174 // ADHD, Exercise, Menopause & more, with Debra Atkinson

So How does exercise affect the brain? Before we get into specific types of exercises or different stages, how does exercise affect our brains?

You know, so positively.

And there is, you know, it doesn't matter what kind of exercise you do or you don't like.

Every kind of exercise has positive benefits.

So we can get in later to what's on the continuum, what I say was quote unquote best exercise.

But right now, it's in a way gives you an opportunity and a window.

If we said acute, like, what are you doing today? Going for a walk or doing some cardio on an elliptical or whatever it might be.

It gives you a window where if you exercise today, me sitting here, you sitting there, we're sharper.

We can focus.

Our brains can organize a little bit.

There's a difference between somebody who does and doesn't have ADHD.

And that is that some of us, before we take action, we need to make a list.

We need to organize it.

Like, what am I going to do first? And there is something to those that kind of don't have that ability to focus enough to make the list that if you have ADHD, you may actually do better Go for the walk first.

The activation then helps you to frame and come back here and pull all those loose ends and stay on a narrow path so that you can make the list.

And now you can actually do a task much more better.

I think so many of us actually do better doing this.

But there is a certain subgroup that definitely need it.

And you probably, if it's you, you've identified yourself that this is so true.

You've maybe, you know, I think about our Western world and what we value and we make people sit from nine to five and focus and you get praised for coming in early and staying late.

Well, the truth is, our brains never worked that way very well.

We have these 90-minute cycles, and our attention span will wane, you know, and somebody is going to reach that point sooner.

Maybe somebody can stretch it a little bit longer, but it's about 90 minutes.

you'll start, go, bing, bing, bing, you know, in a squirrel.

And, you know, we move around like that.