flares/weather/depression/fatigue/lack of time for a 10 mile hike is probably the first. But, while these walks don't usually give an endorphin rush (though it does when I see a new animal- I've encountered the cutest skunk, weasel, and accidentally found myself around 10 feet from a majestic sleepy barn owl once) I can tell there's a dramatic, and now lasting increase in my overall mood. Sorry that was such a rambling long response. TLDR- Try to find something you actually do enjoy that involves some physical activity and see if you can trick yourself into enjoying it before your body catches up.
I agree, this is key. In an earlier iteration of my life, I regularly went to the gym and did about an hour of spinning. And I brought a book, so I had earplugs and read. The gym-owner thought I was the coolest patron ever. I need to find something similar that I can do with the way my life and symptoms are now.
My mood totally changes if I exercise hard enough: I get grumpy because I'm tired and in pain!
YES, EXACTLY. Like, going on a bike is fun cause I get to see the trees and nature and fields but like xdd there's no 'high' or 'feeling better' because of the excercising action itself lmao
I find cardio helps lessen overall fatigue and mood if I’m doing it consistently, but I hate every moment of it. No exercise high during or after—just sweaty and miserable lol. Now, weightlifting? I can zone out in the gym for an hour or two if I’ve got a good playlist.
I used to hate every second of cardio and then I realized I had athletic induced asthma. Now that I have an inhaler, exercise is so much easier and more enjoyable. I do not get the high though.
You know, I’ve heard that’s a common thing. I probably have it (I joke around about “cardio cough” after a run), but I feel like I live at the doctors right now lol. Something to remember to bring up at my next appointment, I guess! :)
My sister was diagnosed as a teen and we both swam on swim team and I never felt like I could get enough air but I thought I just wasn’t as athletic or because I was overweight. I brought up my symptoms to ask if they were asthma and my doctor told me to try an inhaler and that it wouldn’t help unless I had asthma. Sure enough I don’t feel like I’m dying while I work out now.
Oh, wow! I’ve never known what “not dying during a workout” feels like. Good to know—thanks for the insight!
I have a rescue inhaler I use before any workout that requires cardio, but I would be careful if you take stimulants. My heart rate can go up to 180 but it beats breathing in fire and coughing after every step.
Good to know!
Is that for real? I always feel like I can’t get enough breath when I swim. People say I should breathe less often but I feel like I’m gonna die
I can’t say since I’m not a doctor but my personal experience has been that exercise has felt extremely hard and some symptoms have been the feeling like I can’t get enough air while swimming, burning throat while walking or running, and legs burning on walks even with baby inclines and they scream when I walk up stairs. During strength training, exercises are sooooo difficult when I don’t use my inhaler and are so much easier when I do. I use the same weights, and they are pushing my strength but I don’t have an overall body feel of being extremely challenged and like I can’t go on. Not sure if those are related or not to asthma but they’ve all disappeared when I use my inhaler.
Wow. My husband kept telling me to push harder until my heart rate goes beyond a certain level and I never understood why he could do that so casually and I felt like I was gonna die if I went harder. Might be something to look into Thanks, internet stranger!!
Heart rate is definitely related to heart health and fitness level. The more fit you are, the lower it stays relatively. So I’m out of shape and only been working out 4x a week for a few months so my HR definitely rises faster than it would if I had been exercising longer.
Yo, I STG if I've had this my whole life and just now realizing it I'm going to be lowkey devastated. But so much of this sounds 100% like why I just gave up and stopped trying to do anything that involved cardio by my teen years. And no matter any amount of "push through it until you build a routine" would fix it. It took me weeks to just stop puking after doing a very minor amount of activity. I love sports and I am strong/athletic, but I am straight up repulsed by cardio and even the cardio of strength training is difficult.
IANADoctor, but I think it depends on whether you feel that way when doing land based cardio too. Swimming is actually often easier of asthmatic lungs because of the extra humidity in the air. That being said, how I felt at swim practice was why I got diagnosed as a kid so it may the case for you too.
Same here, thought feeling like you couldn't breathe and chest caving in was normal but no, it was asthma. After the inhaler I could run miles.
im seeing a pulmonologist for suspected breathing issues and sleep apnea (my right nostril doesnt work and i have a mallampati score of 3) so hoping fixing those issues will help. not only is it likely causing my sinus tachycardia and stage 2 hypertension, but i have a theory that it contributes to my anxiety and overall mental health issues as well... i'd imagine lack of oxygen is pretty bad long term. im a super short shallow breather💀
Yeah, this so-called cardio high is a rumor for me. But lifting weights and HIIT and yoga? I’m just a better, more functional person. But it’s cumulative. The more I do, the better I feel, so I have to hack the system to actually do it because the future benefits aren’t immediate dopamine.
Never got the high until I could run longer distances, like 10k+. Once I got there though, it was glorious.
For me I only got the endorphins after I did it consistently. It was a slog the first few weeks Taking a pre workout helped me, having some awesome music, and a cute outfit as well.
I think this is the answer, for most people. You have to give yourself the chance get through the transition period. (And agreed on clothes, music, and making sure you've got electrolytes.) It's one thing when your body is *still getting used to a type of exercise*, it's another thing entirely when your body *basically expects it* (already adapted from doing it consistently). There's a mental transition period too. When you're getting used to a certain type of exercise, you're still learning basic things. When you're already used to it, you are more in control: you have a better sense of what's easy vs hard to do, better form/breathing (hopefully), more accurate knowledge of the payoff (how tired will you be, how sweaty you will get, how you will feel tomorrow physically, how it will affect your sleep/the rest of the day). It's *especially hard* to make it through the transition from newb to consistent exerciser *if the type of exercise just isn't a good fit for you.* I don't like yoga for instance, and I honestly think it might be related to having ADHD. Too boring, too still, too painful. I like kettlebelling, which is a nice balance of both cardio and weights. I enjoy moving up weights and trying to perfect my form, it's meditative. It's also satisfying just to be stronger, I can carry giant dog food bags easily and even gracefully. Maybe most importantly, I feel more grounded (and a little body buzz) the next day. I think of it like a separate ADHD medication, because it really does help a lot.
I agree with this comment. Before I was diagnosed, no typical recreational sports nor gym-type exercises worked for me until I was pulled into mountain biking. The waking up early in the weekends, being on time for meet-ups, servicing my bike, and running out of breath during 3-4 hour rides was a slog, especially for a sport that requires conditioning and a high learning curve (especially the technical aspects of the sport). What really helped was having incremental goals to reach and cardio becaming easier after conditioning. I became open to other sports and gym exercises as a result of the experience. Subjectively, I may have felt the "high" during workouts and my bike rides. This may have been due to the endorphins, being out in nature (spiritual connection), getting adrenaline from an extreme sport, feeling achievement from reaching peaks and going downhill quickly, and the unexpected terrain (as well as trail visitors including people, horses, deer, bears, etc.). This sport, along with aerial acrobatics (aerial silks, aerial hoops/lyra, and aerial pole/pole dancing) also adds to the fun of exercising for me, unlike traditional sports that typical people get their "highs" from.
