Panic attacks and exercising

[jlong007]

Hello,

My cardiologist said that my heart was in good condition and gave me Clearance to start exercising, however when I start exercising, I start getting panic attacks. I feel hotness rushing up through me, then I start getting dizzy and I feel like I'm going to die.

Does anyone have problems like this? I would like to exercise because I heard it does wonders for your anxiety, but I can't exercise because I get panic attacks, which lead me to believe that there is an underlying medical condition that the doctors haven't found.

Any advice would be great!

[carl1023]

Hello mate, i am exactly the same. I used play football 3 times a week, now i cant jog a few yards! Im putting weight on cos i cant exercise. Its horrible. It must be anxiety. Its just hard to accept its only anxiety cos the feelings that physically weird.

[forwells]

Hello

There is nothing wrong with you . What is happening is that your body is stressed and exercising is adding stress to that and then in turn you are reacting to it and going into panic .

What sort of exercising are we talking about ? If you push it you are going to release more adrenaline and this is going to increase things .

The best exercise you should be looking at is a mild walk or swim to start with and as things settle you can do more.

remember you are trying to get the body moving , not stressing .

cheers

[jlong007]

I was on the treadmill jogging. That's a good point, I'll start walking first

[forwells]

You dont even need to walk fast . Mild is best for now till you get use to it again and are not reacting to things as much

[dazza]

With having developed "heart attack" anxiety and being consumed with fear of imminent death for quite some months, I can absolutely relate to the original post.

Initially, I was scared to even walk. I was baby-stepping everywhere, LOL

Where once I used to fly up stair-cases in two or three steps, health anxiety had me clutching at the railings as I SLOWLY made my cautious way up, wondering which step I'd die on.

FUCKING AWFUL TIMES... for want of a better expression.

Trouble is, with anx' disorder, every little bodily twinge can set off a train of irrational, deathly thoughts...
Super-Hyper sensitivity coupled with super-hyper fear reactions and WAM, BAM, THANK-YOU MAM - you're in your own, little, pittiful world of involuntary, self-creating nightmares, direct from the Satans favourite book of torture.

Good advice above re. talking it slow to begin with and work your way up as your confidence (and ability to passify anxiety) grows.

Try and exercise hard with health anxiety and guaranteed satan will be right there with ya...

[willstar]

Dazza, again, its great to hear that someone else has been through exactly what i have been dealing with.

I kitesurf, which is a very low impact sport. But attempting it over the last 6 months has felt like being put in a concrete mixer.
Every little water bump feels like a 6ft fall onto the pavement, even the water spray felt like stones being thrown at me!
As soon as i started to presume that there was something physically wrong with me, i started to get pains down my arms, numb legs, and stabbing feelings in my chest.
It wasnt long before i was terrified of kitesurfing!

God, i hope that passes by the time summer comes!

[dazza]

All sounds so eerily familar me old bean. I know precisely what you're facing.

Imagine being in a car crash but being told to kite-surf the moment they dragged you out the car?
Couldn't do it could ya?

That fright state is essentially what we innapropriately experience during an anx' attack... it's little wonder we find it hard to function.

[raggamuffin]

I find myself getting panicky after I finish exercising. I enjoy cycling but often i'm scared to do it as I get so worked up afterwards. Whilst I know exercise gets your heart racing I often find the aches and racing heart utterly unnerving. Just my over-active mind and worries as per usual I guess.

Ed

[Damavandi]

Hi there:

Your problem seems to be a severe deficiency in Vitamin D3. You will be cured--do not worry.
Please take a look at my Thread " The Cure ?" under the Depression forum.

Best wishes,
Ali