The Link between Exercise and Anxiety

People diagnosed with anxiety or anxiety-related disorders always have a typical response when it comes to treatment. Some seek medical prescriptions from doctors, others choose the route of attending therapy sessions, while a few decide to go natural with herbal medicines and mind relaxation techniques. All of this is quite unfortunate because although these treatment options help to curb anxiety, people seem to be overlooking what is arguably the most effective tool when it comes to fighting anxiety - exercise. 

...people seem to be overlooking what is arguably the most effective tool when it comes to fighting anxiety - exercise.

Considered just as effective as an anxiety medication, exercise delivers several mind and body benefits that are powerful enough to drastically reduce or even eliminate anxiety altogether. Here is a quick breakdown of those benefits along with facts that will shed more light on the link between exercise and anxiety. 

Release of Feel-Good Brain Chemicals 

The simple act of exercising in itself works to improve your mood drastically. This is mainly because intense physical activity sees the production of neurochemicals called endorphins within the brain’s hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Featuring a similar structure as the drug morphine, endorphins are the body’s own natural painkiller and as such are usually produced during instances when the body comes under extreme stress (e.g. during intense physical activity) or experiences pain. The main purpose of the endorphins is to prevent exercise from causing pain; it also relaxes the mind and brings about feelings of euphoria. Aside from endorphins, exercise also leads to an increase in serotonin and dopamine both of which are brain chemicals that are essential for maintaining a good mood. 

Reduced Levels of Cortisol 

One of the leading causes of anxiety is continuously elevated levels of cortisol. High cortisol levels have been shown to cause hormonal imbalances and changes in brain functionality that trigger the onset of anxiety. Unfortunately, the eventual buildup of cortisol in the body is inevitable since, in addition to being released during stressful situations (which most of us go through on a daily basis); the stress hormone cortisol is designed to also help us wake up in the morning. Luckily, exercise offers us a way to bring down cortisol levels. 

Cortisol is part of the fight and flight mechanism that was designed thousands of years ago to ensure the survival of humans when we were hunters and gathers. So, whenever cortisol is released, the body becomes mobilized and ready for action, only to relax when there has been a physical release of the pent up energy. Exercise gives you this physical release. The best part is that you do not have to engage in strenuous exercise to burn up excess cortisol. Something as simple as 20 to 30 minutes of light aerobic activity such as running, swimming, or cycling is enough to keep cortisol at safe levels. 

Improvement of Stress Threshold

Since physical activity puts the body under stress, regular exercise provides the body with the opportunity to practice how to respond to stress. This, in turn, sees a strengthening of the systems involved in the stress response. Therefore, the more active we become, the better equipped the body gets at handling stress, which means that cortisol will not get to reach anxiety-triggering levels. Regular exercise also improves mental health thereby helping the brain cope better with stress. 

As you can see, exercise is the best option when it comes to anxiety management. Unlike antidepressant medicines and other forms of treatment, which treat anxiety symptoms, the exercise aims to eliminate the root causes of anxiety as well as put the body at a better position to deal with stress. Therefore, regular exercise can eventually cure anxiety.