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 disorder 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. 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 and gives your brain a boost of happy chemicals. This is the same way that many anti-depressant medications work, and it’s free and natural. It also helps alleviate anxiety by working out the stress that you are feeling. Not only that, but exercise puts you in control of your body and is a proactive approach in treating your health.
In the morning, you can perform cardiovascular exercises. This includes running, jogging, stair climbing and even elliptical workouts. Whatever you can do to raise your heart rate will benefit you when you are exercising to treat anxiety. This will not only help you mentally, but physically as well, since it will burn off calories and keep your heart in good shape. But don’t 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 improve your flexibility. 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, nor do you have to contort your body into all sorts of impossible shapes. You can learn the basic moves from a DVD that you rent from your local library.
By exercising to treat anxiety and depression, you not only improve your mood and relax your body; you give yourself something else to concentrate on, instead of focusing on yourself. It truly is the cure all for anxiety and depression.
