a little bit of exercise helps
Getting enough exercise is a walk in the park for the fitness fanatics amongst us, but for many getting
even a little regular exercise can feel a struggle
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This article is very similar to an article elsewhere in our stress help pages about banishing stress. You
may wish to check out this other article, but it's
not a biggy if you don't have the time
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So why are we talking about exercise when anxiety is on the agenda? Well, its pretty straightforward: the experience of many plus a growing number of scientific studies suggest exercise, even small amounts, not only improves physical health - but also helps to dial-down
feelings of anxiety
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Read on to learn more about how a little bit of exercise can help, plus hear our founder's personal story of managing his anxiety (+ stress) through small amounts of regular exercise
a little bit of exercise helps
In other articles in our help pages, we
talked about 'cognitive distortions'.
In effect, how we challenge our own negative patterns of thinking & along the way tackle the negative thinking at the root of our anxiety
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Exercise offers something different. In & of itself
exercise won't tackle the root of a person's anxiety, but it will dampen its
symptoms - read on to
learn more
Okay, why is
exercise important?
Taking at least a little bit of exercise on a regular basis is key to dialling-down feelings of
anxiety for a few reasons, some are more obvious than others:
Exercise gets our body moving & releases happy chemicals
Exercise provides structure, goals to strive towards & the chance to socialise with other people
Exercise helps improve how we see ourselves & our body, gets us out & about, and creates a sense of empowerment
Exercise not only helps to dampen the symptoms of anxiety, but also helps a person to become better able to resist the onset of anxiety in the first
place - it helps you to become more resilient
as a person. So, why's resilience important?
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Well, it's great to dampen the symptoms of anxiety when you begin
to feel them, but it's even better to find ways to avoid feeling anxious in the first place
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A little regular exercise is a powerful way to build a defence.
Until you're able to tackle the root cause of your anxiety, feeling anxious is unavoidable. But whilst you're working on tackling the root cause, building a defence in parallel is a smart move
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How exercise helps
to build this resilience is not really clear. But what is clear is that someone who regularly exercises
has a stronger defence to feelings
of anxiety
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This won't be a day one solution, but if you stick at it, you'll start to see small
but noticeable improvements as you build your resilience. Your feelings of anxiety should become less severe & less common.
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But, tackling the root of your anxiety will take longer term action - see our help articles on "cognitive distortions" to find out more
Okay, any hints &
tips about how to make exercise a regular thing?
A little exercise but regularly
Most overestimate how much exercise they need to do to begin to see a benefit. A little regular exercise, say five to ten mins once a day is enough to make a difference
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Getting lots of exercise is of course better than getting a little, but a little regular exercise will deliver similar benefits: help release happy chemicals, introduce structure & goals, and help improve your health & how you see yourself
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Even if you stop exercising for a while, maybe you fall ill or head off on holiday, don't worry. Just restart your routine, all you need is a little exercise regularly
Make it
social
For some people, exercise is a solo activity: the solitary jogger stomping the pavements loves exercise as it's a bit of 'me' time
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But for others exercise is easier & more fun when they're around others. If this is you & making exercise social is the way to keep it regular, then that's the way to go.
How about:
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arranging a regular walk around the block with a neighbour or friend
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or search online for local groups using the term 'find local exercise groups'. The NHS also has a webpage to search for local groups
Try an
app
We live in an age of apps & smart phones. And there are a 101 apps to help you measure, monitor & record what exercise you've done. Some are free to download, others are subscription based
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If you're looking to keep your exercise regular, an app is a great place to start. Some come with notifications to encourage you to keep going. Also, having easy access to a written record of what exercise you've done is a big
motivator: looking back at your success will help nudge you on
trueME founder's personal
story about getting active
Like a lot of people I have an on-off relationship with exercise. At times in my
life I've exercised regularly, becoming fit enough to jog for long periods without too much trouble. On other occasions I've struggled to do even
a little exercise once a
week. Why? Well,
for the same reason as most people: life got in the way
For all our good intentions, life can just sometimes get in the way. And exercise then understandably drops down the to-do list. But here's the rub: when I didn't exercise, I felt more stressed & less well in myself. And anxiety seemed to take a hold more often. After a long stop-start relationship with exercise, I decided to take action
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I found a technique that worked for me, which to be honest is far from rocket science: I use an app on my phone to record the exercise I've done over the course of the week. I keep it simple, a little exercise each day. This usually involves a few exercises on a pull-up bar at lunchtime or in the evening - whenever I can find the time. I find this technique works for me & helps keep me motivated to keep up small but regular exercise. Thinking about it, it works because it let's me set goals & then strive to hit them. Even if my goal is low-ball, for example just trying to do an extra pull-up by this time next week
But, please remember
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Everyone is different. It's hard to generalise about these things as there are 101 different reasons about why you might be feeling the way you do.
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If you feel that you are not able to manage your feelings of anxiety on your own, please don't suffer in silence. Help is available. Please seek the help of a suitably qualified medical practitioner.