Fitness-Does it help

[up a ladder]

I am unfit. I am probably incredibly unfit and also a tad larger than I should be. Well quite a bit really.
I was always told that fitness was a good tool for beating anxiety and panic and indeed in a friend of mine who now runs marathons, it worked for him.
My problem is, I hate exercise. The reason being, as soon as I start to get out of breath etc, I feel like I am having a panic attack and stop. I then avoid exercise again.

Just wondered if exercise and fitness are a help?

[Sober2000june]

Definitely. Also low intensity will burn most fat. Get some good tunes in your ears a pair of trainers and a pedometer to measure your achievements. You cab do it
Paul

[meche]

I think exercise is the best thing ever for anxiety or even if you're just feeling a bit down in the dumps. I do 3 high impact classes a week and walk everywhere inbetween and I definitely notice a change in my mood if I miss a class. I feel more tired & sluggish & when I get like that I have a tendency to over-think situations . Exercise makes me feel alive, motivated & I've got fitter and lost a few pounds in the process. Go for it!!!

[Baggs]

Excercise certainly works for me. Cycling is my thing, about 30 miles a day. I wish you all the best.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, exercise is proven to regulate your hormones and help you sleep better. So, thats one of the pay offs.

In terms of what you describing about breathing, you would be using exercise to increase your heartbeat & breathing rate with a view towards becoming more tolerant of those sensations so that you are less likely to assume its panic.

It will help with that but it may also be like exposure therapy in that at first you may find it harder because it will bring on similiar sensations. It will help to retrain your mind that these sensations can be normal as well as from panic, so its worth doing.

You could work up to it with more gentle exercise at first though. So, you could try yoga which is good for stress as well or perhaps Tai Chi or Qi Gong which are Mindfule based formed of exercise so combine the power of Mindfulness.

[DJP]

Aerobic exercise also helps you to connect a fast heart rate to your mind in a way that should not feel threatening. You will realize after exercising regularly that a fast heartbeat does not have to feel awful. Furthermore, I have found that being in top physical condition does wonders for panic and anxiety. The more confidence you have in your body, the better able you are to manage the uncomfortable physical symptoms.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Aerobic exercise also helps you to connect a fast heart rate to your mind in a way that should not feel threatening. You will realize after exercising regularly that a fast heartbeat does not have to feel awful. Furthermore, I have found that being in top physical condition does wonders for panic and anxiety. The more confidence you have in your body, the better able you are to manage the uncomfortable physical symptoms.

Completely agree with this...and its a massive self esteem booster.