Post #12: The Benefits of Regular Exercise in Anxiety

It is extremely difficult to convince someone who is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks to exercise. Hell, the word exercise itself can trigger a panic attack. This was me! I got tensed up and panic just by thinking about going to the gym.

Millions of what-if questions popped in my head; “what if my blood pressure rises too high, what if my heart can’t handle it, what if I get dizzy and pass out, what if people see me having a panic attack? These questions act as a wall which blocks me from ever going to the gym or even engaging in any heavy physical activities. I basically lost faith in my own physical ability.

Even when I gathered enough drive and determination to start exercising, I was tip toeing into it. I would watch my breathing and count my pulse. I would check my face in the mirror to see if I still look “normal”. I constantly “self-check” every part of my body to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary during every exercise.

This body scanning behavior added more stress and tension into my already stressed and tensed body so every twitch or soreness from exercising would send me running back to my safe space. I failed to realized that it’s only natural for my heart rate to rise and my breathing to be labored during working out.

I remember stepping off the treadmill and my walking seems weird, I felt as I was walking on a boat. This feeling is normal for everyone but to me I thought I was having a neurological issue. I panicked and rushed out to my car. I didn’t return to the gym for almost 2 years after that incident.

I work out 3 times a week now and I am in the best shape of my life. What helped me was the combination of the ACER Method and the 1-Minute Method. I gave up the fear of what could happen to me from exercising. I was willing to accept and embrace whatever sensation and symptom I would feel when exercising. But of course, I didn’t go in blasting. I didn’t run full speed on the treadmill and lift the heaviest weight I could find. I eased myself in very slowly.

Even though the 1-Minute Method was designed to overcome panic attacks, I utilize its approach and ideas to overcome my fear of exercising. Minute by minute, I extended my time at the gym and eventually was able to stay for hours.

Every time my body felt a sensation or a scary thought popped up, I set a timer and stay where I was and continued doing what I was doing for 1 minute. After one minute, I decided to either go home or push myself for another 60 seconds. One minute became two, two became three and before I know it, I was comfortable staying around as long as I would before my anxiety.

This is when my recovery from anxiety excels. Exercising strengthened my physical and mental health. It burned off the excess adrenaline in my system; therefore, I had less and less symptoms. I slept better, I ate better. I became stronger and more active. My focus was shifted away from constantly monitoring my body. My confidence soared because I was able to convinced myself that I’m healthy and there was nothing wrong with my heart or my health as my anxiety had bluffed me into believing.

As hard as it might seem, exercising is a great way to help you recover from your anxiety and panic attacks. It increases your metabolism, confidence and strength. Don’t go into aggressively and don’t expect immediate results. Be patient and use the correct approach. Look at it as a recovery journey, not a quick fix band aid.