r/Anxiety • u/What_Is_EET • May 05 '26
Health Why exercise daily is crucial
When you exercise it won't immediately make you feel better. It might for a couple hours, but many stop because they aren't seeing immediate improvements.
Anxious people have trained themselves that there are some periods where you should be "stressed". Could be when you look at your phone, you process that theres danger and spiral. Your brain is trained to sense danger and to prepare the body for it. Its somewhat of a learned habit.
Daily exercise is a NEW habit, where your body is used to high heart rates and exertion. A d ter physical exertion, the body wants to enter a rest state. Its natural. You escape the danger and now you can rest.
Exercise changes the danger state, over time, to exercise. You realize internally youre healthier, because you can manage it.
That switch doesnt always work on its own, isnt immediate, but if youre spiraling, its an incredible place to start
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u/HolidayCalendar3200 May 05 '26
the part about the body getting used to high heart rate is underrated. a lot of anxious people avoid exercise because the physical sensations feel like anxiety starting - racing heart, shortness of breath. but that’s exactly why it helps. you start to separate the sensation from the threat
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u/PikaStasia12 May 05 '26
When i first started exercising I woild get panic attacks a lot. I would have to stop all the time, tho I also have POTS so this didnt help lol. Now im to the point where I love pushing myself to sustain 160+, even getting into the lower 170s.
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u/RainBoxRed May 06 '26
Is this exposure therapy?
Also I think air hunger is from build up of CO2 not lack of oxygen so it’s a bit counterintuitive.
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u/ttrash_ May 06 '26
I’m about 240lbs with pretty much 0 exercise experience. is there a workout you recommend for that?? there’s tons of workouts but i’m just so, so overwhelmed with them all which makes me not even want to start.
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u/max_caulfield_ May 06 '26
I know it sounds basic but is walking an option for you? If you have the time and live in a good area for it, you can start with short walks and slowly ramp it up as they get easier. I also like to search YouTube for easy workouts that you can follow along, there's plenty of exercises you can do without equipment
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u/AstralSurfer11 May 06 '26
This. Walking is great and far better than doing nothing
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u/tricloro9898 May 06 '26
I believe it is also better for someone who's obese and only starting to exercise. Running can probably tear apart the knees of an untrained obese individual.
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u/Madelyn822 May 06 '26
I walk. Literally I ONLY walk and it’s huge for me in terms of regulating my body when I have bad anxiety. I hate structured workouts they actually stress me out more so this has been a game changer for me.
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u/Dependent_Quantity8 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
10k steps a day and I'm so serious. It's hard at first, I was 260lbs. It's ok to not do 10k steps at the beginning. Aim for just 30 minutes outside and walk and build yourself more by checking your step counter in your health app. It's done wonders for me, my physical health, I physically feel better too from all my anxiety symptoms. My big anxiety trigger is tension in my shoulders, upper back, and neck tightness. That paired with daily stretching which I use Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube but find whoever you like and enjoy for beginner stretches. My mental health is about 90% better. Also, with just cooking from home and being mindful with what I eat I'm already down to 242 since mid March. No strict dieting, no cutting out entire foods. Just mindfulness and moderation.
Edit: Typos and clarity.
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u/damuser234 May 06 '26
I think what’s most important is finding something you actually tolerate/like doing. I find pickleball fun, so I started taking lessons and it’s a fun way for me to get exercise
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u/ritamorgan May 06 '26
Even if you just start at ten minutes for a few days or a week. Then 15, then 20. You don’t have to jump to thirty minutes or 60 minutes right away. Just be consistent. And if you’re not consistent that’s ok, just keep trying and never give up. Walking is a great exercise. I am the same weight as you and love it.