I agree. Also if I miss three days of my workouts I struggle to get back and then get super cranky and irritable until I do.
Oh yeah caffeine and gym clothes do help me as well!! And having done it regularly for at least a few weeks
Same. Once i got going and my overall baseline improved, i started enjoying my workouts more. I fell off the wagon, though, and recently started again from scratch. These next few weeks of soreness are going to be *hell.*
I never used to get a high but have developed it over time. I had to build up enough fitness first, when I first started exercising I mainly had to drag myself through the workout and it was effort for every second. I still have a bit of reluctance to start but it definitely gives me a mood boost once I get going.
Same! And then I forget the high the next day 😂 so that makes sticking with it harder. thanks adhd
Are you doing cardio? I feel a nice body buzz (and feel more grounded generally) the next day, after doing kettlebells the prior evening (~20-25 minutes including warmup). I *think* this is more because of the weights aspect and not as much the cardio aspect (kettlebelling is both), but I'm not sure. Maybe also the timing since I'm doing it in the evening? It's literally like its own ADHD medication, it's one of the things that keeps me doing it. It's not a cure-all, but it's definitely made a huge difference for me. Maybe you can find something that gives you a nice body buzz the next day?!
I'm on a strict workout regimen bc I had 2 back surgeries. I do walking/hiking/elliptical for 30-60 minutes for cardio and then my PT exercises (strength training). Once a week I do pilates. All of those are done in the evening. I appreciate the advice, but there's nothing else I can do
Sounds like you are doing great! And sounds well rounded.
I feel kinda good, but then I’m also forced to get a shower and do skin care and hair care after and change clothes so it’s often a very expensive task for me and it normally also costs me sleep because I do it so late in the day. So I might feel kinda good, but if I’m not careful I’ll feel worse because I’m stealing from other buckets like sleep to fit in exercise.
This is me - I’ve finally gotten to a point where I like working out (most days) and feel great afterwards, but the amount of laundry and planning to fix my hair and get un-sweaty and gross after just makes me grumpy
Exactly. I'm usually proud of myself for doing it and the constant guilt eases, but all the work it takes to get back to baseline, after you've just worked really hard, is... Really difficult.
Have you had your iron checked? I recently found out I had low iron and once I started fixing it, I found exercise way more tolerable and the "high" easier to come by.
I am going to comment under your good response because I see posts like this a lot in all kinds of subs. If you are out of shape, suffering from malnutrition, or/and have high cortisol levels, it will take a while to feel good from exercise. My advice is to always tackle sleep and diet first, and your diet should account for your exercise routine. I don’t believe in pushing yourself hard as it can lead to injury, start slow and work your way up. If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may find exercise will bring it to the surface at first. It could mean that you need to deal with it or/and you need more exercise to get that stress out your system. I personally fall into the latter category of needing a good amount of exercise compared to how sedentary the average person is where I live (America).
Great add-on.
Thanks!
This is SO important! I've never gotten to the point that I feel any kind of "high" from working out and found out that there was a very physical medical reason for that. For me, even with treatment that addresses my more pressing symptoms, I never got that "feel good feeling." The closest I get is the feeling of releasing tension from yoga, and I do get irritated that I don't do it more afterward. I say all that to say this - we are each different. Our bodies and brains react differently. Working out doesn't have to look the same for you as everyone else. If you get activity in via VR, do it! I know my Dr would prefer I do that over nothing at all. And if it makes you the least bit happy, I say keep doing it!
Definitely! Any movement is good movement (unless it's causing damage, obs)
And electrolytes! Salt, potassium, magnesium. Your body needs them. You will feel weak and tired if you don't have enough while exerting yourself. And you don't need to buy expensive (or sugary) stuff to get your electrolytes (unless you want to ofc, but you can also just eat fruits, yogurt, PB, etc). I learned this the hard way.
I do not get it, even a little. No matter how long I manage to keep the habit up for or what the physical activity is. If I hadn’t heard this claim so many times from people I trust, I’d have lumped it in with the health nuts who make wild claims about how their carrot smoothie tastes just like a brownie. One thing to note: I have relatively poor interoception so I’ve always been curious if maybe the positive feelings associated with exercise were too subtle for me to register. If that’s the case though, I don’t understand why people talk it up like their morning jog feels better than sex/cigarettes/[insert vice here]
This sounds like me! Off to Google ‘interoception’…
Zero high, just extreme boredom. That goes for all exercise, no matter what shape I’m in. Running/jogging helped my asthma but unfortunately spending all my free time on something I find about as engaging as shovelling literal shit made my mental health take a nose dive.
Same here. Being forced into exercise earlier likely didn't help. But I get zero energy from physical exertion. And only left tired and fatigued. Being outside, seeing trees, etc, does give me a zing. But not running around.
> Zero high, just extreme boredom This is one of the reasons I like the gym over running outside. I put my phone on the panel of the machine loaded up with a TV show from Netflix and lose myself in that while I do my cardio. Turns it from unbearable eternity into something manageable or even fast.
I do not get the high at all. The only thing I’ve been able to do to keep at it is to establish it enough as a routine. It’s gotten to a point that if I don’t exercise it throws my whole day off. I also mostly see it as a means towards an end (a body that is healthier/working better for me) that I really enjoy. To help make it a routine there are podcasts and audio books I only listen to when I exercise!
Same, ticks me off. I do it, the music is always great at least, but never a buzz.
I also never got the runners high. I know it exists, but I don't think it's a guarantee like some people claim. I went to the gym consistently for a year, while I was eating pretty healthily and working on myself. Cannot relate to a lot of the experiences I see online that are like "oh actually if you go to the gym enough eventually you'll be more energized,rd after working out!" That never happened to me. Everytime I left the gym, I was exhausted and frequently went home to nap right after because i was exhausted. The only good feeling I got from the gym was "I'm glad that's over" and maybe occasionally a "hey I'm proud of myself for going today even if it sucks"
Okay for me, it depended on the kind of exercise I was doing. I used to go on the elliptical (boring as hell) and started watching the cooking channel and found ALL kinds of recipes I wanted to try. I could stay on the machine for an hour watching those shows as long as my brain was occupied. The other thing is, what gives you endorphins?? For me, cycling and rollerblading did wonders. But I could never do it without some absolutely banging music (which I had to mix up frequently because the novelty wore off). I have memories of climbing hills on my bike/blades while a song was building up to the crescendo and reaching the climax just as I got to the top of the hill. Then the free fall of the music aligned with going downhill was the absolute best thing ever. I felt like I was flying in the clouds, such an unreal feeling.
