exercise - a little apprehensive!!!

[janie]

Hello everyone

Just wondered...........does anyone feel a little apprehensive about doing exercise. My main symptom is chest pain and although I have been back to dance classes, been for long walks, ridden my bike and not had to be rushed to hospital I'm still a bit nervous.

I've had an ecg and all ok and have had several really good days recently :D but my husband would like to play squash tonight (which I absolutely love) and my chest is tight just thinking about it.

He says healthy body is a healthy mind which I believe is true but there is just this niggling doubt. Any ideas anyone??? xxx

[clickaway]

If your chest is tightening just thinking about it, are you going to be able to handle and enjoy the game?

I'm wondering if you need to gather up your confidence more, before playing squash.

Returning to dancing will tone up your muscles and help your mind. Do you go swimming? Perhaps that is a good step also, and if you play, badminton may be a possible intermediate step too.

But there again, all the exercise I am happy to do is walk! I'm even afraid of stooping down to do the garden, so who am I to say?

Take care,

Ray
http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[Borntoworry]

Funny enough this is the opposite for me.

When im going through a real bad period and I feel so tired I tend to try and do some excercise, such as a long walk or go for a bike ride...to try to convince myself if I have what ever it is at the time, there is no way I would be able to to do this :D

[giddy]

Hi Janie
I was just like you a while ago - scared to exercise because I thought I would collapse. I got loads of good advice from people on this site and just started slowly. I do DVDs at home and started just by doing the warm ups and then gradually did a bit more each tiime. Now I'm back to how I used to be with exercise and I don't think about collapsing.
Could you play squash with a couple of friends too, then when you think you've done enough you can sit out for a bit and watch your husband? I'm sure once you get going you'll feel fine, I found that I felt light headed and panicky at the start of exercise but it went as I got into it.
Take Care
Love Helen

[Wills]

I know exactly what you are going through. When I get to work, im even wary about walking around fast and often feel faint and get chest pains. However, over the weekend i jumped up and down for 8 hours solid at the isle of wight festival!!

For me, my mind brings on all my symptoms and im sure if begin to run i will start to get palpitations and get anxious, rather than enjoying it.

I think if we could make this step, it would be a huge step towards getting rid of this awful burden. Just remember times when you've forgotten your symptoms and they've dissappeared, which would never happen if there was anything wrong with your heart.

I think that squash is certainly a bit ambitious,, as its demands so much from you and would inevitibly lead you to worry for the worst. Perhaps a gradual programme designed to increase intensity each week would help you build confidence in your body and its ability to cope with phyisical stress. maybe im talking rubbish!!

Good luck with it hun, push yourself, but not too hard!!

Will