anxiety with exercise

[PR83]

Hello all,

I have wanted to get back in shape for years and exercise helps my anxiety. The problem is that I go into a panic mode whenever I exercise, subconsciously. My body tenses (more than it should) and my breathing becomes erratic (which leads to pins and needles, and more body tension). I try to do cardio sessions at home (from youtube videos) and can barely get through 5 minutes because everything is tight and I feel like I am running through cement! Any help with this appreciated! Maybe I just need to have some "self talk" and let myself know I will be okay before working out?

[Kirk]

I would gradually increase your workouts and don't move up to the next level until you are comfortable.

[Teafrenzy]

Hello all,

I have wanted to get back in shape for years and exercise helps my anxiety. The problem is that I go into a panic mode whenever I exercise, subconsciously. My body tenses (more than it should) and my breathing becomes erratic (which leads to pins and needles, and more body tension). I try to do cardio sessions at home (from youtube videos) and can barely get through 5 minutes because everything is tight and I feel like I am running through cement! Any help with this appreciated! Maybe I just need to have some "self talk" and let myself know I will be okay before working out?

Exercise is good for anxiety but you need to keep it light. Go for walking, cycling, swimming where you can also relax while exercising and not working the body too hard. If you do need to work up a good sweat, then you will have to learn total passive acceptance of your symptoms. It's pretty hard to do that.

[PR83]

thanks all! I agree completely. I need to retrain my mind and body, it's going to take some work but I'll keep fighting!

[gypsylee]

Hi there :)

I would try walking. I saw a physiotherapist a few years ago for pain in my legs and he said it was caused by muscle tension (caused by stress, inactivity and bad posture). He advised walking and stretching, which I did, and it really helped. If you can walk somewhere in nature that's even better because it grounds you and gets you out of your head, which is great for anxiety. I need to take my own advice and get back into it myself!

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[martin05]

I like the walking advice. An hour-long walk every day is good exercise and shouldn't tax your body or nervous system.

[Jull]

Hello all,

I have wanted to get back in shape for years and exercise helps my anxiety. The problem is that I go into a panic mode whenever I exercise, subconsciously. My body tenses (more than it should) and my breathing becomes erratic (which leads to pins and needles, and more body tension). I try to do cardio sessions at home (from youtube videos) and can barely get through 5 minutes because everything is tight and I feel like I am running through cement! Any help with this appreciated! Maybe I just need to have some "self talk" and let myself know I will be okay before working out?

Then don't do cardio, you can do yoga or meditation. :)

[SkinsFan28]

I can absolutely relate to this. I'm a workout nut and love high intensity training. My anxiety has been focused on my muscles feeling off for the past 4 months and the anxiety makes it incredibly hard to focus. I took 2 months off during this period to reset myself by sticking to walking and yoga. Once I resumed training my symptoms started to creep back up because I was hyper focused and anxious about how my body would react during the workouts. I'm currently trying to find a balance between the two so that I can be symptom free again!

[maximadam]

Going to the gym daily really helps me. Yoga and martial arts training is great too.

[Davs0]

I think this might be happening to me as well, but i'm not sure. Perhaps try chewing gum (it causes a psychological trigger to feel more relaxed, due to the brain feeling a stimulant when eating).

[MainerMikeBrown]

I agree with the idea of walking, but do it in neighborhoods you feel safe in, as opposed to neighborhoods you aren't familiar with or may have a lot of dogs who are supposed to be on a leash but aren't.

[PanicCured]

This is such a great and important topic!

When I was knee deep in severe panic disorder, I had a gym membership. The gym had an entire floor devoted to yoga with really good teachers, even one yoga teacher imported from India. I lived literally, less than a 5 minute walk door to door to this gym. I had that same issue, where any amount of heart elevating would freak me out but I decided to at least do the yoga. Well, I went 3-4 days a week and not once, had a panic attack during the class. Although, I did go fully stoned from 2 mg. of Klonopins once which I do not recommend! That was weird!

So anyway, what I found, was yoga killed so many birds with one stone. It incorporated muscle building and cardio, got me out of the house, and I was part of a community where you'd see the same teachers and other members regularly. Before and after class people would socialize too. The nice cute yoga girl butts bending over in front of me was no small bonus as well, I got to admit!

And of course, the entire experience is such a healing and positive environment, and everyone is super stoked and enthusiastic about yoga! Perfect environment for anxiety sufferers.

Now, in my life I do many other types of exercise as well, and now I try and get my heart to beat really fast during workouts, which is a funny twist of irony. But when knee deep in anxiety, in any case, finding a yoga class nearby that you can regularly go to, can be really beneficial when suffering from anxiety.

You do not have to be good, in shape or skinny, just do the best you can. The goal of yoga is to push yourself from where you are, and feel it internally, even if you can only bend 1 inch.

I highly recommend it!

[Ponder]

Hello all,

I have wanted to get back in shape for years and exercise helps my anxiety. The problem is that I go into a panic mode whenever I exercise, subconsciously. My body tenses (more than it should) and my breathing becomes erratic (which leads to pins and needles, and more body tension). I try to do cardio sessions at home (from youtube videos) and can barely get through 5 minutes because everything is tight and I feel like I am running through cement! Any help with this appreciated! Maybe I just need to have some "self talk" and let myself know I will be okay before working out?

