Regular Exercise Provides Anxiety Relief

If you feel stressed and anxious, you are not alone. Many people feel the same way you do, and it’s reported that more and more persons are suffering from the most severe forms of stress disorders. However, unless your symptoms are so severe that they need medical intervention, you may want to consider exploring exercising as a form of anxiety relief. Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to relieve tension and stress, and also releases endorphins, those “feel good” hormones in the brain that cause you to be upbeat. Exercise also gives you more energy, something that you need for added anxiety relief.

Virtually any form of exercise can work well for anxiety relief, from casual walking to very difficult step aerobics, and anything in between. You don’t need to be a kick-boxer or karate expert for exercise to help, although these forms of activity are good for you as well. But if you’re a very sedentary person right now, obviously you want to go a bit slower as you start out with any exercise program. Anxiety relief will be felt with your first round of exercise, so there’s no need to wait until medications take effect or until you can get an appointment with a psychiatrist. You simply need a good pair of walking shoes, appropriate attire for the weather outside or gym inside, and a small block of time.

Walking is one form of anxiety relief, as it gets the blood flowing and the heart pumping. Yoga is another, as this encourages mental relaxation as well as physical. Through yoga, the muscles are stretched completely, which allows more blood and oxygen to penetrate them, making them feel more relaxed throughout the entire day. Your muscles being relaxed is also good for anxiety relief as you face your everyday stresses.

Another way that exercising provides anxiety relief is that it gives you some private time during the day when you can shut out your work, family, or whatever else is causing you stress. You can stop thinking about your bills and your demanding boss for a half hour or hour. Some even report that they are able to solve problems and think better after exercising, another great part of anxiety relief! No doubt the increased blood flow and deep breathing contribute to this.