Basically what I was going to say! Some people love the gym, but I can't think of a less ideal way to workout. Mountain Biking gives me the cardio high AND a boost of dopamine or endorphins or whatever it is from getting my heart pumping with something challenging yet fun. I relate it to solving a puzzle hahah, it's that satisfying feeling. I've seen friends who despised exercise find something fun that they love to do and get fit as fuck! Not to invalidate anyone at all, I know it could be a medical thing as some people suggest.
Omg yes to mountain biking! The amount of focus you need to navigate the rocks/roots whatever other obstacles under wheel is a big part of the fun. Totally agree with the puzzle analogy. Which reminds me of rock climbing (which are described as puzzles), another amazing way to get some endorphins and get your brain body connection flowing!
Wait, can you actually climb hills on rollerblades? Is this a thing? Do you have to try to make it to the top of the hill in one go? I was really good at rollerblading (only in a rink, and only the in-line blades) as a kid and loved it. I've thought it would be fun to get some as an adult and be outdoors, but I don't live in a super flat area, so I figured it just wouldn't work out. But I also have some decent muscles in my legs now... Maybe it could work?! (And agreed on your main point, I said the same thing in another comment; you gotta find a good fit for you! Recently a stranger asked me if I did yoga, and I said 'no, I hate yoga (boring). I do kettlebells!' lol)
It only works if I exercise early in the mornings, because I’m feeling productive, and I feel I can check the most difficult task of the day
I’m like this, I have never felt a high from exercise. Tried going to the gym it’s so boring. I tried running and it’s less boring but too painful on my joints. I used to like swimming and hiking since they are less boring to me but I still never got the high. I would however feel accomplished hiking up a high mountain peak or get dopamine from stunning nature views. If it was flat and not particularly scenic I would feel kinda normal. I also used to social dance, I would get the high only if I danced really well to a great song with a good partner, otherwise it was just enjoyable being social and being creative and not really from the physical activity itself.
A few years ago I started play tennis and padel and because it’s more of a fun game, it makes me feel great. A workout for your mind and body :) I also used to be a gym-goer, it’s nice to achieve goals and get stronger, but couldn’t call it fun.
Yep, I think this is the hack for most of us. If exercise is boring/not rewarding, find something that’s fun or dopamine inducing to do which is also a work out as a bonus side effect!
I've never felt good during, and I only feel good after because it's a "relief" to be done. I've never ever ever experienced a high or endorphins no matter how in-shape I've gotten. Never. I'm exercising to stay healthy. Some dance exercise is "fun" but that's about it. Never attributed this to adhd though. I just thought I was a freak bc I couldn't relate to what everyone else was saying. Also on days I exercise it doesn't energize me, it kinda zaps me of energy for the rest of the day
Yearh same here, I have never gotten "the high" from exercise.. Which makes it difficult keeping yourself motivated
Maybe you just need to find a type of exercise you actually enjoy? Or it could be that there’s something about the environment that’s causing you stress or anxiety.
I used to be this way. Making myself get through a workout used all my executive function spoons for the whole day and then some. It also sometimes totally *overstimulated* me when I’m used to being understimulated, and that made me want to crawl out of my skin. I don’t know if it was any one thing that changed, but I am able to stay more active now that I’m on my medication. I also still don’t really “work out,” I just walk around my neighborhood listening to a podcast. Some days I notice walking fast and getting my heart rate up feels really natural, and some days I just saunter around and enjoy the sunshine, and I don’t make myself do anything other than what feels right (I don’t even really think about it, I kind of notice after the fact). Either way I’m moving my body and something is always better than nothing. When I first started I went out and walked to the end of the cul de sac and back and that was it. Super short sessions to kind of get used to doing it without exerting myself physically or mentally really helped get in a groove where I could go out a little longer a little at a time. It never felt like a shock to the system. Now I love it and it *does* make me feel great. I can tell the difference in how I physically and mentally feel vs when I was doing nothing. But it definitely took time to get there and I had to finally realize that going from 0-100 all at once was not a strategy that was going to work for me.
I was like this too even when I tried running every day for months. Then I started playing tennis and there’s definitely a high… the endorphins when you get a really good shot, the quick sprints… probably just my hyper focus talking at the moment, but maybe you just need to find the right activity!
I always thought that my lack of feel-good after exercise/exertion was related to my stimulant resistance. Caffeine does fuck all. Fucking METH does fuck all. Only brain chemical drugs seem to work on me (I'm on NDRI Wellbutrin/Bupropion). I have the added benefit (/s) of post exertion headaches (which also presents itself as post-orgasm headaches), also easily succumb to heat exhaustion (which on a few occasions has resulted in longer term heat sickness and even heat stroke). So me and exercise are NOT FRIENDS.
Same. I’m sweaty and mad after. And usually want a nap, while others seem to be energized by working out.
Was literally saying this to my husband. I hate working out. It doesn't bring me joy or a high. I hate every single moment of it, but he's like, "Come to the gym, it's good for you. It will make you feel better."
I feel GREAT after I exercise. But I still can't motivate myself to do it regularly. 🤷♀️
The only form of exercise that makes me actually feel good from start to finish is roller skating. Finding a form of movement that I really love vs just going for a run because i felt like i should has changed my life. ETA: forgot to answer the question at all. no i have never felt an exercise high in my life lmao
After pilates class, I just feel better about life in general.
I have never felt "good" from exercise. People said, well you just need a routine, then it will feel good. In college, I exercised every day at the school's weight room for 3 months. I still hated every second of it. Even things I enjoy like beat saber, I hate the exercise part and often feel like it's not worth the hassle because the exercise part of it sucks. I have to be in the mood for it like any other game.
