If you are feeling anxious or depressed, regularly engaging in aerobic exercise may help you feel better.
Research studies have shown that aerobic exercise effectively reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is believed that increased blood circulation to the brain is helpful, and that exercise can have a positive impact on the areas of the brain responsible for mood, motivation, and your reaction to stress.
If you don’t currently have a regular exercise habit, I am going to guess that starting one might feel overwhelming. I find that people tend to run into a few main challenges when it comes to starting or maintaining an exercise habit.
“Exercise Is Not for Me”
One challenge is believing that exercise needs to be done a “certain way,” and not feeling aligned with that “certain way.” For example, believing “I have to go to the gym to exercise, and I hate the gym.” Or, “Exercise means running, and I hate running.”
Instead, you can choose an activity you enjoy, or at least one that feels good for your body. You don’t have to do what anyone else does. You don’t need to go to the gym if you don’t like the gym. You can walk, hike, jog, swim, dance, ride a bike, do bodyweight exercises, do vinyasa-style yoga, play a sport, or even garden. When you are able to find an activity you don’t hate, you are much more likely to be able to stick with it.
“I Have to Go Really Hard”
Another challenge is expecting too much of yourself right from the start. You don’t have to go from doing nothing to doing something really intense. When people do this, they tend to get really sore and exhausted. Sometimes so much so, they aren’t able to continue exercising. That’s not sustainable.
If you’ve experienced this, you might feel embarrassed, ashamed, or as if you failed. I would argue that it’s not your fault. Exercise culture promotes this approach, but it’s a set up. It doesn’t work for most people.
You can start off really slowly and build incrementally. You can start with walking to the end of your street. Or holding a plank for 5 seconds. Or jogging for 10 second intervals for a few minutes. Every little bit counts, and every little bit helps increase your endurance over time.
Working with a Professional Can Help
If you would like some guidance or help with accountability, working with a personal trainer can be really helpful. If you are in the Santa Barbara area, I recommend Kevin Long at Resilience Personal Training, or Natasha Freutel at The Vitality Method. Nothing beats working with someone in person, but there are also lots of resources available online. If you would like to start a yoga practice, Yoga with Adriene’s YouTube channel is an accessible way to begin.
Before beginning to exercise, it is always a good idea to check in with your doctor, particularly if you have any health issues.
If you give exercise a try, send me a message and let me know how it goes! And if you would like to integrate exercise goals into your work in therapy, I am always happy to help with that. Therapy can help address any mental or emotional blocks you have around starting or maintaining an exercise routine.