News flash, 1 in 5 of us in the UK suffer with anxiety! It's something we've all felt to a degree - but some people suffer chronically with anxiety & I have seen first hand how exercise can really help ease those worries!
As well as the hormonal side, there are specific movements that can help soothe those physical aspects of anxiety...
Hormones & Anxiety
When we experience a perceived threat (something that makes us anxious) - we get a surge in adrenalin & cortisol both of which put us in "fight or flight"...they also lower our testosterone (one of it's jobs being cortisol crowd control). This can trigger a rise in cortisol (too much cortisol = bad).
Now here's where exercise is your amigo...
Exercise has been shown to reduce both adrenalin & cortisol (excellent) - combine this with the fact that exercising raises our oxcytocin levels & we're winning!
Oxcytocin has been shown to significantly reduce our feelings of stress & worry. It's known as "the feel good" hormone!
Movement for Anxiety
Our bodies are so much more than a fleshy sack for all the important stuff! The ways in which we hold & move our bodies can have dramatic effects on our brain & how we feel.
So lets look at ways we can ease our worries with movement!
Power Pose
With our modern ways (phones, computers, TV) we're shrinking! Cases of Kyphosis (hunch back) are rising & with it...our confidence! Being slumped over gives us the feeling of being small, shying away from life! We want the opposite!
So stand up tall, lift that sternum & pull those shoulders down & back. Pop those hands on the hips & fully embrace your wonder woman pose. Do this for 2 minutes swanning round the house or the office for a feel good boost!
Shavasana
Yoga? Im out! Jokes...Hear me out. When you wake up, do you immediatley rush into EVERYTHING you need to do? Do you even stop to ask yourself, how am I feeling today & why? Thought not.
Give me 5 minutes of your time, or rather, give yourself 5 minutes of your time!
Set a timer on your phone for 5 minutes
Get comfy on the floor on your back (NOT your bed)
Lay down for 5 minutes, feeling your body, letting those thoughts run & just check in!
Notice what comes up & why, sort through that brain clutter!
Intervals
They're gross, they suck & they'll make you forget any worries you had! I'm not encouraging you to avoid or drown out your anxiety but exerting yourself can really give you a big dump of those fancy feel good hormones.
Whether it's 10 minutes of intervals on the:
Rower
Ski erg
Spin Bike
Assault bike
Stepper
Crosstrainer
Treadmill
You're 100% going to come off that machine feeling G O O D & proud AF of yaself!
Don't over complicate it, if you only have 5 minutes go for it, just work with what you have.
This is only a small list - there's tonnes of movements & ways I've personally used to settle my mind...but my coffee is getting cold! Sorryyyy. Let me know if you want to hear more of movement & anxiety!
Find more at @wildwomen_fitness
Watch on Youtube here.
Email: wildwomenfitness@outlook.com
**DISCLAIMER - All of the information provided is based off my own experience + self taught knowledge - I am in no way medically trained + if you are having hormonal issues I suggest seeing your GP before taking any action.
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