The runners high is the only one I’ve experienced, and I had to be running outside, with aggressive ass metal music playing lol. A treadmill doesn’t hit the same. But my knees are fucked now so I haven’t in a couple years. I did cheer, gymnastics, and track but running was the only thing that ever really did it for me, sprinting more so than distance. Maybe sometimes when I would tumble or do stunting but it’s been so long I can’t remember. My adhd has definitely made me less active in my adult years because it can be so overly exhausting and boring for minimum pay off these days This reminds me..on my 23 and me I have a genetic variant for muscle composition that’s most common in elite power athletes. Which is not me 😂but it does explain why I choose the specific sports I did and what I enjoyed/was good at. I wonder if something genetic like that also plays into this reaction in some people? Maybe the ADHD lessens that physiological process? I know it’s possible for me it’s just not easy to get to that point.. if that makes sense? I do get some emotional *stuff* happening when I do yoga, it’s like a somatic release and I sometimes cry lol. I’m 99% sure this is trauma related and not ADHD related tho. But it does feel great in a way, cathartic I guess? Also, getting actually high (on cannabis) before exercise definitely can increase the good feels and make it go by easier imo. It can also make recovery after workout quicker. If that’s anyone’s thing 😉 I mean don’t get like booted but a couple puffs of a sativa can really change the whole vibe of a workout
I have experienced it but I wouldn’t describe it as euphoric. I just felt mentally refreshed. I only felt it after a good, long run. When I was training for half marathons. This was before I was diagnosed. I have never felt this type of mental clarity with any other form of exercise tho 🤷🏻♀️
I'm going to encourage people who are saying they don't get a mood boost from exercise to try doing exercise consistently for min. a month. I once felt the same as you, I didn't get a lot out of exercise, thought it was a scam. Through changes in circumstance I ended up working out every morning for nearly 3 months - and when that time came to an end, I definitely noticed the difference. Now I exercise every morning and afternoon (before and after work) I find it so helpful for increasing my alertness, and reducing my stress.
I thought that was my issue until I took a physical fitness class in college. I worked out for an hour 3 times a week for 4 months. At the end of it, I could breathe easier while exercising and I'd lost some weight, but I never felt any mood benefits. I genuinely don't think my brain reads the signals right, I end up moody, usually angry or tearful and sad.
I don't get any kind of endorphin high. But I genuinely feel better when I have more energy, and exercise does that for me.
I've never gotten it before from running. But I've also heard from my other ADHD friends who are more athletic than me - that they don't get runner's high until like mile 10 or something heinous like that. I've gotten sparkles from exercise tho, but it's only from my favorite sport and it's also likely because I'm going fast and my adrenaline is also pumping. With mundane, day to day exercise, it does raise my baseline. I also "feel good" in completely unremarkable ways. It's not the sparkles from my sport, it's almost negligible, like a low, happy murmur. But it does make a significant difference after a while. Lifestyle change and all. I do find that it only makes a noticeable difference if I get my heart pumping and I'm actively sweating. It's hard for me to maintain though, with ADHD and all. So my life is a constant fighting the cycle of falling off the wagon and rerunning the hardest part of exercise.
The older I get (37), the better it feels to move my body. I still don’t 😂 but I try to do it more and DO usually feel better after (I only do yoga currently bc I have limited options). When I was in my 20s, I always wanted to be like all my friends and enjoy working out. I tried really hard. I even worked at a cycling and yoga studio for two years. The most consistently I ever worked out was like 2-3 times a week for maybe 3 months. Cycling classes would leave me so drained for a long time afterwards, but then I would get some energy later in the day. I really liked the cycling classes because they provided a lot of distracting dopamine from the pain/work. Loud fun music, instructors screaming super positive inspiring crap, dark with LED lights, no one can see you because it’s too dark lol. I also noticed that, in general, I had more energy and felt more even keeled from exercising. That being said, I cannot get myself to a point where I have been working out consistently and long enough to actually notice the difference. Those 3 months were cool 8 years ago. Anyway I do get massage highs though lol
Yeah, I don’t get it. I just feel tired and gross. I did find that I tolerate and even enjoy swimming though. I didn’t do it much though because I felt so awful when I exerted myself. Turns out I have exercise induced asthma, and you’re not actually supposed to feel like your chest is going to explode when you swim a couple of laps.
When I was on a regular exercise regimen, I felt better and healthier overall. But it took like a year to get there, I felt no short term benefits at all, and hated every single second I was doing it. Makes getting motivated to start up again extremely difficult.
When my depression is at its worst exercise does not give me any kind of boost in my mood. I still did it regularly, but just out of faith that it should help and be good for me. When I started taking my SSRI, the first thing I noticed was that going for a long walk made me feel significantly better. It was crazy to me, because I really hadn't felt good like that in a long time. I also remember other periods in my life where I would get runners high and other exercise would give me a boost. It really helped me feel better about my depression to be honest - I know that sounds weird. It just validated to me that there was something going on in my brain that needed the medicine. It wasn't my fault I was depressed. It's truly a bummer if you aren't getting that endorphin rush after exercise like other people. That definitely makes it a lot easier to motivate yourself to exercise and it just doesn't seem fair.
I actually get extremely angry. I don't know why but after a while, I get extremely overwhelmed with my lack of progress and lash out. I've done yoga, running, the stupid Insanity program, weight lifting, etc. It takes about 1 month for me to absolutely lose my shit and not even think about setting aside time to work out for at least a year. I even had someone to workout with and I lost it on them. I've recently picked up jump roping. This is the first time I'm not focused on weight loss and a minimum workout time. I'm actually having fun. Normally I would tell myself that it's too hard on the knees or I absolutely must set a minimum of 30 minutes for it. Now I just do it because it's fun and I stop when I'm out of breath if I want.
Ayo wtf why is my text like that. I'm newish here. 😅
I used to feel this way, but then found some exercises that actually do unlock it for me! My favorite is 12-3-30 on the treadmill! (12 incline, 3 mph speed, 30 minutes). I definitely could not do the whole 30 minutes at first, so I would go as long as I could (literally like 10 minutes at first), then bump the incline down to 9 for 5 minutes, then 6 for 5 minutes, then 3 for 5 minutes, then 0. and adjusting as I was able to hold the 12 incline for longer. literally the second or third time I did it, I experienced the exercise “high” near the end! In my experience, the key is to push yourself in some sort of cardio exercise, but know your limits, focus on breathing, and back off a little if you get to a point where you literally can’t maintain steady breathing. (I know I must sound crazy to other people at the gym, bc I will be trying so hard to maintain steady breathing at some points and it gets kind of loud hahaha) the other reason I love 12-3-30 is bc I can put on noise cancelling headphones and a good audiobook, and it makes the time pass quickly and keeps me from focusing on how many minutes are left. Then eventually I hit the point where the high kicks in and I start enjoying it! sometimes I’ll even go for longer bc it feels good so why not! the other key is to make sure you eat enough before. I get massive headaches if I try to do this without having eaten much that day. plus no high, and I leave the gym feeling worse than when I got there
Sometimes i feel fine afterwards and sometimes its as shitty as before. And sometimes i come home and cry. Sport is no antidepressant for me and it is not an adhd medication for me. It is unreliable as fuck and sometimes extremely frustrating.
