Exercise and Anxiety

[Chocolateface]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone has any experience on exercise and anxiety. I am hoping to do a half marathon in October so I have started running again. I go 2-3 miles 3 times a week and 5-6 miles at the weekend. When the nights are lighter I want to increase the mid week runs.

Since doing all this running I have become less anxious, for example a situation at work that would have made me anxious before just made me curious. Is the exercise masking or dealing with the anxiety?

Clare

[half-empty]

I became lazy for weeks, went on an exercise bike for about 10 mins last sunday and my legs still hurt! good luck with your marathon! my doctor told me to exercise to burn off the adrenaline my body was making to ease physical symptoms.

[Xtrastrongbint]

Apparently running is a great way to deal with all the excess adrenaline that anxiety causes. Definitely not gonna cause you any harm:D

[uru]

Exercise is supposedly one of the best things for anxiety. I find it helps but I don't do it enough.

[LiveAboveIt]

Exercise is incredible for anxiety. Regular aerobic exercise boosts/produces calming hormones and chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which helps alleviate stress and mental fog. Exercise also helps burn up any excess adrenaline or cortisol that might have built up during anxiety or stress. It also allows you to think more clearly because it increases blood flow to the brain.

[Chocolateface]

Thanks for the replies, I have definitely felt better and more positive so recommend it to everyone

Clare

[rcs]

Exercise relieves my anxiety and makes me calmer and helps me think through events logically. I just walk a lot and do some sit ups and press ups, it always recommended when treating anxiety. :)

[USER12]

I find exercise helpful for anxiety too.

[KeeKee]

I never found exercise helpful for my anxiety. I wonder why this is. Because of this I have absolutely no motivation to exercise at all and I've a wedding coming up and want to get a little toned so I can get my legs out hehe. Any motivational tips?
I can't go to a gym or exercise in front of people so would have to be something I could do at home.

[half-empty]

use your stairs for step ups

[KeeKee]

Good idea. I'm not 100% sure how to do them I've just had a quick Google I'll give them a try. My stairs are quite small so hoping that doesn't minimise the benefits.

[Mike_NY]

Exercise was helping me with anxiety up until 2 weeks ago. I have been running 5 miles, 3-4 times a week on the treadmill. As I started to get a bit fitter, I upped the speed and after about 30 minutes in at a faster pace I started to get dizzy and fuzzy headed and had to stop cause I felt off balance and dizzy. I'd DP/DR for a week after that incident and it's just started to go away. I've been doing lower intensity workouts now for longer times but i'm afraid to run on the treadmill anything over 20 mins now in case it happens again. I wont let it stop me exercising though, have to get that beach body! :yesyes:

[Phuzella]

Walking is good for legs and anxiety :)

[MetalYeti]

I find it helps massively - up to a point. I learned the hard way that if I do too much it actually starts making it worse again. I knew that exercise really helped my anxiety so I did more and I felt better. So I did even more and felt great! So I did even more...and suddenly my anxiety was worse than it had been to start with! I did find a very interesting article I wish I had saved that explained how levels of cortisol produced during long sessions of aerobic exercise can worsen stress levels (or something along those lines), but the right amount of exercise produces dopamine etc and helps stress levels. It seems to be a fine balancing act. I can cope with two intense training sessions a week (sports practice) but much more than that starts tipping the balance again. It’s very frustrating as most of my team mates cross train and I don’t seem to be able to. It makes me feel like I’m not putting enough in and will never be able to catch up with them.

[Bakebeansrule]

I found walking the dog really helps on rainy days I've tried to use my cross trainer but that doesn't have the same effect I think it's the fresh air that helps too. I've had days where I really can't be bothered but if I push myself I feel great after I'll come home and clean the house top to bottom where as before the walk I wouldn't want to get off the sofa

[MyNameIsTerry]

I found walking the dog really helps on rainy days I've tried to use my cross trainer but that doesn't have the same effect I think it's the fresh air that helps too. I've had days where I really can't be bothered but if I push myself I feel great after I'll come home and clean the house top to bottom where as before the walk I wouldn't want to get off the sofa

If only we could be more like our dogs, eh? :woof:

[Phuzella]

Definitely Terry. My dog died just before Christmas. Going for a walk on my own just isn't the same.