ADHD is very common among elite athletes, but for most patients, ADHD makes performance more difficult.

The first time someone suggested to me that I might have ADHD, I was 37 years old, so I obviously went straight to Google to see what kind of company I was in. I saw an article about how common ADHD is among elite athletes-Simone Byers, Michael Phelps, Nicolas Adams, gymnasts Louis Smith and Shaquille O’Neal are all in The club-they think, maybe, after all, everyone is wrong about my diagnosis. I don't like sports. I didn't own a pair of running shoes until I was 30, and the sweat I wore in 1995 was really just to show off.

The first thing I lacked interest in any sport was the ballet class I took when I was 4 years old. So as my fingerprints slowly melted, my hands were wrapped in cellophane. I can't hold hands with the other children in the class. Without the familiar push and pull movements, I don't know where I should be in the routine that we have practiced for nearly a year. The teacher shook his head and let me listen. I was ashamed and didn't go back afterwards.

In school, I often started a new sport with some confidence, but gave up after two classes, either bored or failed. After the teacher tried to find a sport that I could play correctly, I was sent from the pitcher mound to the tennis court as a teacher, where I would not fall, forget the rules, or slow down other people. I thought I found it when they offered us a semester of fashion courses-this is the closest I feel to happiness in those rough mesh T-shirts-but when it comes to the regular grading in class, the evaluation is albeit I have a personality (you bet I do), but I lack coordination and I got a C. Within a few months, I knew how to pretend to have a sprained ankle and "heavy flow", and that's it.

I blamed my poor self-esteem for the rest of my life avoiding exercise and my complete lack of trust in my body. I am too weak and unstable. Not lazy, because ironically, my default speed is "running", whether it's getting from the bus to work when I've been an hour in advance, or just navigating the supermarket aisles. But it's not enough. During my evaluation of ADHD, I realized for the first time that this might be other reasons that made me hate my uncooperative body.

"In order to participate in most sports and exercise forms, you must follow the routine and follow the instructions," explained Mohamed Abdelghani, MBBCh, FRCPsych, MSc, consultant psychiatric physicians at Dyad Medical in London. "You have to work hard to see your performance gradually improve-this is usually not about immediate results. You may have to promise to start early and monotonous, repetitive practice. If this is a team sport, you may need Take turns. All of this is very difficult for people with ADHD. They may be more clumsy, irritable, irritable, impulsive, and struggle to follow instructions and timing."

Check, check, check again. Spending a lot of money on Sweaty Betty clothing and new yoga mats from head to toe, only to return three classes? Yes. Over-focused on goal setting and routines before swimming, but found that going up and down in the pool is fucking boring? identical. I now realize that this means I never give myself time to improve anything. But this kind of boredom also has a very real impact on the body with ADHD: With the dopamine downturn, there will be a huge energy breakdown, so that I will be dizzy and have to sit down.

"We often see this kind of'boom and bust' in ADHD-energy levels are not well regulated," said Dr. Abdelghani. "It's hard to predict when you will feel tired, so you will postpone class, especially when you are at home and at work taking into account other needs. Some days, you will not be able to perform."

There is also evidence that although boys, men, and AMAB (designated male at birth) people may also be affected, certain gender norms mean that girls are less likely to participate in organized sports from a very young age. "Girls get less social support for participating in sports. They may feel that they don’t like sports less than boys. Then puberty will also cause girls to be more reluctant, whether it is because of concerns about body shape or image, or adaptation. The changes they are going through," said Jo Steele, a clinical psychologist, PhD in Psychology, B.S., author of Understanding ADHD in Girls and Women.

Then there is low self-esteem-girls with ADHD, women, and people with AFAB (designated as female at birth) are more likely to generally lack self-worth, which makes classroom activities a torture.

"Any negative feedback will also be harmful," Dr. Abdelghani said. "Depending on the degree of emotional disorder in a person with ADHD, certain comments really touch people's hearts. If traumatic factors are involved, it is more difficult to overcome performance anxiety, so you will try to avoid this in the future."

But before I completely abandon the sofa, poor physical health is often closely related to ADHD. Therefore, exercise is essential to improve this condition and can actually help relieve symptoms, Dr. Abdelghani said: “This is related to the excess energy and fatigue that help improve sleep. It can also provide you with a structure to build Your sleep. A day or so." Exercise can also increase dopamine in the brain, which helps improve attention and concentration in ADHD, and endorphins that make us feel good.

Imagine if this pattern of underperformance, criticism and eventual avoidance can be broken in childhood, then more of us can hope to play sports in a more balanced way. Dr. Steer believes that the coaching approach is at the core of this change: “They need to be informed about ADHD, how it affects the individuals they are coaching, and what reasonable adjustments are needed. For example, maybe girls can set a task while waiting, Then there should be time to register quickly according to the group instructions to make sure she has heard and understood her role. Personal-based sports may be ideal-I have worked with girls who are good at track and field, karate, trampoline and gymnastics."

Of course, as an adult who has a better understanding of my ADHD symptoms—especially my boredom, lack of concentration, fluctuating energy levels, and difficulty following instructions—I know I’d better have one-on-one with my teacher Course. This kind of focus allows me to focus on the job at hand and make sure that I do it right. My mentor knows to keep changing and don’t let me try to talk about my way of working by presenting Adele’s new album. It’s always too expensive to do, but I plan to mix it with the shortest HIIT video I can find and swim when I feel safe from COVID (Guide my inner Michael Phelps, because you won’t really swim Feeling bored-you either splash or drown, right?) and dance. Author and ADHD patient Natalie Hughes pointed me to The Fitness Marshall video on YouTube and learned about some content that is not as lively and exciting as exercise. I have also heard from many women with ADHD that cycling is good for them, so if Peloton is looking for a neurological disagreement ambassador, he may or may not quit after the first week. I am ready and Willing to ride my brand new bicycle shorts.

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