Dutch Uncle: Stop Theorising About Fitness and Actually Do It: A Reality Check for ADHD Brains

You don't have a knowledge problem. You have an execution problem. Here's how to fix it.

Right. Let’s cut through the nonsense.

You’ve read enough about fitness. You understand that exercise is good for you. You know what you’re supposed to do. You’ve probably got a Pinterest board full of workout routines and a notes app stuffed with abandoned plans. You might’ve even convinced yourself that you need one more perfect system, one more app, one more bit of research before you can start.

That’s bollocks, and somewhere deep down, you know it.

The problem isn’t information. The problem is you’re using your ADHD as an explanation when you’re actually using it as an excuse. Yes, your brain works differently. Yes, motivation is harder for you than for neurotypical people. Yes, executive function is a genuine challenge.

None of that changes the fundamental reality: you either do the thing or you don’t. And right now, you’re not doing it.

Here’s how that changes.

Face the Actual Problem

You’re unfit because you don’t exercise consistently. That’s it. Not because you haven’t found the right routine. Not because you’re waiting for motivation to strike. Not because you need to “fix” your ADHD first.

Every day you don’t exercise is a day you chose something else instead. Maybe you chose scrolling. Maybe you chose staying in bed. Maybe you chose the path of least resistance. Those are choices, not inevitabilities.

ADHD makes those choices harder—genuinely harder—but it doesn’t make them for you. The moment you accept that your current fitness level is the direct result of your repeated choices, you can actually change those choices. As long as you’re blaming your brain chemistry, you’re powerless. When you accept responsibility, you gain agency.

That responsibility might feel uncomfortable. Good. Discomfort means you’re touching reality instead of the comforting stories you tell yourself.

Stop Negotiating With Yourself

Here’s what you do every single time: you decide to start exercising, you feel good about the decision for approximately six hours, then your brain starts the negotiation. “Maybe tomorrow would be better.” “I didn’t sleep well.” “I’ll start properly on Monday.” “This isn’t the right programme anyway.”