32: There’s A Walk For That with Harriet Thomas - Episode 3232: There’s A Walk For That with Harriet Thomas - Episode 32
UK Health Radio Podcast
Host Harriet Thomas talks with ADHD coach Amy Huckle about living with ADHD, how executive function affects daily life and work, and why walking and movement can be a simple yet powerful support. The conversation also touches on practical ways workplaces can better support neurodiverse employees through small, human changes.
29:39•17 May 2026
Walking, ADHD and Work: Simple Steps with Harriet Thomas and Amy Huckle
Episode Overview
- ADHD can look very different across individuals, especially between women and men, so stereotypes often hide how it really feels day to day.
- Late diagnosis may bring both relief and grief, but understanding yourself can make past struggles start to make sense.
- Executive function acts like the brain’s management system, and when it falters, work tasks, feedback and goal-setting can become overwhelming.
- Regular walking and time outside can boost dopamine, quiet mental chatter and create simple, joyful moments that support focus and mood.
- Employers can make a big difference by asking staff how they can be best supported, really listening, and encouraging breaks and walks as part of the working day.
“Empathy and compassion in leadership will never go out of fashion.”
What happens when an ADHD coach swaps the office chair for a pair of comfy walking shoes? This conversation between host Harriet Thomas and ADHD coach and consultant Amy Huckle shows how something as ordinary as a daily walk can become a lifeline for a busy, overloaded brain. Amy shares her late diagnosis story, describing the mix of relief and grief that came with finally hearing, in her 40s, that she has combined ADHD and other neurodiversities.
She talks candidly about feeling "completely touched out, overwhelmed, overstimulated" and how understanding ADHD brought context to those frozen-at-the-supermarket moments. As she puts it, "There is a power that comes with understanding yourself." Harriet steers the chat into everyday practicality: what ADHD actually is, how symptoms can look very different in women and girls, and why the old stereotype of the "naughty boy in the classroom" misses so much.
Amy breaks down hyperactive, inattentive and combined ADHD in plain language, then unpacks executive function as the brain’s "management system" – and what happens at work when that system misfires. Walking and movement sit at the heart of the episode. Amy explains how getting outside, even for 20 minutes, can lift dopamine, calm the mental chatter and create small, joyful moments – like noticing flowers with her daughter and turning that into spontaneous connection.
She argues that walking is "massively underused" for everyone, not just people with ADHD. For managers and employers, there’s a clear message: inclusion starts with simple human questions like "How are you really?" and a genuine willingness to listen. Amy reminds businesses that "empathy and compassion in leadership will never go out of fashion" and suggests that encouraging staff to step away from their desks and walk could benefit both wellbeing and performance.
If you’re juggling ADHD, stress, sobriety or just a noisy brain, this chat might have you asking: what could change if you simply stepped outside and took a walk today?
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