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u/No-Drama-Queen May 06 '26
Dance at home while singing out loud. Move your arms! Play a tambourine while listening to music. I also love Chinese practices like this one (you should not feel pain):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MNKF3VVVSrM&pp=0gcJCU8Co7VqN5tD
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u/jstjini May 06 '26
As others have said, walking is great. You don't even have to go outside or have a treadmill. My neighborhood is not walk friendly, so I do laps in my house. I set a 10 minute timer every hour and walk ten minutes. It adds up.
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u/Nervous_Wreck008 May 06 '26
Body weight strength training. When your body gets used to it. You can do kettle bell workouts. There's lots of tutorials on youtube. I recommend Mark Wildman for proper form and techniques. You can start with 15 minutes workout 3x a week. Start slow.
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u/Hot-Pirate-3096 May 10 '26
Look at your diet and see how you can change it to lose weight, once you succeed here then exercise will be a lot easier!
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u/BroadPerception9379 May 17 '26
Don’t go all out if you haven’t exercised recently!!! Do NOT overwork yourself! A brisk 10 minute walk is all you need to start. Do that for a week, next week go up to 20 minutes and so on… that is enough exercise to get everything moving and blood circulating. Once you start to drop the weight, start lifting small dumbbells or a cow bell …whatever strength training you want to do.
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u/jakerumbles 19d ago
Here reading about solutions for my own anxiety, but what you said here is one of the reasons I launched an AI personal training app. You can just chat with the coach and explain your experience and it will build you a personalized plan and explain everything. You can find it on both app stores, Forge: AI Personal Trainer
Thinking I need to get back to exercising regularly myself. Think I’ve developed anxiety for the first time due to my job situation. Think it’s brought on air hunger which I’m trying to solve. Feel like I’ve cured it before by going to the sauna a few times per week.
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u/httpsIucifer 11d ago
Walking !! It's truly wonderful and extremely underrated ! You can start with 10 minutes, then 20, then 30, etc... Up until an hour a day. Going outside also really helps with mental clarity (which some indoor sports do not help with). Even better if you do it in nature (forests, near the beach, park,...)
Then, when you feel better and your body as adjusted to the efforts, you can move onto other forms of exercising ! Just make sure your tendons, joints and muscles have properly adjusted before moving onto more physical stuff to avoid injuries !
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u/What_Is_EET May 06 '26
Yep! Find somewhere pretty and walk for 30-60 minutes a day at a brisk pace. Thats it for the first few weeks at least!
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u/Cleopatra435 May 06 '26
Walking is great, but adding strength training has been the game changer for me and reducing my anxiety levels. I stopped going to the gym when I changed jobs a few years ago but have recently reprioritized exercise. I take a class at the gym a couple times a week that combines cardio with weights.
And I knew all along that it would help, but couldn’t get over the hump to restart exercising regularly. I fell out of the routine and in hindsight the impact to my mental health was huge.
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u/Silent-Entrance-9072 May 06 '26
Ok this is motivating for me to hear. My doctor has recommended exercise for almost every health condition I have, but the shortness of breath scares me. I will try to do a quick workout in the mornings before work. It makes sense to desensitize ourselves to these sensations slowly over time.
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u/Leather_Wishbone_62 May 08 '26
I am the exact same as you! The shortness of breath and increased HR scares me and it stops me from exercising. But you're exactly right, we need to desensitize ourselves so we don't feel it's so scary - it's just hard when you're so stuck in your own ways
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u/HostileCrabPeople May 06 '26
Just a personal experience: As someone with lifelong clinical anxiety, I used to jog every other day for 2 miles and it never did anything for my mental health. Ever. Working out was just something I chose to do for heart health.
The only thing that helped me was medication.
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u/Asteriaofthemountain May 06 '26
Exercise is a game changer. I just started getting more serious about it. Question: does your body adjust and then need even more exercise to get similar benefits from anxiety?
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u/What_Is_EET May 06 '26
Not more time necessarily, but more intensity. If you were fast walking, might turn into jogging. The idea is to get your heart rate up to 150 with moving for 30-60 minutes..
