Scared of having a heart attack while exercising.

[TonySamuraiSoldier]

I don't get much physical exercise, and I am pretty overweight. I stopped exercising about 4 years ago when I was in the 7th grade and was introduced to home schooling. At that point I didn't even see the purpose of getting up, if I didn't have to walk from class to class or just wake up for the bus why should I exercise? Now I fear that since I have avoided exercising for so long that my body will respond negatively to any sort of physical exertion. I took a walk the yesterday and fell to my ground cause I was trying to grasp my breath, not because it was exerting or tiring, I was just having a panic attack in the middle of it. Any time my heart is rapid I begin going into an immediate panic and run to the nearest phone. I know some people say exercise helps their anxiety and panic attacks but all it does for me is make it 10x worse. If you're wondering how old I am, I am 16 turning 17 in August. No history of heart disease in the family, no exams come back bad either. I just wish I could exercise for once and not have to take a break every 20 seconds cause my panic attacks put me out of breath before I even start.

[Fishmanpa]

It pains me seeing so many young people of these forums :(

You're out of shape. You don't have heart disease nor will you have any heart problems if you exercise. It's always difficult at first until your body acclimates to a routine.

Do you have anyone to speak with concerning your anxiety? You're much too young to be suffering from it. Perhaps you can speak with your parents or a school counselor about getting some help?

Positive thoughts