Anxiety DURING exercise

[rinkrt]

Hi all,

I'm pretty new to this forum but in the past I experienced health anxiety, especially about my chest but I'm now over that. Since september I'm doing a new study and it gives me study stress, and this causes an increase in anxiety.

What strikes me is that during exercise my anxiety symptoms increase. My main issue is intrusive thoughts and when I'm exercising they get worse. When starting with exercise, it is ok but after a while they come and increase.

Any tips?

Nick

[ankietyjoe]

You're possibly exercising at too high intensity. If you're stressed or prone to anxiety, exercise is merely adding another level of stress for your central nervous system to cope with.

[rinkrt]

You're possibly exercising at too high intensity. If you're stressed or prone to anxiety, exercise is merely adding another level of stress for your central nervous system to cope with.

Ankietyjoe, thanks for your reply. That was what my thoughts were as well. I like to exercise (doing football and tennis) so I'm bit confused what to do. The increasing anxiety is uncomfortable, but exposing to it also is a good thing for practicing acceptance I think. What's your opinion?

[ankietyjoe]

Actually, exercise is oddly one of the few things I would suggest paying attention to rather than just accepting.

Practising acceptance is best left of general anxiety, going to the shops, social situations, being in an elevator etc. These situations aren't inherently anxiety producing, but exercise 'might' be. It's all about CNS stimulation. Exercise can sometimes stress the CNS more than any benefit you get out of it, and it's a matter of intensity. Not only absolute effort, but time too. That's something you'll need to figure out for yourself, what level of intensity can your CNS handle right now. You may need to pull back a little until this period of anxiety has passed, or maybe look at the other things stressing you right now. It could even be that you exercise every other day rather than every day, for now.