Anxiety is about more than just fear and worry. 

Many people experience sincere anxiety and dread about anything – from simple everyday minutia to really big events like death. and being in a panic about fears and worries – round and round, but that’s all it does going around in circles. 

 There is hope, though. Therapy, medication, meditation; and there is a whole range of exercises you can do.

According to Harvard Health, you should start moving and don’t let your anxiety put you at risk for type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems, worsen your gastro-intestinal problems and set you up for a lifetime of other psychiatric disorders. 

What can exercise do for anxiety?

If your anxiety interferes with your ability to function or relax, you may suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD is a common anxiety disorder in which patients experience constant and chronic worrying, nervousness, and tension. Helpguide explains that, unlike phobia, the anxiety of GAD is diffused—a general feeling of dread or unease that colours your whole life – and isn’t connected to anything specific. This anxiety is less intense than a panic attack, but much longer-lasting, making normal life difficult and relaxation impossible. Generalized anxiety disorder is exhausting. It drains your energy, interferes with sleep, and wears your body out.

And to that end, studies say people with chronic anxiety face big meetings, exams or presentations, and aerobic exercise, whether it is a bike ride, a dance routine, or a brisk walk, proves to be a powerful tool to overcome their worst fears.  

This is what happens to you when you step out:

• Exercise diverts you from your round of worries.
• Movement in a goal-directed way decreases muscle tension. The muscles no longer participate in the brain’s overthinking. 
• By increasing your heart rate, the brain chemistry changes
• Changes in the brain free up and make available anti-anxiety neurochemicals such as serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and endocannabinoids. The bottom line, it makes you feel good. You can do more, live more.
• Frontal regions of the brain are activated, and this is responsible for executive function. Thus the amygdala, that part of the brain that reacts to threats, whether real or imagined, is brought under control.
• It reduces stress hormones like cortisol. It also increases feel-good chemicals like endorphins, giving you a natural mood boost.
• Your resilience against stress improves. Thereby, you are able to resist wayward, crippling emotions.
• Exercise ensures less reactivity in the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which are connected to the flight-or-flight reaction.
• It increases neurogenesis and improves neurotransmitter levels. 
• It helps to promote new neuron growth in key areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus.
• And exercise helps ease symptoms of co-occurring conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Negative thinking

Studies thus show that the more exercise you do, the better it is for treating anxiety. It doesn’t matter which activities you do, whether it is yoga, walking, tai-chi or high-intensity-interval training. What matters is that you’re exercising and breaking the vicious cycle of negative thinking.  

Exercise promotes confidence, says Bright and Sassy are you. Exercise can help. You may feel a boost in your mood as your clothes look more flattering, and you project an aura of increased strength.

Social support

Exercise is a good source of social support. Join an exercise class or play softball in a league, exercising with others can give you a double dose of stress relief.

Beginners of an exercise program must consult with a doctor or medical expert to determine the best exercise and intensity level for their physical condition.

Your medical history and diagnosed conditions (and current medications) play a role in your ability to exercise.

If you suspect you have anxiety, ask about how you can incorporate physical activity into your treatment.

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