How to Use Physical Activity to Help Relieve Anxiety

Anxiety is a common mental health issue that impacts millions of people around the world. The good news is that there are lots of ways to successfully manage anxiety, and physical activity is one of them. Exercising and moving your body helps to relieve anxiety by releasing endorphins, which improves your mood, reduces stress, and provides a healthy outlet for your emotions. Keep reading to find out more about how you can use physical activity to relieve anxiety. 

Start with Low-Impact Exercises

If you’ve not exercised in a while or are new to working out, starting with low-impact exercises is best. Swimming, walking, and cycling are all good ways to get yourself moving, while still being gentle on your joints and muscles. Low-impact exercises can also be more enjoyable than high-intensity exercise, which can help to calm your mind and body, reducing stress and anxiety levels. 

Aim for At Least Half an Hour of Exercise Per Day

Adults should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or thirty minutes per day, according to the World Health Organization. You can achieve this through going to the gym or swimming pool, going for a walk, joining a dance class, joining a sports team, or even exercising at home with workout videos. There are plenty of options to choose from, and how you want to exercise is up to you. The most important part is to make it a part of your daily routine, as this will help improve your overall health and keep anxiety in check. 

Engage in Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is any kind of activity that increases your breathing rate and gets your heart rate up. Some examples include cycling, swimming, dancing, jogging, or running. Aerobic exercise is particularly good for releasing endorphins, which are natural mood-boosters, and therefore very useful for reducing anxiety and keeping other mental health problems at bay, such as depression. Aerobic exercise can also help to reduce cortisol levels in your body, which helps with keeping your stress levels low. 

Incorporate Strength Training

Strength training is not only good for building muscle and toning your body, but it can also help with reducing anxiety. You may want to consider using supplements like turkesterone alongside strength training to boost your workouts, get better results, and improve your endurance. Strength training is an excellent healthy outlet for emotions and can boost your self-esteem, which can in turn reduce anxiety – especially for those who have anxiety related to their body image. 

Try Meditation or Yoga

Yoga and meditation are two ancient practices that have long been used to reduce stress and anxiety. Yoga is an excellent exercise to try, whether it’s the main one that you do or something that you do on rest days in between other workouts. It involves a series of postures and breathing exercises that not only improve your strength and flexibility but can also help with calming your body and mind. It can be even more powerful to combine yoga with meditation. This involves focusing on your breath or a specific object to reduce your anxiety levels and improve your overall wellbeing. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of guided yoga and meditation options to consider working through. You can easily do yoga at home or consider joining a class if you feel you would benefit from professional tuition. 

Getting active isn’t just good for your overall physical health – it can also improve your mental health and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. By finding an activity you enjoy and sticking at doing it regularly, you can boost your self-esteem, manage stress better, and keep anxiety at bay.