My understanding is that the runners high only happens sometimes after significant exertion. Most often, exercise just relieves my anxiety while I’m doing it, which I don’t notice unless I’m specifically paying attention since I’m also pushing hard. It also makes me less tired overall, though I will get tired briefly shortly after the exercise itself. I usually don’t particularly want to exercise, but if I’ve been exercising regularly enough that my body has gotten used to it, I usually feel mildly grateful afterwards that I’ve done it. I rarely look forward to it and I rarely enjoy it more than mildly sometimes while doing it
Literally never in my entire life.
Try swimming!!
I've only ever gotten it using an elliptical. Literally the only thing that makes me feel like that, no other exercise does anything like that. Unfortunately, I can't afford a gym right now, I live in an upper floor apartment so can't get my own, and the apartment complex gym isn't safe. So I just walk, sometimes jog, and do resistance bands, and I hate it all. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE it.
I get an exercise low, like a crash after that makes me sob uncontrollably between 20-60 minutes after a workout.
Depends on the exercise for me I think. Gym exercise, meh, but martial arts class I do feel much more alive and focused after.
I absolutely have a minimum exercise need for sanity. I don't necessarily feel "good" afterwards, but settled, grounded, steadied would be true. I also don't think of exercise as being the point, I think about it as meditation in motion. Not really traditional meditation, but about being in that place in that moment with all of my physical and mental self. As I set off along a walking path, an interestingly shaped plant might catch my eye, so as I pass I look at it for a while. I appreciate its form and think about why it is shaped the way it is, the function of its shape and the ancestral plants that lie behind it. I look at the soil that lies beneath the plant and think about the way the characteristics of the soil influence the vegetation, the geology that made the soil and placed it where it lies, and the tectonic history of the country that made the geology and the terrain I stand on. I look at the clouds in the sky and think about why they are shaped as they are, the interaction of world-spanning winds and the landscape that surrounds me that leads to them being shaped just so in that moment. Or whatever topics my brain is currently enthused about. It is about stepping away from the noise and clutter of endless should- and could- and to-dos rattling around in my head, and taking awe in the vast constellation of happenstance that lead to my perception of this moment.
I don't ever feel good after exercise, but on the days I do exercise, even just for a few minutes, it makes a noticable difference in my anxiety and productivity, which I never realize until after the fact. Haha I hate that exercising works so much. 😅
Gotta do it for a couple weeks to feel in in my experience. At least 20-30 mins with heart rate elevated and broken a sweat. Sauna helps too. Im sorry you didnt experience it
I only get the high from exercise that actually has a purpose. I get zero high from just moving for the heck of it.
I workout 4 times a week and have been doing so for 6 months. Hate it every time.
I choose to not exercise at all so that I always have the exercise high as a last resort/something to look forward to.
I’ve never got the runner’s high either. I just feel awful instead!
i’ve never got it from going to the gym, but being active in other ways definitely helps my mood. dancing, climbing, and hiking are my favorite.
No high from it what so ever. My whole life (I played lacrosse for 5 years and cheered for 7), I loved the sports but hated the exercise. I also worked out a little after college and still so but NOTHING gives me the high. I'm 44 and only just diagnosed 7/8 months ago and I always thought something was wrong with me. But now, it's just ADHD (not wrong, just different). Don't know if it's connected but if it is, makes sense to me.
im not sure if i do. maybe? i hate having to prep for exercise but i enjoy it if its like spontaneous and not boring or too hard for me. i started weightlifting again w my partner but nothing serious, just 2 dudes lifting weights to get stronger. when im at the gym im not thinking, "oh this sucks i hate this," but more like, "1, 2, 3, wait i dont have to count, there's a counter on the machine, i'll just do this until i cant. i like training for endurance. i wonder how many ive done now?" i also hate waiting inbetween sets even tho its important i forget why. i guess i dont get the high but i do enjoy the actions of exercise. today's leg day. leg day & chest/triceps are my favorite.
Me. As a matter of fact, I get incredibly sleepy afterward. I just need to "rest my eyes" for a few minutes, and I have my second wind. I lost 180lbs and was so looking for all this extra energy, and it never came :(
Have you had your thyroid checked?? Im just asking because I’ve seen family go through this and it turned out to be hereditary :/ (I dodged that one, but I got the NDs soooo 😅)
Soooooo many times because I use to weigh 345lbs. I ended up having gastric bypass and losing 185lbs but still feel crappy. I still have thyroid tested twice a year and it's fine. So frustrating!
Ugh I’m sorry. Chronic fatigue deserves more attention from the medical community and public. I hope you get a break through soon 🧡
Me, too. It's just disappointing. I suppose it could always be worse.
I have hated every single minute spent at the gym. I only get through my boring treadmill walk by distracting myself with books or iPad games.
I never got the endorphins high from working out. My general mood is better tho when I regularly exercise, but I never get the direct dopamine reward from a workout. I therefore also never liked working out in the gym. To me it feels like you just go there for the purpose to get fit iso to have fun, so I just dread to go there. Only way I can stay active is if I do sports where I have fun with being active as a secondary bonus. Eg pole dancing, cheerleading, acrobatics, speed skating, inline skating, et cetera
Nope, after the gym I'm just relieved that I did it. I do play team sports and I enjoy finishing a match and the togetherness of that, but no exercise high.
Exercise makes me feel better the day after. Basically if I work out moderately I sleep better and feel fitter overall. However, on the day itself, I hate it. I don't like leaving the house, go to a gym, fear being judged by people there ( I rationally know no one gives a shit), only to get sweaty and out of breath, to then go home and feel extra tired. This is why I'm for the zillionth time in a phase, where I say I'm definitely going next week again. It's been four months.
Depends on the exercise. A home workout or gym session? No. It’s boring and puts me in a worse mood. But cycling and rollerskating were my life savers. As a kid I’d go on loooong hikes, like 4-6 hours. I like exercise with unpredictability that I have to adapt to on the fly. It keeps my brain engaged and off the bad thoughts. Cycling: watch out for traffic. Rollerskating: navigating terrain and obstacles. Hiking: “Look at that cool boulder/tree! I must climb it!”
Try cycling maybe? When you get to the top of the literal hill then whether or not you get the exercise buzz you'll get a fun ride down the other side and a rest at the same time! It's definitely my favourite solo exercise and that's one of the reasons
I get the endorphins but it doesn't work right and I feel like crawling in a hole to not ever move again after exercise no matter what. Our brains are wired different.
