If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’ve been Googling something like “exercise for anxiety relief” or “how does exercise help anxiety”. You’re not alone. In fact, from 2019 to 2023 Google searches for topics related to anxiety grew by 2000%! Perhaps not surprisingly some of the searches which have grown most dramatically are related to anxiety medications and supplements. Questions like “what is the best mood stabilizer for anxiety” and “what is the best vitamin for stress and anxiety” saw huge growth over that time period. ISo it’s clear that more and more people are becoming aware of the presence and effect of anxiety in their lives, and are looking for ways they can make a positive impact. But do you need supplements or medication? Or could exercise be a good fit for you to help with anxiety? If you’re suffering from anxiety, it’s a good idea to speak to your health care professional about your treatment and therapy options. But if you’re on a path towards managing your anxiety and you want to learn how exercise can fit then read on and find out!
Can Exercise Help Treat Anxiety?
Anxiety Disorders are very common and affect millions of people, so it’s no wonder there’s a wealth of studies looking at their various effects and treatments. One such study concluded that people who suffer from anxiety disorders are more likely to be sedentary. The research suggests that there is even a large treatment potential that could be offered by increasing frequency of light exercise. What this all boils down to is that if you’re suffering from anxiety you may naturally feel less inclined to get up and move, but it may be exactly what you need.
How Does Exercise Help With Anxiety?
It turns out that there are actually a whole bunch of ways that exercise can help with anxiety. For example you may have heard that exercise encourages the body to release Serotonin, a natural chemical which (among other functions) helps regulate mood. So by getting up and moving you’re actually engaging your body’s natural factory for feel good chemical compounds! Ever had that “glow” after a workout? Now you know why.
Setting chemistry aside, exercise can simply be a great diversion. When you’re working out, you may get “in the zone” and that can provide at least a brief respite from anxiety and daily worries. In fact, Yoga encourages this mindful focus on the present moment as one of it’s core principles. Body awareness, or “checking in” with your body is a great way to encourage the mind to stay grounded in the present.
What Type of Exercise Helps With Anxiety?
I’ve got good news for you, it doesn’t matter what type of exercise you choose! All forms of exercise can help with Anxiety. The science does seem to point to the idea that the more exercise the better, however when you’re feeling anxious even a short bout of exercise can make a huge difference. The most important thing here is find a form of exercise that works for you and is sustainable.
I’ve talked about this before in my blog post on Mindful Goal Setting for Fitness where I’ve said having clear and achievable goals is one of the best ways to begin to integrate activities into our lives. The key word here is achieveable. Go ahead and check out that blog post because there’s some great tips in there on how to make this a reality, but the core concept is about meeting yourself where you are. Diving head first into a strenuous, high expectations workout regimen is a recipe for burnout. Especially if your aim is to use exercise to moderate your anxiety, you want to approach this with compassion and mindfulness. Be gentle with yourself and aim for small steps towards bringing mindful movement into your life.
Breath Work for Anxiety
One last idea that I’ll leave you with is the concept of mind-body connection. In Yoga and Pilates there is a strong emphasis on this concept and one of the foundational ways that we practice this is through intentional breathing techniques. We have a wealth of Yoga and Pilates classes focusing on breathwork in our On Demand Library. This could probably be a blog post all on it’s own, because there’s dozens of different ways to approach connecting breath to movement. It’s definitely worth exploring breathing techniques and finding something that works well for you. It can be the type of technique that will not only help you while you’re on your mat, but one that you can carry with you through your daily life. You might be surprised how quickly these tools become a part of your toolkit for managing stress and anxiety.
Thanks for joining me today as we explore the positive effect that exercise can have on managing anxiety. If you would like to join us on the mat please consider joining our online studio! We invite you to check out our monthly or annual membership options. Not ready to commit to a subscription just yet? No problem! Consider signing up for our email newsletter where you’ll receive 6 free classes in a variety of styles.