Can exercise help Anxiety??

It does help. My workout journey began about 14 months ago when I quit drinking. I am an alcoholic and giving up the crutch of alcohol to deal with anything was the HARDEST thing I have ever had to do. I began working out about 3 weeks into sobriety and what a difference. My shaking stopped almost immediately, I could sleep for longer than 4 hours at a time, I could sit still for a sustained period of time, I could think more clearly, I stopped eating so much sugar to stop the alcohol cravings, I started to become me again. Now I won't say it happened overnight or that my nightly AA meetings weren't a factor, but the daily strenuous workout sessions were my punishment and reward and they changed my life. I am still on this journey and am still in love with the changes I see everyday because of the strength I have gained from working out and from meditation. When Chalene Johnson would say "you are so lucky to be able to do this" during a turbofire cool down, it almost brought me to tears. Yes, yes, I am lucky. I cannot imagine getting up every morning at 4 am and doing Insanity hung over. Ha! It makes me laugh now. I know I am kind of preaching but working out has made me a better mother, wife, friend, teacher, and overall person. I am so lucky and grateful to be able to do this every day. My heart overflows...

Hi there,

I was never going to actually post on MFP (instead just use it for motivation) but when I saw your question I had to write something.

I suffer really badly from anxiety. I started exercising about 2 months ago. At first, I noticed a MASSIVE difference in my anxiety levels. After a work out I felt totally free from anxiety and was doing things that I would never ever have done before hand. (It took courage, but I felt safe to be able to take risks) Nowadays, I still feel exercises benefits my anxiety a lot, but maybe not as much as it did in the beginning. (This may also be due to other factors in my life right now).

I read a few articles about the relationship with anxiety and exercise and many of them did say that exercise greatly helps, so it seems that it would help! And hey, it couldn't hurt!

I'd love to hear about other people's exercise and anxiety stories because it really interests me.

Diane

I feel like, when I work out I really release some good chems because I come back relaxed, clear minded, and not anxious at all. If I procrastinate on a work out, which happens almost daily, I am anxious, crabby, and all over the place and even though I know a brisk walk is all I need to feel better, sometimes it's hard to get myself geared and going. But every time I come back I say, let me remember this feeling I have now so tomorrow when I'm full of excuses I'll say - no, I want to feel like I did yesterday!!

It's hard, it's a lot of work. I wish regular exercise could just make it go away completely, I wish it wasn't a daily battle with myself to do something I know is good for me and makes me feel great. It's part of my problem. I'll over think it somehow even though it's so simple and pure - just a walk - I'll dwell and procrastinate and come up with excuses that are so good I'll start believing them myself (yea, my back DOES hurt today, better rest it). Self sabotage at its best.

In any case, maybe sharing this here and reading it from time to time will remind me of my clarity and level headedness and will help me march forward. It may not make the anxiety disappear, but exercise is by far the best reliever of it.

Good luck to everyone going through it and great job pushing forward and finding ways to work through it!