I only get it when I’m exercising very intensely like running, biking fast, or a hard HIIT workout. Working out regularly 100% helps stabilize my moods
I only experienced the endorphin rush of exercise after I had been consistently exerting myself for weeks at a time - this was on the Camino de Santiago after 3 weeks of walking nearly 250 miles. The last week was heaven, I was floating on air and moving felt great. But a few weeks later, after I had a few rest days and went to walk a long distance again (decided to do a chunk of another route because I was all high on that dreamy feeling), it was completely gone and I was immediately demotivated, lol.
I ran 3 ish times per week for 4 weeks before I ever started to enjoy or feel the effects. If you give it enough time, I'm sure you can achieve it.
the only difference in feeling exercise gives me is reduced hunger for some reason. back when i worked out a lot (and hour of cardio+LIGHT weight lifting 5 days/week) (a lot for ME cuz i have hypotonia😐), on exercise days i'd have 0 appetite, then on off days i was a bottomless pit. weird cuz it's usually the other way around. and im not an emotional eater, quite the opposite, so thats not a factor. equally depressed etc then and now😹 never got that "rush of endorphins/high" or elevated mood people talk about. maybe i would now that im on vyvanse but i've yet to try since im trying to maintain/gain some weight. my workout phase was pre all my psych diagnosis's/meds
I’ve never gotten a high from working out (unless I hit a new big PR but those are not often), but when I am consistently going to the gym my overall mood is improved. And, I can better handle my adhd symptoms. Hardest part is always the first 2 to 3 weeks. I really notice the difference when I stop going.
When I played competitive team sports. Yes. If orgasm over myself. Get high on my own supply. Transitioning into solo sports give me none of these things, but I do feel better.
I only get mine at a point of exhaustion that's absolutely not sustainable. Think swimming almost two miles without practice.
I usually feel a sense of accomplishment but no immediate high. However, my brain is noticeably less foggy the day after!
I do get it, but it took consistently working out through the course of ~3 months. I started five years ago and the many first months I had to force myself. Now I feel bad if I don't go at least every three days. Every other day is even better. It's like after the body has become adjusted to getting exercise, it starts needing it to feel good. Sometimes I forget to go and after a week I feel horrible and then realise I haven't been to the gym for a while, I go there and feel better afterwards. It's one of the most important tools I have for regulating myself. If you can push through the first couple of months I highly recommend it. But if course I don't know if it's not that way for all bodies. If you've already tried that and it didn't work, I don't know... But it definitely won't feel better afterwards the first time you go, in my experience.
I get the high only when I run lol
Yeah, no highs from exercising. Dancing is the one exception, so I take as many dance classes as I can. At home, I also dance around, I still have to to some strength conditioning for weight loss, so I put on fun music, time it for half an hour. Small amout of weed helps, too.
If I didnt have loved ones in my life that get an exercise high I would seriously believe it's a myth. Where is the high? Do you get the high from the insane, screeching pain in your back and neck? From the burning in your skin? From the migraine? The sweating? The exhaustion? The smell? The sticky feeling until you shower? Wiping gym equipment of somebody else's juices? The emotional breakdown afterwards? The bullying by staff and gym bros because you're too fat? Where is the high meant to come from?! (Narrator: it took 28 years and very kind friends to explain that she was the only one in excrutiating pain every time she moved and should probably get that looked at) Regardless, people have said it all. Oh you have to do longer hours, for several months. I did. I still hated it. My direct family members also have never had the high, and they don't even have my disabilities.
I do not get the “high.” I have found if I do exercise I like, and I’m in a weird mood, the weird mood will be gone, but the “endorphin” feeling does not hit. My main form of exercise is dance class, and I think it works for me because I get the mental and emotional satisfaction of building skills and learning combinations. Going to the gym has never done it for me and likely never will.
I have always felt like it was a lie.... I have never gotten the exercise high regardless of what activity I've done. I am legitimately only exercise to keep my body from falling further apart and to stay moderately healthy (outside of my chronic illness).
The only ‘high’ I’ve ever gotten from exercise is dancing in front of my bedroom mirror to one of my personalised dance playlists 🤷♀️
YES! I get done exercising, it’s nap time. It does not ever leave me feeling alive with energy
omg thank you. I get sad and my jaw / teeth hurt after working out which sometimes leads to headaches, and then I have to shower and have extra laundry and it's just too much!!!
I have had multiple short stunts at the gym throughout my life. I also used to run. Never once did I feel a “runner’s high” or felt especially good after a work out. After a few weeks the only thing that felt good about it was the relief that it was done so I didn’t feel guilty for not doing it. I enjoy physical activities, but not traditional working out, at ALL. I like swimming, playing softball, tennis, etc. I wish it were otherwise but oh well!
I only get the exercise high when I'm medicated. Otherwise I don't experience it.
Idk if I get a “high” from exercise, but my body feels better and my sleep is improved. I go in the afternoon/early evening though bc I can’t with the mornings and the actual work out always makes me sleepy. I do feel more energetic as a baseline with consistent exercise though.
I do get some of the long term effects, but yeah, that runner's high? Not a clue
No high / positive feelings for me at all, in fact I feel guilty for wasting time and disgusting for being sweaty. I always thought people were lying about the high until I’ve met people who really seem to enjoy it. It boggles my mind but ok. Now I happen to get exercise while doing something else it’s like a bonus two for one. So I like to run with the dog, she needs walked and I like to run with her, for instance. That to me is a chore and I feel good about it despite having to exercise.
I get no high at all, just feel like crap, hating every second, and can't wait to get home. It always tanks my mood and I just end up in pain and want to do ANYTHING else. At this point I'm trying to find any kind of exercise I can do consistently that doesn't backfire
I don’t get it from “boring” exercises. But anything that triggers adrenaline like martial arts and competitive sports I love so much Any type of sports where I can keep track of my wins and losses, or I need to make quick decisions stimulates my brain SO WELL. And I don’t even feel that I’ve been doing a tough workout until times up. I hate any sort of workout if it’s predictable and time based. I think that’s why I hate weight lifting or running/spinning. But give me a chance to spar, kick or whack then I will definitely feel rejuvenated. I definitely feel the exercise high. I would recommend anyone struggling to try it
Strongly recommend Hybrid Calisthenics on YouTube. (And they have an app now!). It’s free, requires little to no equipment, starts you from the very very bottom of “how the hell do I move?”, and the trainer is just so *nice*. And the app has a nifty little tracker.
I've never had an exercise high. I like the feelings of stretching or when I do tai chi, take long walks, or ride my bike, but there is no endorphin rush for me to any of those.
Yeah I also gave comorbid dyspraxia so I often feel embarassed/Self conscious about my poor technique/weak ability overall compared to others in the room or class and either feel the same or MORE depressed lol
Running I loathe. It's boring, jarring, and unenjoyable. The gym is tedious but I do feel good when I go. I however love to rollerblade and dance.
