Anxiety and Physical Activity
Benefits of regular exercising on health are undeniable. Physical activity is often the first step in lifestyle changes to prevent and manage chronic illnesses. There is a solid evidence that 2-2.5 hrs of moderate to high-intensity exercise per week is sufficient to decrease risk of development of chronic diseases. In addition to lowering occurrence of chronic illnesses, physical activity improves sense of wellbeing and self-esteem. People who regularly engage in physical activity experience less anxiety symptoms and lower ratio of age related cognitive decline comparing to those who are non active.
Mood Booster
From physiological angle regular aerobic exercises increase levels of serotonin (neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood, anxiety, improves cognition and memory) and noradrenaline (neurotransmitter that helps to mobilise brain for action, improve energy), similar to the effect of antidepressants. Endogenous opioids (endorphines) have a role in mood regulating and emotional responses. Studies show that endogenous opioids activity increased by exercising may reduce pain and induce euphoric state.
Psychological Benefits of Exercise
Distraction has been suggested as another argument that physical activity is successful in reducing anxiety. Studies show that distraction techniques like meditation are as effective as exercise in lowering state anxiety (a temporary reaction to adverse events). Physical activity and cognitively based distraction techniques have been shown to have comparable effectiveness in decreasing state anxiety, however, exercise was more efficient in reducing trait anxiety (refers to a trait of personality).
From the perspective of psychological mechanisms, researches show that short-term aerobic exercises help in reducing anxiety sensitivity. Anxiety sensitivity is a tendency to catastrophise and misinterpret anxiety related perceptions planted on believing that they will result in catastrophic social, psychological or physical outcomes. Subjecting a person with high a level of anxiety to the physiological symptoms they fear like fast heartbeat in relation to physical activity increases their resilience to such symptoms. Such exposure shows that unease physiological sensations although difficult, do not present a serious danger. Regular exercise can increase self-efficacy by providing experiences of successfully dealing with the stress of exercising. Self-efficacy improves with improving fitness level. A person experiences increased endurance, durability and less pain.
There is a strong evidence that regular physical activity has a positive impact in the pathophysiological course of anxiety. Exercise positively impacts variety of psychological as well as biological mechanisms. People who engage in regular physical activity may be less prone to anxiety disorders. Additionally, exercise can reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety related disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder and agoraphobia.
