Exercise Anxiety

[Samantha12]

Does anyone else find their anxiety worsening after Exercise? I recently did a workout and my heart was beating so fast I started panicking about its fast rate and it got worse. I started feeling dizzy and scared that my heart beat would never go back to normal and I would pass out! Anyone else experience this? Does anyone know how to control or deal with this? It is preventing me from getting in a complete workout because the fear always makes me stop early!

[Josh1234]

Exercise is one of my biggest triggers.

[Shazamataz]

I've had this for months as when my anxiety flared up in October last year most of my major panic attacks happened when I was exerting myself either in the garden or hiking with the dogs.

I've only recently managed to force myself to do heavier exercise than a stroll along the beach and so far so good. I think you just have to get on with it and know it is normal for exercise to raise your heart rate.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I've been the same throughout mine. I had been off work a few months when my anxiety started for the first time and kept working out and I was taking a fair few supplements including some stimulating ones. I added a new strong one, which turned out to be too strong for me, which resulted in a big adrenaline rush. This caused me to spiral from there and exercise as well as any supplement became linked to my anxiety.

So, anything that brought that on was a problem from there whether it was walking or just carrying something a bit heavy upstairs, or just even going up the stairs!

My CBT therapist had me try to work on this by raising my heart rate and speeding up my breathing. She had me doing sprints. This is what I now understand to be a Behavioural Experiment. She asked me to think about how I felt when I stopped, the sensations and to notice how they reduce. This was tricky at first but after a certain number I did find I was becoming used to it and started to run a bit more.

I think it's probably one of those things that works well with exposure therapy, doing it in a stepped manner to pass through it.

I haven't beaten mine yet but I am much more able than back then. I have new problems with it and fatigue to battle with now. But I finally saw the end of the heart rate issue by running again later on when I was walking my dog. He gets excited and wants to run so I went with it. Again, it was tricky at first but then I got used to it. I reckon I slowed down on working on this, became complacent and drifted backwards a bit and this running pulled me back through it.

I guess part of it is a confidence thing.

[insideout20]

thats a shame because i can tell you excersise is one of the biggest factors in getting over anxiety

[Samantha choc lover]

Hi guys

I've had this problem with my anxiety too. Excercise is going to raise your heartbeat make you sweat, grt out of breath, it's meant to do that. It's very similar to some of the symptoms of panic. So when we recognise this during excercise we become 'FEARFUL', just like during panic. Try to relax into how you feel, don't mentally run from it. Your body will calm down by itself naturally because it 'HAS TO'. The same during panic. The more relaxed you are to the sensations, the less you will think about being scared of them. X

[Justanutter]

I don't do any exercise. I am 59 and am terrified to even go for a walk. Just walking to and from the car park to work makes me feel as if I will collapse sometimes!

Was literally dragged out to the park with hubby last night as it was such a nice night so I thought okay, give it a go....was fine on the flat and feeling pleased with myself but then hubby veered off path up a very slight incline and bam...my heart rate went sky high and I went really hot....that has now confirmed that I have heart trouble to me...absolutely terrified of walking again now...I do have bad heart HA...ECG was ok but that's not enough. Been taken off betablockers recently and heart rate is very high and have been waking with a racing heart. Anxiety through the roof. I really want to be able to exercise

[Samantha choc lover]

Hi

I've been just like you, as in, i've been so scared of exertion to the point i hadto sit down to vacum. I promise you that nothing bad will happen if your heart races!. Ecg's are quite good at detecting any problems. It's anxiety that is making you think something is wrong. Coming off your meds prob hasn't helped your confidence. I have been reading and listening to audio's by Dr Claire Weekes and that has helped me tremendously. If you're finding things really difficult at the moment though, perhaps you could go back and see your gp. There are other medications they could give you.

[Justanutter]

Thanks SCL, yes, you're probably right. I have just been to my weekly therapy and she said I need to start slowly and let my heart recover from swapping meds, being full of adrenaline and getting it used to exertion. It's just so hard when you feel like you're about to die! I used to use Claire Weekes books years ago, they were really good.

[Samantha choc lover]

Hi

I know the feeling!. But the good thing is, what we think will happen, actually won't. I think just build up slowly with the excercise, just gentle walking, swimming or anything you enjoy. I'm starting yoga soon. Something i have always wanted to do. You will get through this!.