Training with ADHD: How to Build Focus, Routine and Resilience in Endurance Sport

There is good evidence that aerobic exercise, specifically cycling, can help neurodivergent people overcome difficulties in concentration, working memory and impulse control. We also know that regular exercise over long periods of time (chronic load) is far more beneficial to the ADHD brain than acute load (short bouts of exercise). See 'The impact of physical activity on inhibitory control of adult ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis' by Matthew B Pontifex, Brian J Saliba , Lauren B Raine , Daniel L Picchietti, Charles H Hillman in the Journal of Global Health, March 14th 2025.

However, the consistency and discipline needed to help maintain the exercise regime that will help is very difficult for a lot of people with ADHD. Exercise helps focus, working memory, and impulse control — yet those same challenges often make it hard to do the exercise consistently. 

Good quality coaching should always start with learning about the person, what motivates them and what their strengths are. Once we can tap into those, we can then use the strengths to create routines and workouts that work with the person. This enable them to train efficiently and see the benefits of that training in both performances and their day to day lives.

So how do we create a system to train consistently? We need first to understand neurodivergence blocks such as: 

• Easily distracted
• Difficulty focussing
• Difficulty remembering
• Difficulty prioritising tasks and ordering things
• Often boundless energy

Here are a few things that I like to put into place for neurodivergent people to help them maximise their inherent strengths and overcome some of the barriers.

Creating Routine and Structure for the ADHD Mind

Why predictability helps the chaotic brain perform better

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear outlines how you can be successful by creating good habits which support your overall life goals. Habits are formed when we associate a certain behaviour with a trigger and we do that thing consistently for long enough that we no longer need to invest any emotional energy to motivate ourselves to do it; it just happens.

For many people with ADHD who thrive on excitement and new things, routines can be difficult to maintain as they feel restrictive and boring. However, if we see the routines we create as a framework in which we can create both excitement, new things and perform well, the routine can be a gateway to greater freedom.

For what can often feel like a bewilderingly chaotic life, having some predictability can have a calming effect, especially if that predictability is not taking up a lot of emotional energy because it is a habit that we do almost automatically.

Creating a routine is very personal and requires you to invest in a routine that works for you; there’s no point trying to workout at 5am every morning if you don’t generally wake up until 8am.

A good place to start is to think about what is actually happening in your life and then create a routine around those things. So if you always get up at 8am and get dressed in the clothes by your bed you can make sure that the clothes by your bed are your workout gear so you know that is what you will put on when you wake up.

For a neurodivergent person who thrives on excitement and new things it can be about creating habits and routines that factor in ‘new things.’ For example train every day at the same time, but try new routes to keep it new and exciting.

Exercise before Everything: Boosting Focus and Working Memory

The science behind movement and mental clarity

Whenever your day starts (and studies show that for many people with ADHD it’s typically later than average) starting it with your workout can be the best way to cultivate the positive effects of exercise on your brain.

Several studies have now shown that aerobic exercise can be extremely helpful at addressing certain problematic aspects of ADHD, including working memory, focus and inhibition control. Increased levels of dopamine and norepinephrine post-exercise can help you perform other day to day tasks much better, therefore, just as many people take medication first thing, exercising first is a good strategy so that you can then benefit from the positive effects.

There are add-on benefits for exercising first, including the fact that you get it done before you get distracted by something else, so you protect your training time. You also get early morning sunlight into your eyes (helpful for offsetting the steepness of cortisol decline which begins on waking leading to the post midday ‘slump’). Increased cortisol from an early work out will energise you at the right time rather than interfering with your ability to fall asleep in the evening which can be a side effect of late workouts, as well as a known problem for people with ADHD.

Training to Time, Not Distance: Building Small Wins into Every Session

How Time-based sessions reduce overwhelm and all-or-nothing thinking

Once you are training consistently in your established routine a key element for the ADHD athlete is to maintain training as a positive experience that feels both exciting and achievable.

One of the things that can become overwhelming is the idea of the ‘perfect’ session. What we know about how we respond on a hormonal level to success is that once we have achieved one thing, we won’t feel as good by repeating the same thing, we have to make it ‘bigger and better’ to get the same dopamine hit. To get better at something this is not necessarily the case.

What we know about ADHD and training motivation is that there is a very strong desire for ‘completion’ which can override the decision to take part in or do something unless it can be completed: you have to do the whole workout (however you perceive that) or you won’t do it at all. Having a way of marking off cumulative achievements can help - cycling streaks for example. Many training apps have some good challenges for this -

• Yearly/weekly/monthly distance
• Yearly/weekly/monthly ascent
• Badges for a variety of cumulative steps.

A good way to overcome the trap of failing to start due to fear of failure to finish is to plan workouts to time and to make this a very small, easily manageable amount of time. This can be a ‘minimal viable workout’ so if you do extra it’s a bonus.

Setting a goal of 20 minutes can feel less daunting and is much more sustainable and quantifiable than telling yourself you have to run 10km or cycle 50km where the length of time can vary depending on the terrain. A length of time is also easier to plan into a routine.

