Anxiety After Exercise

webuiltthisnicky

So, I already suffer with an anxiety disorder.

Exercise-wise, I get up and exercise at the gym 3 mornings every week, making sure it's the first thing I do. Depending on whether that's 6am on a Tuesday or Thursday, or 9am on a Sunday, I'll either be at Body Combat or in the gym itself. Then I hit the shower, and for breakfast either have a protein bar or some oatmeal, depending on where I'm going after the gym. So far so good.

The big problem is what happens about 1.5 hours after the gym. I get really, really anxious and panicky. I don't get a full-on panic attack, but I get really severe symptoms of my anxiety. I get palpitations, my head's reeling, I can't focus on anything, and I get irritated really easily. At the moment I can do without this because I have a big deadline coming up at work and I can't afford for anything to go wrong with me and having to get sent home sick.

Is this happening to anyone else? How do you get around it? Someone told me I need to be fasting before exercise and yet my work colleague is telling me that I feel this way BECAUSE I fast before the gym and I need to eat before.

I don't want to 'tone down' my exercise because I've been doing so well, but I realise that might also be something that I might need to do.

Can anyone help?

Neversettle78

Hopefully someone with either expertise or experience answers this...but for now you are stuck with my opinion. My opinion is it is one of two things...1. low blood sugar. 2. It is not related to the exercise at all and is some other trigger in your life. You mention you have a "big deadline" at work so that could be it.

Neversettle78

Quote from Legally Blonde (2001) "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands." - Elle Woods.

This seemed like an appropriate place for this quote, lol.

skinnygirly23

I was also thinking blood sugar. Maybe try to eat something small before you workout, preferably protein to keep your blood sugar stable. Drink plenty of water, could be dehydration??

sutai

Have you tried eating before you work out? Unless it is low intensity stuff(Walking), I don't think it's a good idea to work out on an empty stomach... That's bound to make you light-headed.

Unless you're aiming for the body builder look fasting won't even make that big of a difference.

999tigger

I think neversettles answer is pretty good. If anything exercise should be stress and anxiety relieving.
The answer to 1 is eat something pre o of you don need it thn post exercise. probably soemthing with complex carbs in it.

The 2nd aspect is just as probable that its not exercise relaed at all but o do with your general anxiety.

caitsaunt

I just started exercising (Crossfit/lifting) and that happened to me after my first few classes. It was an awful feeling, I can totally relate! I googled it but never found anything much. I was also under a lot of pressure at work the last week or two. So far this week it hasn't happened but it's a better week at work too.

Actually - it may be happening when I go at lunch. I eat breakfast around 6:30 and have been waiting to eat after class around 1. This didn't happen when I went at 8 am yesterday. Maybe there is something to the empty stomach idea.

rbiss

I agree with everyone that you should be fueled prior to or immediately after the workout. Make sure its a good breakfast if you're not eating before because your body needs to recover. If you want to do something before and after, a toast with some PB or some fruit is okay before and make sure to take in protein and carbs after.

Also, exercise floods the body with endorphins and it can be hard to "calm" down after. If I work out in the evening, I have a horrible time going to bed even if the workout is hours before I plan on sleeping. And if you are stressed during the day, your body will be producing adrenaline which combined with the workout may leave you with that really anxious feeling. To combat this, try and relax. Breathe and focus on one task at a time. When things get busy at work, I have a schedule, and I block everything else out. Make sure to take your lunch break and remember not everything is an emergency. For me, it limits the stressful events to things that are true emergencies. At home if I work out in the evening, I try and go to bed an hour earlier and just read or do something calming so my body has extra time to come down from that workout.

I hope this helps, good luck.

webuiltthisnicky

Guys I posted this right before I went to a meeting and have come back 20 minutes later to a great bunch of replies. Thank you for being so supportive and offering your advice, it not only helps me out with tips on things to try and combat this issue but it's also reassuring to see that at least someone else knows this feeling too.

I'm going to start trying to eat before the gym and see if that helps. Weirdly I'd asked my husband just today if he'd mind picking me up some protein powder when he's out, so I'll make some little energy bars with that for bringing with me to the gym. Hopefully it IS just low blood sugar and I can resolve it by changing my eating habits. I'm not well-versed on that stuff and didn't know it could present that way.

That said, if anyone else has any thoughts, tips, or experience then do keep sharing! I'm sure I'll try a lot of different things that people suggest and I'm sure I won't be the last person to come onto the forum wondering about this!

