Exercise

[zksmom]

Hello again.

I'm wondering if anyone has advice on exercising with anxiety? I ask because, since I have been diagnosed 9 years ago, I have gained a considerable amount of weight. I used to be active and younger and my metabolism was better. Since then though, I have become the opposite of all of that.

The problem is, with the anxiety, if I try to exercise, my heart rate increases, as it should, but as a lot of people can relate I'm sure, elevated heart rate causes anxiety, resulting in a panic attack. Ugh.... They say exercise will help relieve the anxiety and losing weight will help too. What do you do though if that brings it on? It's a vicious cycle. I want and need to get in shape and become healthier, but this is a road block.

Any advice on what to do or how to deal with this?

Thanks!

[Th13thOne]

Can't wait to here the replies to your question. I feel the exact same. I used to live a fitness lifestyle but now experience it the same as yourself.

[NixonRulz]

You have kinda spelled it out on you post.

Your heart rate rises and you feel the beat and next thing you know, you be beatin your way to a panic attack.

Start slow. Low impact or slow cardio. Understand that you will feel your heartbeat and feel it beating in your chest.

That does stop as you know when you cool down.

The goal is to go a little further all the time. Once you get used to the feeling again, even a quick beating heart after a workout will not even phase you.

Baby steps if you are nervous about it but by all means keep doing it.

Good luck!

[Dahila]

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?23843-The-Exercise-Thread&highlight=exercise
long thread about exercise with a lot of information, original poster is Ponder :) read through the pages, it is long but very good thread, and it is going to give you answers

[AmberGbenga]

I'm the same, I used to avoid cardio due to the fact. Start slow.. Don't push yourself too hard.. When you feel your panic attack rising. Stop.. Deep breath calm yourself down.. Then do it again until your finished. The thig with anxiety is it Dosent matter if you stressed about something, scared, excited or excersizing when your heart rate rises the mind goes into fight or flight. Push past it, it gets easier. Ill give it 3 30 min cario sessions and by then it should subside. Your
Body will get used to it. Now I run around the block everyday, go to gym 6 days a week do 2 full blown 40 min cardio sessions a week, yoga and pole dancing lesions 1-2 times a week. Excersize is AMAZING for anxiety, it's just the initial shock that you need to get past

[NeverToo...Fear]

Hi zksmom, I've had some issues trying to overcome anxiety while exercising. It used to not bother me, but ever since having a bad bout of health anxiety, I've been exercising far less than I should or used to.

Nixon and Amber have the right idea. Starting slow is the key here..Our brains have now associated a racing heart to a panic attack. And then you get dizzy and light headed and the problem gets worse. So while you are exercising and your heart starts to race, stop and do something less intensive, like a walk or stretching--just something easy. Now when your heart calms down, start up your exercise again. Go a little further each time you exercise and before you know it, you will be exercising without fear of a panic attack because basically we are trying to retrain the brain and let know that it is normal for the heart to race while exercising and that we're not having a panic attack. Good luck! Exercise is definitely helpful for us anxiety sufferers.

[zksmom]

Very good advice here. Thank you everyone! I'm going to give these methods a try and see if I can overcome. I feel like if I can do this, it will change my whole life for the better. :)

[Stephj526]

I'm so happy I saw this thread. Great advice everyone. I'm starting a 21 day bootcamp tomorrow and I'm so nervous! I'm doing it with a friend, which should help...but nervous about the heart rate and crazy feelings.

[jessed03]

I'm pretty in shape, never been fat, never been victim to any serious health complaints, but exercising did not agree with me in the slightest. My breathing became messed up, heart rate rising made me dizzy. Try as I might, I just could not separate anxiety and exercise. I tried all sorts of programs, same problem.

In the end I started on a program for the severely obese LOL. It helped. It basically meant a slow jog for 1 minute, then walking for 4, and carrying that on for half an hour. The intensity was low enough for me to finally handle, I built up very slowly, and before I knew it was running for 20 minutes out of that 30 and looking to increase more. I knew I had it handled at that point. Finally!

Finding that base level of what you can manage ok is really helpful, then you can build slowly on top of that.