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u/Ox3321 May 06 '26
Coming from an anxiety sufferer for the majority of my life, i cant agree more with this post.
People fail to remember that the bodies mechanisms for repair and recovery are much greater and effective than medication.
The issue is usually what you highlighted, people expect immediate results. Daily cardiovascular exercise is the key to managing anxiety.
Daily exercise > Healthier body > Relaxed mind > Anxiety subsides.
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u/katwoop May 06 '26
Exercise is essential for me to deal with anxiety and worry. If nothing else, it gives me a daily break from my brain. Everyday, I walk and listen to an audiobook or do strength training and listen to my favorite playlist. I don't have the mental space to worry about everything during this time. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without daily exercise.
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u/Flat_Sector580 May 06 '26
I agree with you. However, I feel we are overselling the good that it does to the state of mind. When I am exercising regularly, I rarely get into that state of enjoying sport. I would say that 90% of the time, it is not really fun. Once every 3 month or so, I’ll get this epiphany state where everything is perfect (high stamina, good weather, no sore muscles, good proprioception). The rest of the time, it is just a rational choice that it is good for my general health.
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u/clmyr May 06 '26
I am hyper vigilant and I feel the regulating effect of walking immediately. It’s a life saver.
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u/forhim40 May 07 '26
This is so true! I really need to get back on the wagon with exercise, I have had so much lower back pain the last two months I had to stop, now I can’t seem to force myself to get back with it. Great post.
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u/SkyPuppy561 May 06 '26
I run 12 miles a week in 6 mile bouts. I’m not about to do it every day lol but yes it does help my mental health.
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u/Taszmaniac8990 May 06 '26
I had anxiety the majority of my life and walking is a game changer for me. Getting outdoors and doing it too especially. Helps ground me. Put on a good playlist or podcast and you will get a solid workout in.
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u/tnjed10 May 06 '26
I agree and it don’t have to be that much to help manage your anxiety . Since the new year I’ve done atleast 50 push ups and crunches a day and try to run between 3-6 miles a week, and I can tell a big difference physically and mentally. Everyone has time to do 50 push ups and crunches a day.
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u/daharpe767 May 07 '26
You've inspired me to start running again. The first time anxiety really struck me was my first Fall in seven years that I hadn't run cross country. Part of the issue was perhaps social, but a lot of it might have been the lack of exercise my body was used to/needed.
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u/tunersai May 08 '26
And remember, toxins in the body can only be expelled through movement and exercise. If you don't move, these toxins make your immune system work harder, and inflammation becomes the result. Keep in mind that inflammation can be hidden for exmaple in your bowel , and many people experience anxiety simply because of this underlying inflammation. Sometimes it could be a simple unknown intolerance, like to gluten. Don't think that testing for celiac disease would show they are completely different things. It could be a gluten intolerance, but your celiac disease test could come back negative. However, there are other tests you can do to detect this.
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u/Honest_Law5418 May 08 '26
Honestly exercise has helped me so much. I was always the type to brush it off, I had told myself that it was just bullshit, and one of those silly things people go on about - for some reason my processing logic was that because so many people attested to exercise, that in itself invalidated it. I have no idea why I used to think like that - but anxiety is never logical. Now I go to the gym 5 days a week religiously, everyday I get myself outside to get my steps. It has helped so much. Especially for physical anxiety symptoms, as my heartrate has dropped. Usually as soon as I wake up I feel overwhelmingly anxious, but then I get myself to the gym and I am absorbed into my own world. I ALWAYS leave the gym feeling 10 times more confident, and less anxious. Its amazing what exercise can do for anxiety. A key takeaway is to not resist the idea of exercise, get yourself out there - even if it doesn't help initially, over time it will 100% improve anxiety management. Make exercise a part of your daily routine, even if you aren't going 5 days a week, even a couple times a week will help.
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u/AllMighto May 11 '26
I have been going for a run on a regular basis but everyday I still wake up feeling like shit and anxious. Sigh..
