Anxiety and getting back into physical activity

[anxiousrecovery]

Hi guys,

I have had health anxiety and depression for the the last 6 months which was quite severe at one point however I am feeling like I am definitely on the mend aside from struggling to return back into fitness!

It started with having a lot going on in my life that I hadn’t processed and it led to having a panic attack at basketball one night. Since then I have battled severe physical symptoms - you name it I’ve probably had it. I am almost symptom free and am feeling about 95% back to normal HOWEVER, I was a very fit person before and now I’m struggling to do even basic exercise..

Has anyone struggled with getting back into exercise after periods like this?

I am finding that as soon as I start to exercise my muscles feel stiff, shaky (almost creaky), like jelly and they feel fatigued almost instantly! That then kicks off my anxiety and i’m left feeling anxious with jelly muscles after 3 minutes of light stretches and squats etc.

Anxiety can be helped with exercise and yet I can hardly do anything! I feel about 70 years old in my 25 year old body.

[Samsonsam]

When you haven't exercised in a while it can take time for your body to get used to it again. Start of not pushing yourself to hard and then gradually increase each day. I'm having the same issue as you now whenever I do exercise my body shakes crazy and feels weak. I too haven't exercised in a while.

[Here_I_am]

Hey hey,

So if there is anxiety and association between activity and a panic attack, it could be that thoughts of exercise is producing a massive amount of adrenaline and cortisol. The shakiness and weakness could actually be the opposite to what it feels like - your muscles could be primed to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or throw crashed cars off trapped passengers with just the one hand! Like a giant super-soaker, their could be this massive amount of power and blood supply to your muscles that will explode with vigorous activity and then subside with release. Stretches and warm up reps are potentially under-utilising what your body has prepared your muscles for.

If cortisol production is occurring here, explosive vigorous activity is the key to breaking through. A sprint and then HIIT will be a hard workout to get through, but will help shift excess cortisol, and ideally return your muscles and chemistry to a normally regulated state.

Just a thought. You can't do yourself any harm, so give a super human workout a try. See if your muscles respond to something strenuous rather than aerobically maintenance based activities.