Feel worse with Exercise

[gmichael]

Does anyone else feel worse anxiety symptoms a day or so after doing regular exercise" Why???? What do you do. I want to eat right and exercise.

[l0bomb]

I can relate actually. When I first realized I was having anxiety problems I read that I should exercise more to relieve stress and so one night I finally got the chance to and did some cardio on the bike at the gym. It was my first time working out in weeks, maybe even months. That day had also been a big stress relief day because I took a test and got a perfect score and had an interview for an internship that I nailed, and after working out I was feeling great.

Then that night as I was going to bed I had a major anxiety episode and had to call my parents to come get me and take me home.

I think a good part of it was that the exercise triggered a lot of adrenaline so now when I work out I either do it early in the day or take it very easy. I don't have a lot of time to work out regularly, and it's usually at night like 8PM so I just take it really easy.

[gmichael]

Yeh I think I might have to start real slow Thanks 

[Frontsider]

Start slow indeed. If you have previously lived a sedentary lifestyle, suddenly starting to exercise can be really hard. I know this because a month ago I started exercising and found out how badly out of shape I was when I got winded walking around the block and I am only 29. I wanted to start because I had bad GAD, and hear over and over how good exercise is for anxiety, but I never did it. Dumb of me, especially since that is the answer! But I took it slow and now can go 20 min intense elliptical, im working up to 30 min. At first I had anxiety because I was out of shape. You cant expect to have immediate results with one or a few days of doing it. It takes time. But anyways, I feel awesome each time I do cardio. Its crazy how much it helps, makes me feel kind of stupid being on medication all those years when exercise was just as, if not more powerful, without all the side effects.

[coeus]

I was in the same boat as well.

Because we're focusing so much on our symptoms and to do our best to escape our symptoms - some of the sensations we may feel during and after exercising can slightly mimic those symptoms. I remember jogging for the first time after I could finally define my anxiety and feeling incredibly sluggish afterwards.

As soon as I stopped trying to exercise for my anxiety and to escape it, and genuinely did it for my own well-being - it gradually became better and I enjoyed exercising. The key is to go slow and write down your goals when it comes to exercising. Ask yourself what you really want to achieve for yourself and why you value exercising. Another way to help you on your exercise regimen is to incorporate less strenuous physical activities such as yoga. I used basic yoga exercises to help me relax before starting more rigorous exercise. Yoga is a fantastic way to communicate with your body and see what it can do.

Take it one step at a time and don't be too hard on yourself!

[bonnieprince]

Al ot of it is really just that you are starting something you aren't used to.
I have health anxiety, so exercise can be particularly trying to me, but I found by sticking with it, I became less worried and had less symptoms while exercising. So just know your limits, and keep slowly building up!