Exercise is so effective for mood disorders that many people like myself use it as our primary source of medicine. It's also great as a means within an existing medication regime! In fact fact the lack of physical activity and the adoption of sedentary lifestyles is largely responsible for many physical and mental disorders. Keeping physically active is the best preventative measure when it comes to my mental instability.

As someone on a disability pension for mental illness using exercise and alternative lifestyle choices as his medication; I'll give you two word that are key! Desire & Consistency!!!

Desire enables and sets my genuine intention which is more important than how hard or little I start out. Starting out too little has the potential to allow my usual complacent mindset + my all to often clinically induced procrastination end a well meaning exercise regime before it even has a chance to become established. Desire is a process like anything else and takes time to cultivate. Knowledge in the area of forming long lasting habits and fostering motivation are but a "few" key components to the psychological approach. The Art of Starting is something I have attained due to many failed attempts in whatever, however the KEY to becoming a master of balance is determination that leads to consistency!

The level of intensity when beginning a new regime and throughout is appropriately managed with Desire and Consistency but more so with knowledge. Desire and Consistency come to together as the mind tunes in with the body. This process is quite invigorating and brings about its own reward before you even see results in the mirror. Knowledge opens doors by allowing more options under which to keep active without going batty. It also helps us overall with rest and recovery which is probably the most misunderstood element within one's exercise routine. Start out to hard and you will bust, start out too little and you will fizzle.
____________________________________________

I've only just scratched the surface with the key element to making change that's seriously going to last. It's actually time for me to start a new journal which is just yet another strategy to my approach with keeping in routine, on track and balanced. I hope some of what I said makes a little sense. I tend to get off balance if I am do not keep moving!!! It's all about the way we "cycle" - the level intensity, duration, rest and recovery. The resulting peace of mind and the ability to handle my fear in a fucked up world is my ultimate reward! :)

All the best - imo - WALKING is by far the best way to start out but keeping desire and consistency in mind. From there it only gets better and if you ever need to fall back - do so with walking, desire and consistency. The pattern in that will see determination develop within and you will also become a master of the psychological approach. It only gets better from there - regardless of whatever.

Wishing you all the best.

[Kirk]

Maybe also light weight training and work your way up.

[PanicCured]

Walking daily, in the sunshine if you can, should go without saying how important it is for this situation. Walking to a yoga class and back. There you go! 2 for 1.

[The Intolerable Kid]

A companion might help. I exercise by hiking in the woods with my dog. She's a great motivator, we do almost a mile of steep hills every day. The woods are also very realxing compared to a gym.

[Carnelian]

Do you guys sometimes become too depressed to go out and walk or to a gym?

[Kirk]

I walk a lot in my office building. My office is on the 2nd floor and the bathroom is down 2 flights of steps and I go a number of times a day, so that is how I get my walking in. When I am busy and my mind is occupied, it is harder for me to feel depressed.

[martin05]

Do you guys sometimes become too depressed to go out and walk or to a gym?

Sometimes. I have a normal exercise routine, which involves running and walking long distances. Then I have a secondary routine, which involves a few minutes of stretching and a quick jog up and down some stairs.

If I'm hurried or am feeling low, I do the secondary routine for 5-10 mins, just to keep in that habit of exercising.

[willheal]

Do you guys sometimes become too depressed to go out and walk or to a gym?

Absolutely. I haven't found a way around this aside from "count down from 10 and just do it", and then I'm overwhelmed by the stress of doing it when I adamantly don't want to. I'm assuming/hoping it will get a little better over time

[JonB]

Hi PR83... how does you body/mind react if you just told it mentally that you are going to do exercise? Does it respond in a similar way?

[salvator here]

For me, Exercise is more than just about the physical activity, its a time for me to get in touch with my thoughts. I do get anxiety while out in public, but I still try to fight it, its worth it in the end.

[JonB]

But what if you didn't need to fight it? What if it was no longer there? I have been working with a really powerful but very simple technique that can be done whilst you're sat at home. If you want to know more then PM me and I can send you the details.

[PanicCured]

But what if you didn't need to fight it? What if it was no longer there? I have been working with a really powerful but very simple technique that can be done whilst you're sat at home. If you want to know more then PM me and I can send you the details.

So you come on an anxiety forum to post about how you have an amazing technique to get rid of anxiety, yet refuse to post it here, instead come on and post how you have a secret you won't tell unless someone messages you?

[JonB]

Because I'm not willing at the moment to put it out there in an uncontrolled manner.

If someone's seriously interested then I will share it with them. I'd also like to follow up with them to see how things go.

Is that unreasonable?

[aml0017]

I have been experiencing this too, for me my chest feels really tight when I am exercising. It is an odd feeling, but hasn't really caused me to panic too much. I have found it decreases as I keep exercising. I am pretty out of shape so I think it is mostly just my body going through growing pains. I have also been having allergy issues due to exercising outside with all the pollen and weeds.

I understand it becomes a vicious cycle for you now, but what do you think triggered the first incident? Your body was probably just rebelling against the exercise after being out of shape a while. It will take your body awhile to adjust, but keep going. Stick to less intense exercise for now, go outside and walk. Hope you overcome this soon.