Anxiety Treatments: Regular Exercise
Anxiety
symptoms are symptoms of stress caused by anxiety (worry,
fearful thinking). Any method used to reduce stress helps
the body to calm down and become less symptomatic. The
less stimulated the body is, the less symptomatic it
will be.
Regular light to mild exercise isn't going to address the underlying factors associated with your anxiety, but can help to reduce the negative effects of stress caused by anxiety.
How helpful is regular light to mild exercise?
In a poll we recently conducted, participants indicated:
Of those who tried regular light to mild exercise:
- 7.9% said they experienced no difference
- 90% said they experienced little to great benefit
- .9% said they experienced complete relief
- 1.2% said it made things worse
Since each person is different, what may work for one person may not for another. We encourage you to use caution and discernment when trying anxiety treatment options.
The combination of good self-help information and working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to address anxiety disorder and its many symptoms. Until the core causes of anxiety are addressed - the underlying factors that motivate apprehensive behavior - a struggle with anxiety disorder can return again and again. Identifying and successfully addressing anxiety's underlying factors is the best way to overcome problematic anxiety.
Additional Resources:
- Anxiety Disorders, Symptoms, Signs, Types, Causes, and Treatment.
- Anxiety attacks and panic symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
- How to stop panic attacks.
- Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results.
- Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to recover.
Return to our anxiety tips page.
