Calming Down Anxious Feelings With Exercise
According to many recent studies, exercise may act like a miracle drug for many people suffering from depression and anxiety disorders. Individuals who exercise report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of stress and anger. Exercise helps with calming nerves and provides a natural means of coping with anxiety and worry. They also see a reduction in insomnia, restlessness, and find it much easier to reach a relaxed state of mind and inner peace.
Exercise appears to have the same effects as anxiety medication or antidepressants in the brain, and it helps patients with depression re-establish positive behaviors. For patients with anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder, exercise reduces their fears and related bodily sensations such as a racing heart and rapid breathing. Exercise can also help reduce insomnia and feelings of restlessness and the inability to relax or sit still.
We all have natural tension and stress that build up in our minds and bodies. We can feel the stress when our muscles become tense and stiff. Much of our muscle pain can be attributed to stress. If you get a massage that’s what the massage therapist is doing, forcing your muscles to relax and release this built up tension. When the massage is finished, you feel much better and more relaxed. Exercise also releases this tension in our muscles in a healthy and natural way. Additionally, stretching during and after exercise naturally releases tension. When your muscles quiver during stretching that’s the tension leaving your body.
If you’ve ever read my blog or anxiety book you probably know how strongly I agree with the results of this study, using my own life and experiences as proof. Physical exercise was vital to my recovery from anxiety and depression, and continues to be crucial to the more balanced life I live today. Anytime I feel stressed out or overwhelmed with my emotions, I make it a point to get some exercise. It always makes me feel better and more relaxed, no matter how bad I’m feeling.
Exercise also helps you develop more self-confidence. This works for many reasons. Because you’re releasing stress and tension when working out, you feel more positive and optimistic. This improves your mood and helps you feel better about yourself. Anytime you do something productive you always feel better, and the same applies to exercise. After exercising you will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, which boosts your ego and confidence. Of course exercise also improves your physical appearance. You will feel better about your body and your self-image will improve, resulting in more self-confidence and belief in yourself.
So establish a regular exercise routine. You will feel stronger and more relaxed both mentally and physically after just one workout. The fact that you’ll look good at the beach this summer is just a bonus! Once you become more physically active it’s more incentive for you to eat healthy and take better care of yourself, which can only make you feel better and more positive. So give it a shot and start a regular exercise program to help with calming nerves.
There are of course other helpful breathing relaxation techniques out there that will help you as well, and complement a healthy regular exercise routine.
Thanks for all the great pingbacks guys, glad so many people have found this helpful!
Cheers,
Steve