A common aspect of ADHD is having difficulty with the concept of time, how long something will take and getting to things on time. Here are a few ways people can overcome this problem:

• Route planners like Google Map, Komoot and Wikiloc can be helpful (though not perfect) in suggesting the amount of time a route might take. 
• Going ‘out and back’ can also be a good strategy to manage the time you are training.
• Picking routes that are a lot shorter than your allotted time and then adding smaller loops/repeating the loop can help.
• Allow some time after your training for inevitable over-spill
• If time is really important on a particular day, stick to a route you know well so you can look up how long it usually takes you

Designing Training for Excitement, Challenge and Reward

Keeping motivation high when novelty drives your brain

Whilst the need for completion is high, another key aspect of ADHD that I have come across over the years is how hard it is to stay motivated. The need for new and exciting things can be a real barrier to sticking to plans and to training consistency.

To keep your motivation high and to keep ensuring you get that dopamine hit from your exercise on a regular basis you can keep adding some variety to your training.

The way to add variety varies depending on preference so here are a few ideas to keep engagement high and keep the emotional pull towards something new and exciting week on week:

• Ensure you get out to new and exciting places when you can - make weekends about adventures somewhere different.
• If you like competition, Strava is a great way to set segments and compare your times with previous efforts and with others. These can form part of harder training sessions with less structure and a lot of fun.
• For blocks of training focussing on a particular fitness goal (FTP, hill climbing, VO2Max) these can be achieved with a variety of sessions so one block does not mean doing the same session again and again (e.g. we can target VO2Max with 3 sets of 30s off 15s, 5 x 3 minutes off 2 minutes and 3 x 5 minutes of 3 minutes).
• For brains that struggle with long consistent efforts in zone 2 we can break up the zone 2 work by adding some cadence work, for example
• For some people adding a social aspect into sessions can really help so group rides/sessions can work really well
• For others doing frequent short organised races/Time Trials works better than hard sessions as they push themselves more and thrive on the competition and social element of a race

Reducing Decision Fatigue with Technology

Let your watch think for you: offloading mental load to tech

Whilst workouts don’t need to be very complicated, if you are new to training at different intensities and doing interval sessions it can get a bit confusing. Add to this poor working memory it can be easy for your session to get derailed because by the time you’ve warmed up you’ve forgotten what you are supposed to be doing.

Fortunately, long gone are the days when you needed to count the number of reps on your fingers and measure recovery by metres on the track or the number of lampposts you pass. Most training computers will now automatically download your session from workout planning tools like TrainingPeaks and allow you to follow along when you select the workout.

These computers also offer a great way to manage intensity on easy sessions by beeping to hold you back when you exceed the planned intensity (pace/power/heart rate) for that session. As many people with a lot of nervous energy can find it really difficult to keep their longer endurance training or easy days truly easy this can be a great advantage.

Managing Performance Anxiety with Process Goals

From pressure to process: redefining success in training

Whilst training and exercise can be a great way to help us stay calm and focussed, it can become a source of stress if we become too focussed on ‘winning’ whether that’s ‘winning training’ or ‘winning the race.’

The balance between being open to success whilst accepting that this is not always possible is a tricky line for everyone to tread. For people with ADHD this can be a real barrier to training and racing as the tendency to ‘black and white’ thinking and to becoming overwhelmed by thoughts or fears of failure can disable you completely. 

When developing performance goals it’s good to be realistic and to consider that while you might want to win and that might be possible for you, there is no guarantee, so having some goals that you can achieve is really important.

• Time goals - after some months training and practice races (B races) we can have some idea of the amount of time it might take to complete a given course. Having a range of acceptability with the top end being a stretch target and the bottom end being the minimum with which we will be happy, provides a less stressful and more accessible outcome goal than ‘win or lose.’
  
  
• Training goals - I like to remind people I work with that when I set training, it is a suggestion; they are the expert on themselves, on how their body feels on any given day and even for key workouts we can only ask of our body the best that it has on that day. As with time goals, training goals like power and pace can be set along a scale with intervals done to time and perceived exertion rather than set distance and watts/pace.
  
  
• Process goals - along with outcome goals, having some process goals that are more within  your control is also a good way to offset anxiety and to ensure some wins along with way; these can include:- 
  • Having an appropriate carbohydrate rich snack 90 minutes before the workout
  • Saying something positive and motivational at the start of each interval
  • Thanking and smiling race volunteers and crews in races
  • Congratulating other competitors/training partners at the end
    
    

Using Rest and Recovery to Regulate Energy and Emotion

Why slowing down can keep you going

For anyone using endurance training for their mental well-being it can be hard to find the balance when you need to recover. For people with ADHD there can be a tendency towards overtraining - even when the body is tired there is still a lot of emotional energy. The positive effects you need from training that help you function day to day don't disappear when you are tired.

A good way to ensure you get the rest you need is to make recovery the focus for certain days and weeks and to add it to your training schedule.

