Sunday, December 23, 2012

5 Benefits of Intense Exercise on Anxiety | 4E Fitness

5 Benefits of Intense Exercise on Anxiety

One of the main factors standing in the way of good fitness is this idea that exercise is only for your physical health. Those considering some type of fitness regimen often put it off because they don?t feel they?re in a hurry to improve their physical health. They know they need to lose weight, and they know that exercise is important for their heart health, but they don?t otherwise feel that they need to rush, especially since exercise can be so tough in the beginning.

But the truth is that exercise is profoundly beneficial for your mental health as well ? especially anxiety. Those living with anxiety regularly need to make sure they?re exercising as often as possible, because the reality is that exercise ? and a lack thereof ? can have serious effects on how you deal with stress.

Benefits of Intense Exercise

The intensity of exercise does matter. Any and all exercise is beneficial, and even if you decide you can?t handle intense exercise you do need to stay as active as possible. But intense exercise has many benefits for those living with anxiety. These include:

Most people have heard of a ?runner?s high? but few people know what it is. A runner?s high is when your brain releases neurotransmitters known as ?endorphins? in an effort to control pain. But those same endorphins also improve mood as well. They genuinely affect your brain chemistry in such a way that you?ll have more positive thoughts and feelings, and they?re a great tool for controlling your anxiety.

Exercise also burns cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released during stress that is responsible for many anxiety symptoms, especially mental symptoms. Exercise doesn?t burn cortisol completely, but it can cut down on the stress hormone dramatically.

Anxiety also represents a constant surge of adrenaline, which causes things like rapid heartbeat and tense muscles. Exercise ? especially intense exercise ? burns that adrenaline away, ultimately providing your body with relief that it was unable to get previously.

Tense muscles genuinely create a tense mind. That?s why when you?re inactive, your anxiety increases, because your muscles have tons of extra energy that ends up turning into anxiety. Exercise tires the muscles dramatically. Once your muscles are tired, it not only reduces physical symptoms (due to tired muscles) ? it also reduces mental anxiety as a result of the mind/body connection.

  • Healthy Time Consumption Strategy

Many people don?t realize this, but a part of managing anxiety is simply passing time as anxiety free as possible. The more time spent without anxiety, the easier it is to control it. Exercising regularly provides you with that time ? a break from the business of the world in a way that is mentally and physically healthy.

The Effects of Exercise on Anxiety

These benefits are not some new age alternative treatment either. The benefits of exercise on anxiety are extremely well-researched, and some doctors claim that exercise may be as OR more valuable than anxiety medications (although possibly for less time). Intense anxiety is incredibly powerful.

Reducing anxiety is not just about going to a doctor and seeing what medicines they can give you, or even going to therapy (though you should still strongly consider therapy as well). It?s also about making lifestyle changes that benefit your ability to cope with stress. Intense exercise can be extremely powerful as an anxiety management tool, and while it may not cure your anxiety completely, it can cut down on your anxiety dramatically.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera exercises every day as a way of fighting off his anxiety. He runs a website about anxiety which can be found at www.calmclinic.com.

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Source: http://www.4everfitlife.com/5-benefits-of-intense-exercise-on-anxiety/

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