The power of exercise in promoting mental well-being cannot be overstated. Regular exercise helps to reduce stress, improve focus, and increase overall mood.
Exercise can also help reduce anxiety and depression, as well as improve self-esteem. It is a natural and effective way to reduce anxiety and stress.
In this post, I discuss how exercise can be a powerful tool in managing anxiety and depression, and how I use exercise to keep anxiety under control.
How does exercise help ease anxiety?
- Engaging in exercise diverts you from the very thing you are anxious about. Moving your body decreases muscle tension, lowering the body’s contribution to feeling anxious.
- When you engage in physical activity, your brain releases endorphins, which are often called “feel-good” hormones. These endorphins act as natural painkillers and mood elevators, helping to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. The more you exercise, the more your body becomes accustomed to this release of endorphins. This results in improved overall mental well-being.
- Regular exercise, such as running, helps reduce stress by lowering the body’s production of stress hormones like cortisol. Additionally, exercise can help relax the muscles and improve sleep quality, both of which contribute to reduced stress levels.
- Depression and anxiety often bring feelings of low self-worth and self-esteem. Engaging in a physical activity like running can boost your self-esteem as you set and achieve goals.
A bit about me
I was never a particularly sporty child, using every excuse I could to get out of doing sports at school. Dreading school sports day – the anxiety I felt waiting to run the 100m race was awful. I didn’t understand what I was feeling. I just knew I hated it.
I started to take more interest in exercise as a teenager, going to the odd step class (this was the 90s!) and doing the odd run in the evenings. Once I got a ‘proper’ job in London I joined various gyms until I got bored.
I had always joked that one day I would run a marathon, although it seemed an impossible feat at the time.
The Brighton Marathon started in 2010. After 2 years of sitting on the beach with friends, drinking copious amounts of beer, and cheering from the sidelines, I decided that it was time, I was entering a marathon…!
The start of a love affair with running
Training for a marathon can be exhausting, stressful, and even downright boring at times, but I enjoyed running and I enjoyed the sense of purpose it gave me. It was good to work towards a goal. After I crawled across the finish line I vowed never to run a marathon again.
I was told by other runners that “running a marathon is like childbirth. It can be absolute agony, but your mind forgets the pain after a while and all you will remember are the good bits and the sense of achievement”. They were right!
Not long after I signed up for the next one, hoping that with more training it would be easier. I knew that it would be hard, but I enjoyed the thought of having a goal. My love of running had begun…!
Running calms the mind
Running has become part of my life. The simple action of putting one foot in front and repetitive motion during a run serves as a form of mediation.
If I am feeling stressed, I will often force myself to go for a run as I know that I will feel so much calmer after. It clears my mind of anxious thoughts and focuses my attention on the present moment. As a result, I’ve found my anxiety levels have significantly reduced.
Running can help me when my mind is feeling particularly chaotic, and I can often come back with a different perspective to what I had before.
Achieving goals through exercise
The sense of achievement from running has been invaluable. I have pushed myself further than I thought I ever could. Achieving a goal like a marathon has been great for my self-esteem, although just getting to the end of an everyday 5K run can bring me joy.
I try and run off-road as much as I can. For me, it’s all about getting away from cars and people. Away from the stresses of life, and being in the countryside and nature. Running on a treadmill doesn’t cut it either. It’s all about being outside in the fresh air, having time for myself, and clearing my thoughts.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, running and depression
Snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan says running has turned his life around. In an article in Runner’s World, he discusses how he credits it with helping him deal with bouts of depression. He now runs every day, clocking up 50 miles a week. He says it has made his body and mind fitter and he has become more positive about himself and his ability. ‘[Running is] the best therapy I’ve ever had’.
‘Running has kept the things that are important to me – my family, relationships and snooker – much more stable. I’ve noticed I don’t get so moody, there isn’t the same self-loathing. Running just makes me feel so much better about myself, which is good for everyone around me too.’
