Exercise To Treat Anxiety

Exercise is one of the best ways that you can help your anxiety naturally, without pills and other medications.  Exercise is the “cure all” for just about everything.  The reason exercise works so well is that it releases endorphins to the brain and gives your mind a boost of serotonin.  This is the same way that many SSRIs work.  Not only that, but exercise puts you in control of your body and is a proactive approach in treating your health. 

Most anxiety disorders all have one component in common - control.  People who are worried about losing control are often those who are the most anxious.  While most people accept the fact that control is not necessarily in their hands at all times, those with anxiety cannot accept this fact.  They feel that they need control in order to function.  The loss of control can send them into a tailspin that launches a full anxiety attack.  

While we cannot control everything that happens in our lives, we do have control when it comes to our bodies.  And we can exercise.  Exercise is the wonder cure.  It helps alleviate anxiety by working out the stress that you are feeling as well as raising endorphins that send messages to your brain.  What can be better than that?

In the morning, you can perform cardiovascular exercises.  This includes running, jogging, stair climbing and even elliptical workouts.  Whatever you can do to get the old ticker working will do just fine when you are exercising to treat anxiety.  This will not only help you mentally, but physically as well.  It will burn off calories and keep your heart in good shape.  But do not do cardiovascular exercises before you go to bed or else you may have a difficult time falling asleep.  

Prior to going to bed, you may incorporate some Pilates exercises or even some Yoga.  These are stretching exercises that will relax you as well as keep you in good shape.  You can be relaxed and feel ready for a good night’s sleep when you are practicing these exercises at night.   You do not have to attend Yoga classes to learn the moves and you do not have to contort your body into all sorts of impossible shapes.  The main thing is that you learn how to stretch and relax.  

By exercises to treat anxiety and depression, you do not only boost your mood and relax your body, you give yourself something to concentrate on, instead of concentrating on yourself.  An exercises routine will take away the troubles that you have in your mind and give you something else on which to focus.  It truly is the cure all for anxiety and depression.