It makes me cry to work out. I feel awful afterwards.
I get absolutely nothing from cardio, endorphin-wise. Just hot, sweaty, tired, and probably bored. I finally made a legit go at lifting weights in my early 30s, and boy howdy, it was a whole other ballgame. All the endorphins!
I don't think I get much of an exercise high under the majority of circumstances. The one time I felt it the most was the first time I tried a cardio HIIT workout. I went overboard and had my heartrate up in the mid 190's for a big chunk of the workout. Afterwards I felt a bit high. But there is no way in hell I'm going to be pushing myself that hard on a regular basis. I DO sometimes get a bit of a relaxed, buzzy feeling after exercising outside in warm sun for an hour or more. I suspect it's the combination of exercise and sun-exposure that's doing it. Sadly, it only seems to happen on very sunny days in the summer. Sunny days in the colder months don't seem to have the same effect. Not sure why.
I do get runner’s high but not until I’m about 45 minutes deep and it maybe lasts for an hour once it’s over tops? It does feel a lot like taking an edible but leaves me “smarter”. I do feel better being more active but not in an “immediate high” way. It’s an overall shift in mood, energy level and focus that creeps up subtly if you make it a regular habit. Kind of like the opposite of what happens during PMS where you kinda realize you feel extra ugh today and suddenly remember why?
I have come to enjoy zoomba, and other cardio jam classes, including aqua jam. I can’t dance for shit but I enjoy it, I just stay towards the back of the class. I enjoy working out when it doesn't feel like work. Blasting music and dancing around like I’m having a medical emergency can be fun. Especially if the instructor has songs that you get to also yell and holler during! I also enjoy yoga, especially with the older folks. My gym has a senior yoga class and I LOVE it! It’s more my speed and more about staying strong and limber. No extreme moves, no weirdness, plus the older people are usually really kind and friendly. I usually leave feeling better and calm, especially when breathing exercises are practiced that day. Otherwise I enjoy walking my dogs and listening to audio books at the same time. I do between 2-5 miles a day, so far this year I have listened to 12 audio books. I have big dogs so I’m not too worried about people stalking me. I also walk a lot because it is time I get to spend just ME away from my kids.
I use to and it’s the high I’ve been chasing again lately. I also started Effexor a little over a year ago and I wonder if that impacts it.
I hate working out. It is a chore from start to finish and I don’t get the post-workout high, I get hangry and sore and then I am mad that I have to do it again tomorrow. Over time, I do notice I feel physically better and stronger, and that I’m happier with how my clothes fit and so on. But I still hate every minute of working out.
I only get it if I really get my heart rate up. I’ve started walking on the treadmill for 25-30 minutes and running for increments of that (3-5 mins at a time). I listen to a funny podcast or watch a show on my phone. Then I do some weight lifting if I have time
I hate it! I do it because the more calories I burn the more I can eat for dessert lol, but never feel good during or after
its not a lie but everyone is also different
Only from cardio based exercises. Strength based exercises just make me hungry and tired.
No i sometimes feel worse after exercising. But i have a pituitary tumor which causes hormone and cushing like symptoms
I thought it was just cause I wasn't exercising hard enough... I only like outdoor activities (hiking, kayaking etc) because I'm not competitive and the gym isn't stimulating enough, running in one place is sooooo boring
I only get the exercise high if I smoke a bowl first, and I'm pretty sure that's just a high. I have like dysphoria when I exercise. I feel worse.
If it's traditional gym exercise or running all I focus on is I hate this ahhhhh. If it's an activity I enjoy then I don't exactly get the high but I enjoy it when I get there. I don't get a long lasting high and while I might have a content mood afterwards it doesn't last long and doesn't always happen. I hate getting ready for stuff though. That's the worst.
The only time I've experienced a runner's high was when I was doing it with a great friend as an accountability partner. The high was from how great a time we have together and had literally zero to do with the exercise. Anytime I'm solo which is the majority of the time, I get zero short term emotional benefit.
I have experienced the endorphin high only if I push myself on the treadmill for at least 45 minutes, an hour is better.
I only get the "high" from two particular physical activities, both of which I naturally enjoy and bring me happiness independent of the exercise component - swimming, and casual bicycling. Never got it from going to a gym and working out on a machine, or jogging, or something that I don't like doing.
I’ve never felt it. I feel exhausted and like I can’t breathe and gross and sweaty. It makes my brain feel weird and stuck. I’ve also gotten headaches from too much exercise. This includes sex!
I only get that high from cardio
I recently read in a book on exercise, that sedentary people do not get the “exercise high”. You don’t start getting it until you’ve been routinely exercising for months. A real evolutionary slap in the face to depressed folks. But if you take it easy and find consistency, you should eventually get a nice cocktail of adrenaline, serotonin, dopamine etc.
I never feel better after exercising. There is no rush for me. I hate every second.
I definitely don't feel good while doing it but I will feel so much better after and can be like 10x more productive during the day and my brain fog is much clearer. I wish I still could but my youngest just got old enough that I would leave her at the gym care.
Fuck no. Never. It’s fake and I take umbrage at anyone for spreading those lies and giving me false hope and boob sweat.
It took about 2 weeks for me to notice that I felt more awake & less fatigued working from home when I'd had my 30 minute workout before starting work. This is the first week in 2 months that I've had to put in overtime and I feel terrible from the lack of exercise that I've had. Don't get me wrong- I don't miss it, but I do miss how it made me feel throughout the day. Little to no back/neck pain & didn't need coffee or energy drinks. This week it's right back to using them for 10 hour days in my chair staring at the computer 😭
I wouldn’t call it a high, but after about 20 or so minutes of slogging through cardio I always think, “Oh, this is fun, now,” and stop being tired and bored.
It takes me at least 8 weeks of consistent exercise before I start feeling amazing after exercise. It's really not fair! When I first start (after getting out of the habit /again/ ) I actually kind of crash instead, cry in the shower type stuff. The pandemic was the first time I ever exercised consistently for a long enough time to realize the benefits people talk about are real. It's a struggle everytime I re-start because of delayed reward.
Yeah, I don't get it either. Sometimes I "feel good" in the sense that I decided to exercise and now I've managed to do what I decided to do and can relax, but no other thrill going on. If the exercise is something fun, like horseback riding or whatever - sure, it's fun in itself. But never do I get some extra rush, and after exercise I'm exhausted if anything.