Recovery doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing (although sometimes that can help). Doing gentle movement can also promote muscle repair. This can be stretching, yoga, pilates, easy spinning on the bike, going for a relaxed swim or even treating yourself to a night out with friends.

Whilst endurance exercise works well for the ADHD brain there is also a developing body of thought that mindfulness meditation if appropriately adapted can work well in addressing issues of attention, anxiety and impulsiveness.

Mindfulness does not have to be a static introspective activity but can take place in an active way by focussing on a single repetitive activity that you enjoy (painting by numbers, walking, jigsaws, listening to music, dancing). Finding your own way to ‘get in the zone’ can make mindfulness meditation much more accessible. Here are some suggestions you might like to try:

• Inner Dance
• Mindful walking/running/cycling
• Breathing exercises
• Mindful day to day practices (cleaning your teeth for example)
• Yoga (Ashtanga yoga has a lot of movement so research a discipline that works for you).
• Tai Chi and Qi Gong
• Sensory immersion
• One task focus
• Journalling using mindfulness skills of observing and describing without judgement

For many athletes, recovery sessions which include mindful movements -  such as yoga or easy spins - reinforce self-regulation and training consistency.

Accountability and Environment: Building External Scaffolding

Structure, not willpower, sustains consistency

Having a good support system around you can really make the difference.  Instead of feeling like you are fighting a constant will power battle, you can do things with ease as part of a natural routine. This can be as simple as sharing your goals with family and friends so they can support you or hiring a coach.

Coaching can help provide a structure by:

• Giving you some accountability, knowing that someone is ‘in it’ with you and cares.
• Developing a good training routine with a professional who can provide objectivity and expert knowledge about training. This can also protect you from burn out.
• Having a trusting transparent relationship means you also always have a sounding board to help you decide whether your weekend plans are crazy. It can also help you decide what to do after you’ve gone right ahead with the weekend craziness and you are too tired for planned training.
• At its best coaching provides someone who can guide and be flexible to your needs and idiosyncrasies, whether that’s some form of neurodivergence, genetics, your personality or all three.

Beyond a professional relationship, choosing your environment and social circles can really help. In our story about Sam in this blog one of the things that really made a difference for her was being in a community of cyclists who not only had similar goals to her but who accepted her for who she was.

We’ve already talked about how group rides can be a good way to keep you motivated and excited to train. Groups can also be tremendously affirming and supportive. For people who have previously tended to engage in risky behaviours, a good group of friends can help realign you to what your real goals are and refocus you back on the sport you love.

Groups aren’t for everyone and for some people with ADHD they can be a source or real stress and distraction. Some people prefer to have one or two buddies rather than training with a whole group and others prefer to train alone.

Conclusion: Work with Your Brain, Not Against It

Neurodivergence as a performance strength

There are particular strengths that I see in ADHD athletes that, when nurtured, can produce exceptional performances. 

These include:

• Energy - regardless of when and where, with the right structure this energy can be used to do high quality training and achieve impressive levels of fitness
• Enthusiasm - when we get the training right there is no one more enthusiastic to train than the athlete with ADHD; excitement and motivation is powerful when directed
• Hyper-focus - an ability to cut out all the noise and focus for extended periods of time is a real asset especially in ultra endurance events where you are required to keep going for a long time
• Determination - most people with ADHD have had to overcome a lot, this life lesson makes them very determined athletes, the trick is usually getting them to hold back and be a bit kinder to themselves!

If you are diagnosed or suspect you might have some form of ADHD, endurance sport can not only really help you perform in the rest of your life, but you bring a unique set of skills which can give you an edge.

Further Questions

If I think I have ADHD should I get a diagnosis?

Deciding to go for a diagnosis is a big decision. I have worked with people who have found the process and the resulting formulation very helpful and others who have found it invasive and de-skilling. Rob Warner recently did an interesting series on his own ADHD diagnosis which you can watch here:

https://youtu.be/fDqr0_W5ocs?si=3kTKDK6KLpuv2kM_

My own opinion is that unless you wish a formal diagnosis for appropriate adaptations in your work place/education or for access to help from the government the important thing is to be aware of who you are and how you thrive; you may not need a diagnosis for this.

The quality of psychological interventions and assessments vary and are dependent on many factors including the rapport you have with the psychologist; there is no guarantee you will have the same experience as Rob.

People say I am un-coachable because I don’t follow training plans. Is this true?

Some people definitely work better without a coach, but if you are lacking certain knowledge and experience the right coach can be very helpful. Coaching someone who is neurodivergent or who has personality difficulties does require more time and thought and a certain amount of reactivity to what has happened. I would suggest that it is not necessarily that you are un-coachable but that you have not yet found the right coach.

How do I make sure I finish what I start?

An aspect of neurodiversity and some personalities is difficulty with seeing things through; this is not your fault. A good strategy is to have exciting stepping stones to your main goal to keep you interested and excited. So if you want to do Paris-Brest-Paris 2027 doing a super randonneur series in 2026 culminating in a longer adventure in August would be a good way to keep you focussed and interested.

You can learn more about our personality-based coaching tools in other  blog articles and on our YouTube channel.