Mild Exercise

We all know that exercise is important, but how are anxiety, exercise and stress related, and how intensely should we be exercising if we have an anxiety disorder?

Before I became unwell I was an exercise fanatic. I used to train 3 times a week for up to 2 hours at a time. My primary focus was being big(!) and I used to lift heavy weights during most of my workouts.

Having been through my anxiety experience, and with the benefit of hindsight, I can now see that my attitude towards exercise was a contributing factor towards my nervous system imbalance. Why? Well, heavy exercise stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (for more on this, see this article). People with panic disorder tend to be in a state of sympathetic nervous system dominance, which means their fight or flight response is more dominant and easily triggered. Doing heavy exercise is therefore more likely to worsen the situation than help it.

I had a graphic illustration of this whilst I was still in hospital. At that time, I was very weak, and still suffering panic attacks. As part of my treatment, the doctor had ordered that I begin a physical mobilization program with a physical therapist. He took me to the gym which was grueling to say the least! Whilst exercising there I had a marked increase in symptoms, which was expected, and after 30 minutes I was returned to my room.

A few moments later, whilst simply lying and relaxing in my bed, I was overcome with one of the worst panic attacks I have ever had, which seemingly came from no-where.

Why did this happen? Recent studies have shown that there is a link between lactic acid levels and the prevalence of panic attacks. Lactic acid can build up and accumulate in our bodies during heavy workouts, and in people with over-stimulated nervous systems this can trigger a panic attack.

After this event, my exercise regime was adjusted to include more walking and stretching. I now do lots of yoga also, as this not only provides exercise for the body, but also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which has been a constituent part of my recovery. I definitely found it useful to use a heart rate monitor watch to ensure that I wasn’t pushing myself too hard. I also used light dumbbells to keep my muscles toned without stressing them, and a swiss ball was useful for core stability work. (Check out the product reviews section for more)

I am able to do heavier workouts now without suffering from panic attacks, although I do find later that I become more symptomatic for a day or two afterwards, so for the time being I am content with sticking to lighter exercise. These days I am less concerned with things like being big, and just happy to be functional!

So, in short, exercise is important for recovery, but in my experience you should keep it mild and light, until such time as your body is no longer symptomatic. Work with your doctor or physical therapist to find the right balance for you, and don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do what you used to, as this will only stress your body more. Learn to accept yourself as you are and progress will come in good time!