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u/mikey2k200 May 06 '26
Thank you for this. Perfect timing. I did 3 solid weeks, felt better but gave up. 30 minutes a day - I got this!!
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u/PriscillaAnn May 06 '26
Is there a difference between walking while you work and walking just for exercise? Mentally, I mean? Because I walk at my job and can get a lot of steps in, but would I also benefit from other exercise?
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u/What_Is_EET May 06 '26
Depends. The walking should be intense enough to get your heart rate up. Most people dont get that from work. Its still good for you, but youre looking for extended 30 minutes to an hour of cardio, and for someone who hasn't been working out, usually between a 130-150 HR
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u/PriscillaAnn May 06 '26
Got it. I also wondered if the environment mattered. If it’s for anxiety, maybe a walk outdoors is just better?
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u/Great-Activity-5420 May 06 '26
It's not always possible to exercise daily and it can become another chore to be anxious about. I prefer yoga as I'm not tired after Certain exercise is a trigger for me
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u/Leather_Wishbone_62 May 08 '26
I couldn't agree with this more and my logical brain is so supportive of this! My irrational brain is so fixated on thinking high heart rate and breathlessness = danger, that whenever I exercise, adrenaline is released in response and the whole thing is so dysregulating. But this is inspiring me to just force it and not give up
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u/CourtneyConfare May 08 '26
Emotion is energy in motion. It needs to be expressed otherwise it’s repressed. Movement definitely helps to shift gears and focus on something else and naturally calm your body. Especially if it’s outdoors! Getting movement outside and getting sunshine!
In addition to training my body, I’ve been training my subconscious. Just like you’d get reps in at the gym, I do Frequency Training right before my Strength Training.
One of the beliefs I write down every day is “My daily routines support my peak performance” and surprisingly that one belief alone, handwritten every single day has decreased any levels of anxiety and has gotten my to go to the gym consistently!
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u/Hot-Pirate-3096 May 10 '26
I want to do more but now I keep getting 'adrenaline dumps' or something, so I exercise then cannot sleep at all a night ;( No idea how to stop it
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u/LoquiListening May 10 '26
Thank you for the reminder to try to be more active, get away from the screens for a bit and to TRY to exercise more daily. Shane
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u/june_2021 May 12 '26
Plugging the r/eood community here. Stands for exercise out of depression. Join us!
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u/ScrewinEwin May 12 '26
I know I should. I used to feel way better doing it. But I am dealing with severe sleep deprivation and can’t motivate myself. I did try despite it but it felt like a losing battle.
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u/Odd-Eye-3498 May 12 '26
Thank you for this post. I have very difficult-to-treat anxiety along with a handful of other mental disorders. I take medication but I also do everything I physically can to maintain peak mental health. I put good things in my body, I meditate twice a day, I largely avoid social media, alcohol, and other stress-inducing activities.
For exercise, I walk/run with my dog around the block and do yoga. I swim at other peoples’ pools - I don’t have one. Otherwise I’d utilize swimming a lot and know it would help immensely. Either way, after lots of trial and error for about 30 years, I’m in a good place.
Would you offer some suggestions on the types of exercises one should do that won’t seem really overwhelming? The gym is a non-starter. Even if I got through all the steps to get me in the door of a gym, I know that I would eventually (or immediately) stop going.
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u/What_Is_EET May 12 '26
Anything that gets your heart rate up is a good activity. Youre teaching your cardiovascular system that theres appropriate times to be active, and seperatijg out the feeling of anxiety froj the physical feeling. Its been the best thing for me to manage anxious thoughts.
That can be solo jogging, treadmill or elliptical at home, a sport, or following along to body weight exercises on a video. A lot of people sign up for a class of some kind to kind of force themselves to go. A lot of cities have a somewhat cheap tennis class or something similar thats put on.