Many thanks!

Machka9

webuiltthisnicky wrote: »

The big problem is what happens about 1.5 hours after the gym. I get really, really anxious and panicky. I don't get a full-on panic attack, but I get really severe symptoms of my anxiety. I get palpitations, my head's reeling, I can't focus on anything, and I get irritated really easily.

Do you eat and drink something at that point ... when you start experiencing those symptoms?

webuiltthisnicky

Machka9 wrote: »

webuiltthisnicky wrote: »

The big problem is what happens about 1.5 hours after the gym. I get really, really anxious and panicky. I don't get a full-on panic attack, but I get really severe symptoms of my anxiety. I get palpitations, my head's reeling, I can't focus on anything, and I get irritated really easily.

Do you eat and drink something at that point ... when you start experiencing those symptoms?

I do, I'll usually have had breakfast by then but it still takes hours to wear off. I guess by that point the damage has already been done!

JayRuby84

My thoughts were maybe you are not eating enough and the anxiety is legitimate hunger. ..that and the work deadline.

WickedPineapple

I also have anxiety and my first thought after reading your post was low blood sugar. So I agree with everyone else that you should try eating something before working out and see if that helps. Personally, I don't like to exercise right after eating because I'll get stomach aches. If you're not experiencing symptoms during your workout (lightheaded, dizzy, etc.), you could also try eating a bigger breakfast post workout since a protein bar or oatmeal are pretty low calorie. Another option is to shift your workout to later in the day.

Catflower6

You should eat something before the gym definitely ....some people do not tolerate fasting prior to working out, we are all different. Food is always a better choice than protein shakes and energy bars. I have been a PT for over 11 years but would suggest that if this has happened more than a couple of times you should go to visit your doctor to run your symptoms by him/her. If you have low blood sugar, this needs to be monitored properly. Tiredness, caffeine and fasting and hyperventilating ><can trigger symptoms of anxiety. I hope you get relief, not pleasant I know !

racheljonel

JayRuby84 wrote: »

My thoughts were maybe you are not eating enough and the anxiety is legitimate hunger. ..that and the work deadline.

I thought this too. People (like me) with anxiety are already super-sensitive to any changes in their bodies or how they are feeling so even something simple like hunger can trigger symptoms for sure.

CorlissaEats

I would talk to your doctor. A]void online advice until you have gotten their opinion. Anxiety, and panic disorder are reactions related to your nervous system and it being out of whack, in many cases. I know for me eating wheat upset my hormone balance or something and triggers panic attacks 24-28 hours later. Its not rational, no, but it is a legitimate physiological response to an allergen. Wheat also causes balance issues and depression in me. Talking to them might provide more insight, or they may refer you to a counselor because your work emotional stress is acting as a trigger? Who knows. Exercise is good for you but it could be upsetting a balance and triggering that flight or fight mechanism. That's just my 2 cents though.

Becky03026847

Have you checked with your doctor before you started the exercise routine or have you checked back with the doctor to let them know what is going on? I would do that just to rule out something else going on. Good luck.

kalmf

I was cruising by and I just wanted to acknowledge everyone for their thoughtful, respectful and supportive responses. So many of these threads are so mean and mocking. Your posts offer corrections without belittling anyone. Congrats y'all!

brokenlogic18

Some great advice here! I also have an anxiety disorder and sometimes after I've been to the gym or exercised vigorously I do find I have much heightened anxiety. On other days my anxiety is much lower because I've exercised and there doesn't seem to be a pattern! It may be that your body is still in "fight or flight" mode after the burst of energy.

webuiltthisnicky

karinf wrote: »

I was cruising by and I just wanted to acknowledge everyone for their thoughtful, respectful and supportive responses. So many of these threads are so mean and mocking. Your posts offer corrections without belittling anyone. Congrats y'all!

This, everyone's been great!

I'll need to go see my doctor soon anyway just for a review of my anxiety medicine, so I'll definitely bring the problem up if it persists.

webuiltthisnicky

Thought I'd check in with an update for anyone with this problem. This morning I put some peanut butter on one of those CD-sized rice cakes and ate that on the way to them gym, then had my breakfast as normal afterwards. I feel a lot better today. Thanks for your help, guys.

BinaryPulsar

In the past that happened to me. I naturally have a lot of energy. Exercise increases my energy. Things that get me motivated and excited increase my energy. This all makes sense because I am a dancer. So, basically cutting out caffeine helped me. Doing things to warm up and cool down also help.