If you suffer from anxiety then working out is vital in your journey fighting this mental illness. Exercise does more than just burn calories, melt away fat, make you look good, spruce up the body’s cardiovascular and other systems. Studies proved that it’s incredibly effective method for maintaining and improving mental health. Exercising decreases stress hormones such as cortisol and produces endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Exercise also helps release adrenalin, serotonin, and dopamine. Together, these chemicals that exist naturally in the body help to elevate mood and result in a feeling of completion and relaxation.
Best exercises for anxiety
Meditation
Meditation has long been known as an antidote for anxiety. This exercise will help you get rid of the negative thoughts by quieting the overactive mind and reaching a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. Instead of buying into your fearful thoughts, you can start identifying with the silence that exists between every mental action
Meditation is practiced by sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future.
Yoga
A mind-body practice is considered one of many types of complementary and integrative health approaches. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines that may help you achieve peacefulness of body and mind. This can help you relax and manage stress and anxiety.
Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. Hatha yoga, in particular, may be a good choice for stress management. Hatha is one of the most common styles of yoga, and beginners may like its slower pace and easier movements. But most people can benefit from any style of yoga — it’s all about your personal preferences.
The potential health benefits of yoga include:
- Stress reduction. A number of studies have shown that yoga may help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also enhance your mood and overall sense of well-being.
- Improved fitness. Practicing yoga may lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength.
- Management of chronic conditions. Yoga can help reduce risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga might also help alleviate chronic conditions, such as depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia.
Running
One of the best ways to fight anxiety is running, and for good reason. This exercise is known to prompt the creation of new and very excitable brain cells. At the same time, exercise can induce an overall pattern of calm in certain parts of the brain. Running will help the releases of endorphins, natural feel-good chemicals in your body that give you a euphoric feeling.
In a study conducted on psychiatric patients to understand the effect of running on depression and anxiety, the subjects were divided into two groups—a running group that was made to run three times a week and a corrective therapy group that had to do non-cardiovascular exercises. At the end of the study, it was found that the running group had a significant reduction in depression and anxiety compared with the corrective therapy group.
Other ways to cope with anxiety
While researcher try to find more evidence of the mood benefits of exercise you can do other stuff that will help you cope with anxiety.
Spending time in nature is just blissful! But unfortunately, so many people just don’t take the time to absorb the wonderfully relaxing and healing vibrations that you get just from being with nature.
Another way is getting a massage, a caring, safe touch is an invitation to relax. This, together with pain relief, generally produces a “relaxation response.”
The relaxation response may decrease the physical effects of stress and reduce the risks associated with stress, such as hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, insomnia, persistent fatigue, sexual dysfunction, digestive disorders, and psychological issues–to name a few.
Reading a good book is a great way to relax. being Transported into new and exciting worlds, you find yourself eagerly turning each page to find out what happens next. The magic and sense of discovery is still there waiting for you in the thousands of available books today.