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN, runner’s world
He says ‘Running taught me that I’ve got guts, and determination and that I’m happy not to take shortcuts’.
Running has also taught me that I am a lot stronger and have more willpower than I ever realised. I know that I can always go that bit further.
I know that running isn’t for everyone. Some of my friends say they can’t think of anything worse. If it is something you are curious about or would like to try, there is a good article on the Nike website: https://www.nike.com/running/how-to-love-running. There are also lots of free apps that can help – the most popular being Couch to 5K.
Celebrate being sore. It’s a reminder you did something great.
chris bennett, nike running global head coach
The hardest part of any run is getting started, getting out of that door. I procrastinate a lot (even though I know the benefits), but I never, ever regret going for a run, even if I found it hard or my heart just wasn’t in it that day. The benefits will always outweigh how tough it was.
The benefits of yoga for the body and mind
Any form of exercise is beneficial; whether it’s pumping iron at the gym, running, or playing a game of tennis with a friend, but I have found that yoga has become something that I look forward and has become an important part of my exercise routine.
Research has shown that yoga can help depression and anxiety by reducing inflammation and stress, as well as providing the benefits of exercise.
Yoga makes me feel calm and rested and I always feel amazing afterwards. I admit, I am a complete novice and find many postures difficult, but as time goes on, I can see improvements, even if only minor. In the beginning, I felt a bit insecure, but I realised quickly that nobody was looking at me or taking any notice and everyone was on their own journey in the classes.
Bikram yoga
The Times published an article recently about Bikram yoga (also known as hot yoga).
Scientists believe that heated yoga may provide additional benefits because heating the body can stimulate the release of “happy” chemicals, such as dopamine.
In a recent trial, nearly half of the patients with depression who practiced Bikram yoga in 40C heat went into remission.
The trial, led by Massachusetts General Hospital, recruited 80 adults with moderate to severe depression who were randomly divided into two groups.
Half went to 90-minute hot yoga sessions twice a week, while the other group were told they were being placed on a waiting list and did not receive any treatment.
After eight weeks, 44 percent of those who did the yoga had seen such a dramatic improvement in symptoms that they were no longer classed as depressed, compared with just 6 percent of the control group.
You can read the full article here https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9ba0b010-718d-11ee-81be-c4b540065935?shareToken=13402f593aa7258936bc646c8a9b1ee6.
My personal experience with Bikram yoga
A few years ago I attended Bikram yoga classes regularly. For those who don’t know much about Bikram yoga, it is practiced in a very hot and humid studio.
I didn’t know what to expect the first time I attended and wore my usual running attire, surprised by the lack of clothing in the room. Most people were wearing as little as possible – bikinis, tiny shorts. Needless to say, I turned up the following week wearing a lot less.
I will admit that it is one of the toughest exercise classes I have ever been to. The combination of heat and the sequence of challenging postures made it feel like an endurance test at times, but it’s one of the classes that I have found the most rewarding. I felt a real sense of achievement every time I finished.
Gym membership and other alternatives
If you struggle with anxiety, try to find an exercise routine that suits your needs and preferences. You don’t have to run a marathon or lift heavy weights to benefit from exercise. Even a brisk walk, a yoga session, or a dance class can make a difference.
I’ve been a member of a gym on and off for years, and like many people I go non-stop for weeks, have a short break and then find it hard to go back again.
For those days that I can’t be bothered or don’t want to leave the house, then following a video on YouTube or Les Mills can often be a good substitute for the gym. Les Mills is great as there are so many workouts, all on demand, which means you can do them at any time of the day.
It’s great to have as a backup and good enough to use as your sole exercise provider. I love Body Pump and the Body Attack class. The body attack is excellent for getting a sweat on and I feel the same calmness as I do after a run.
Exercise is not a cure-all for anxiety, but it can be a powerful tool to enhance your quality of life.
