Frustrating and overwhelming reaction to exercise.

[ankietyjoe]

Hey

This doesn't happen all the time, and I think it only happens when I've been particularly stressed and inactive for a while.

First time this happened was June last year, when I did a relatively mild session of weight lifting after a prolonged bout of anxiety and depression where I'd been laid up and literally had little to no physical activity for several months. That same night a few hours later I experienced an overwhelming sense of fear, diziness and shaking out of the blue. It felt like the after effects of exercise went from mild euphoria to absolute fear in a matter of seconds. I managed to get through the night, and then it came back in the morning with a vengeance. I ended up in A&E it was so bad (which I'd never done before) but predictably I was tested and probed and nothing was found.

Moving forward and I've been careful about over exercising since then. Last night however I think it happened again. I've been a little down and ill for the last month or so, but not overly so. I had been doing very small bursts of very light weight training on and off, but no real aerobic to speak of. So yesterday I did a little more weight training (and I'm talking 5 minutes worth with very light weights), and then I went for a pretty brisk walk for 20 minutes. Enough to get me sweating and my heart rate up to about 120-130.

Bam, 3-4 hours later I was smashed with the anxiety/dizziness/shaking etc.

I'm 41, don't smoke or drink, no drugs and my diet is pretty good.

This inability to exercise at even a medium level is really frustrating.

I've read that it's caused by toxins being released into my bloodstream from the exertion, that have been stored up over many months of inactivity and anxiety. With me it lasts between 2-4 days.

Does anybody else suffer from this, and have you found a way to combat it?


Thanks

[Serenitie]

Hi Joe there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

When you experience anxiety and depression physical tension builds up in the muscles which often triggers anxiety or a panic attack.

When you do weightlifting this encourages the muscles tension / relaxation response.

I enjoy weight training of brief sessions on alternate days. The way to combat the dizzy shaky after effects is:

~ Make sure you stretch out properly after every weight training session to prevent the build up of lactic acid and tension in the muscles.

~ Build up repetitions / weight increases gradually.

~ Alternate the muscle groups you work on (eg legs one day, upper body the next)

~ Follow your weight training with an activity that naturally stretches / relaxes the muscles like yoga, a massage or a hot bath.

~ Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise.

~ Eat a small protein based snack after exercise to repair muscle tissue

~ Combine with moderate aerobic activity on alternate days which increases endorphins and reduces stress (again build the duration and intensity up gradually)

Happy exercising!

[ankietyjoe]

Hey

Thanks for the response.

It's not so much the immediate effects of exercise which usually include rapid heatbeat and shaking etc. It's several hours later and lasts for a couple of days, and it is a profound and extended nervous explosion (that's the best way to describe it) that cannot be alleviated with my normal methods of coping with day to day anxiety. In fact I rarely experience much in the way of anxiety or nerves since I started meditating, but this reaction to exercise really is overwhelming and prolonged.

I must confess I could probably do more in the way of stretching and hydrating, but what I experience feels like more than potential dehydration. Can't harm to drink more though!

Oh, and I really cannot start with any lower weight. I'm using 10kg bells just to activate muscle tissue. My body is THAT sensitive to tissue damage that occurs during resistance exercise.