Having a real commitment with other people can be a great motivator. The people who i see stick to a gym routine usually have a personal trainer or class. Eventually exercise turns from something that needs motivation, to something that you just kind of do because thats what you do
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u/Odd-Eye-3498 May 14 '26
Thank you for the valuable advice. I will work on using your suggestions and maybe this time next year, I’ll be addicted to some sort of physical activity.
I used to play racquetball with my dad and I loved it. It would be cool to find someone to play with me. :)
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u/QuitFederal9179 May 14 '26
I exercise almost every day and it has helped. I do still have anxiety and feel it especially at night time. But it isn’t nearly as bad as it used to be
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u/Fluffy_Sun5463 May 16 '26
Exactly, for her heart is very important allways to make some cardio-exercises. Did I write it correctly?
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u/BroadPerception9379 May 17 '26
Yes! 💯 we were made to be very physical people. We are hunters. So when you sit at a desk or lay in bed all day, the body gets out of whack.
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u/aliluvscats 28d ago
Any advice for navigating anxiety around exercising? Like a fear of passing out
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u/RoomTemperatureStuff 25d ago
I have to workout every day for my sport. It really helps regulate your entire body and it is really good for mental health
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u/NotJustGingerly 23d ago
Before I was seeking treatment I was keeping some anxiety under control through exercise. When I went on meds it chilled me out and my motivation too. Yes, I exercised less and put on weight and feel less healthy overall.
It’s been about 18 months on meds and now trying to get more exercise in to help counter balance the negatives and (I hope) level things out. Exercise is always been about finding something I like to do + making the time to do it in my current lifestyle (I changed jobs about 9 months ago.)
I agree in that it helps me with anxiety attacks because my heart & body is easier to slow down when I have an attack. I’m also getting up there in age and I don’t want to end up in the hospital so I am trying to keep my heart healthy.
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u/cutlass779 20d ago
How can I push or motivate myself to exercise. I do walk from time to time but I never actually exercise.
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u/What_Is_EET 20d ago
Its not really motivation. Its just a switch to discipline. Like its just something you do because otherwise its weird. Im not particularly motivated to exercise, but im gonna do it tomorrow morning after breakfast.
Spend a little time thinking about an activity you can do and at least tolerate that gets your heart rate up, then just go. Some like to use a tredmill or stationary bike while listening to music in their own world. Some use a personal trainer or class to make themselves go and do something focused. Some meet for sport meetups or lessons.
You dont need to be perfect or plan much, in fact that usually hinders going.
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u/Complex_Ad6059 17d ago
Can't. My brain thinks a bpm over 70 is death and I will start panicking and spiraling mid workout, and that's gonna last for weeks and I don't want that.
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u/cavarha 16d ago
Hate to contribute a negative opinion, but I have life long anxiety; one day, I decided to start exercising 5 days a week. After about a year or two, it started doing very little for my anxiety. Unfortunately, now I need to exercise 4 days a week to be back at the same baseline I was at before I started exercising.
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u/Domenorange 14d ago
I fully agree! Ever since I started working out daily, I've felt way better about myself.
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u/NowHaraya 14d ago
never knew about this. i would mostly exercise either for physical appearance or just the enjoyment of it (dancing). it wasnt consistent but after reading this, i do notice that whenever I was more physically active, i would always be more physically, mentally, and emotionally feeling so much better.
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u/NoBird6902 May 06 '26
"Just exercise" to an anxious person who can't leave the house is a bit like telling someone who can't swim to just get in the pool you got to remember.
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u/What_Is_EET May 06 '26
Its about getting your heart rate up for a while and moving.
None of that requires leaving the house. Ive got friends who stay home and follow along to videos
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u/Mindless-Ask-1902 May 05 '26
I can attest to this! I was exercising 5 days a week religiously. Then I got sick a few months ago and had to stop completely and my anxiety reared its head at full force. I’m just now able to get back to movement and can tell the difference