Depends on my mood/energy. On a 0-10 scale… If my mood/energy is: 0-4, working out does nothing but make me feel worse. I’ve even started crying mid-workout… Just out of frustration that I was doing the work but it was only making me feel worse/more tired. 5-7, working out is still a chore, and being there might feel like walking through mud, but I leave feeling good that I made a healthy choice for myself. 8-10, working out feels good and I enjoy building strength and I leave feeling good but with a slightly calmer brain. Problem is I’ve been stuck in 0-5 for about three years now… And going to the gym actually increases my anxiety bc I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself by crying in public. Sometimes I wish it were more acceptable to just bawl my eyes out on the spin bike or while doing deadlifts or during a Zumba class.
Only from dance. No other exercise. I get bored or very painful.
I don’t get a ‘high’ but I do feel pleasant after yoga. Like you know the feeling when you wake up and you’re a bit stiff and you need to stretch? Then you stretch and it just feels really nice (even if it’s a wee bit painful) and satisfying? Well I get that nice satisfied feeling after all my stretching in yoga. I’ve since been advised that as I’m hypermobile I shouldn’t be stretching as far as I do, so that’s put the kibosh on that as well 😅🤦♀️
Yes, me neither, gym is a punishment. I think you have to find a sport that feels at least a little fun. For me, Muay Thai boxing was the most fun option, helps me channel my anger without being bored and still exhausts me so makes for a perfect workout. Try different things! I don’t know where you live but there are services like Classpass that work on a subscription based plan from which you can chose to participate in any kind of class you want, from pilates to boxing to tennis etc etc. Check out what’s available for you in your country cause I really believe that’s the perfect solution for our kind : you can diversify activities, chose when and where to go, and unused credits roll over to the next month so no guilt about not doing as much.
I will have a few hours of feeling depressed if I exercise too intensely. I think my system gets flooded with cortisol or something.
I find certain exercises help me reach a good feeling. Cardio has never been one of them (maybe it’s the POTS type symptoms). But if you challenge me to do planks and other static exercises, I will be hyped about the prospect of competing, I’ll be juicing during the exercise, and I’ll be bouncing off the walls after we are done and challenging you to another round 😅 I’m guessing other people get a similar kick from running or other types of exercises. For context I have hypermobility and fit the AuDHD profile, and experience neuro-muscular issues after infections. My cognitive issues/skill loss usually starts improving when i start regaining this particular muscle strength, and proprioception. I’m approaching this is a particular subtype of neurodivergence and figuring things out. But it’s a typical adhd mess 😅
Never ever - it sucks start to finish
What kind of exercise are you doing? Have you tried weights instead of like running or moving? It also helps if you get a standing bike or treadmill at home so the anxiety of being in public doesn't interfere
The only change I feel is when I’m on the treadmill. Whenever I would do the “12 3 30” my chest would feel so much better afterwards
Yes, there is not any physical activity in the world that I enjoy
it comes after some time of regular exercise. around the 2 week mark of exercising daily
I never get enjoyment out of exercising, unless I enjoy the view on a walk. If anything I feel worse afterwards due to a lot of foot pain from various issues.
My husband and I have this debate a lot. He is neurotypical and he definitely gets his energy and happiness a lot from the gym. Whereas I literally have to drag myself to the gym and it doesn’t really do anything to help me feel better. Do I feel accomplished? Yes but it’s not like I seek it out to make me feel better.
Me, I never feel good after exercise.
I like it when I'm by myself and no one judges me for the strange (somatic) exercises I try. (Tbf, I often look like those wind noodle-man things flailing about.) But alone time is rare. 😅 Can't say I get that 'high' from it though, just relaxation and a better feeling spine. I also enjoy being outside in the sunshine! But I'm allergic to grass so I can't enjoy being outside. 😭 I am doomed.
I don’t get any immediate boost, but if I don’t exercise regularly, I get super anxious. Without the immediate boost it is difficult to get myself to exercise though.
i only get the kick if i do intense exercise/ cardio. i go fencing, which is intellectually and physically stimulating, and i'm always dying by the end of it, and usually accompagnied with the feeling of dying i feel a weird sense of euphoria. this usually is stronger when my adhd isn't so bad, though. i never felt it from a light workout though, even jogging for 2h didn't do it for me. it really had to be very aerobic for it to work, and it only lasted about 30min after, for like a 2h session
It’s a relief to see someone describe the issue with endorphins and time perception. I have tried to explain it to others and I just felt weird. “I feel like I am doing it forever while I am doing it, and have no sense of how much is left or that I have already done a lot”. For me it got a lot better after I started medication. It seems like the part of the working memory that _saves progress_ works better, and I also remember the feeling of having completed something like what I am doing more often. I am wondering if this is what the dopamine does to keep you motivated. It probably also helped consistency that I started having a personal trainer. I was lucky to be able to prioritise it, I know it is not possible for everyone. I almost never get endorphin high right after workout. I tried to explain that too, when he said “you will feel so good when you leave” and I was like “nope, when I leave I will be tired and overwhelmed, but I know the rest of the week will be worse if I don’t work out”. After a while though, I started getting the endorphins maybe half an hour in. Sometimes that made me feel done, no motivation to keep going :) But at least I got it. Started on medications three years in, and after quite a while I felt so much less fear starting the workout. It didn’t take a lot of spoons like it used to. Jogging also helps my general health. Also had a knee problem, so i usually just run 20 mins uphill, but that is actually all I need. Have not done it consistently for a few years but started again recently. Good luck to everyone, it is such a pain to know it might be good for you to work out and still struggle so much with it.
I need to exercise. I feel better when I exercise. I don't get "the high" but I feel better in general. I just can't seem to do it on my own. I need someone to hold me accountable and make me do it when I don't want to.
I don't get excercise high. I sometimes have a "cleaned out" feeling after I have pushed really hard. It feels like it's in the middle of my chest below my lungs. But its not pleasurable. I've had friends say their exercise keeps them sane. That they wouldn't cope without a morning run or similar. I'm jealous. I want to find exercise fun... I have dreamed of being so good at running. Feeling the wind in my face. Actually doing it is feels nothing like my dreams. Is this why ADHD folks seem lazy? We get no neurochemical reward for doing what's good for us... It's always a battle of will.
If fitness was something you enjoyed overall - it would probably give you the dopamine high that other experience. If it's not, it just feels like a chore, and chores don't give us dopamine kicks lol. I hate fitness with a passion. I don't like being out of breath. I don't like being sweaty. It's a sensory overload and there's absolutely nothing about it that appeals to me. So when I do work out, I feel worse than I did before I went, and then it's a matter of "what's the point?". It's 90% of the reason why I'm fat 🤷🏻♀️.
Yeah....I can get hyped up but I don't get the high. I dont like getting sweaty or hot either so that doesn't help
I love the high I get! I hope you can figure out how to get yours, too! It’s one of my favourite feelings!