In life, variety seems to be good. Variety spices up life—in our diet, our friendships, our television shows and music, and for those who dare, in our love lives. Too much variety, however, in our exercise repertoire—jumping from spin class to Bombay Jam Bollywood to CrossFit, back to spin class, over to kick boxing—signals a misunderstanding of how exercise should fit into our lives.
Sticking to one plan offers lasting wellness benefits. We shouldn’t handle our exercise regimen like we approach online dating—ADHD trolling for a different match each night on Tinder, Hinge, or Grindr. Why are we so afraid to commit?
To beat fitness ADHD, you have to stop thinking about exercise class as a way to help you look good, and instead think of it as a way to help make you happy. One study suggests people start to exercise for weight loss or to improve their appearance but these motivations soon dissipate. Wheeling-and-dealing-behemoths like Groupon and LivingSocial, where fitness classes like Burlesque Bikini Bootcamp seem extraordinarily necessary with summer around the corner, distract us from understanding what exercise is really all about: What we believe in.