How much excercise for anxiety?

[Dreamiy]

How much excercise you do to help with anxiety?

good question….I’m post menopause I find the more exercise I do the worse my body feels all my joints burn and ache and I feel worse for doing it.

Gardening is great exercise, and good for anxiety because it makes you feel like you’ve achieved something. Even if it’s just growing a couple of tomatoes or maybe a strawberry plant. I found my anxiety stemmed from feeling like I wasn’t good enough for anyone, I changed my attitude towards making my life better for me. I still have days where by the thought of doing the weekly shop worries me not because of money issues it’s just a hormonal anxiety issue for me. Walking in a new city window shopping sight seeing is also good exercise.

I’m finding Pilates very helpful at releasing a lot of tension and stiffness.

I do Pilates four times a week and walk a lot which helps . I use YouTube premium so I don’t get the ads - I love Keel Pilates she’s amazing - if I don’t do that my anxiety is horrendous

For me, it’s not so much the amount of exercise but the type.

Some things I do because I know they are good for me but they do absolutely nothing for my mental health (lifting stupid weights.)
But playing Padel twice a week with my friends, DS or DH and Saturday morning at Zumba then Body Balance do me so much good.

You need to find something that makes you feel good, not just movement for the sake of it. Remember, gardening, walking, swimming all count.

I have to do something every day and it's still comes over me - I do YouTube yoga and weights and a weekly yoga class and cold water swimming in outdoor pool. Plus walks. Basically managing my symptoms is a full time job.

2-3 a week. 3-4 is where it would really help I think

I will have at look. Thank you

I just want this waking up at 3am and tightening on my chest to stop

That is what I feel; like I need to quit my job to focus on my family and health

Can you send link for the keel pilates please

If it's sleep that's a problem, 10-20 mins of yoga before bed can help, as can getting out in daylight early in the day. Relaxing sleep podcasts can also help the 3am mental churning.

Otherwise, try and see what works best for you. Adding music, company or nature can help to make it more appealing and boost the benefits.

@Dreamiy This is a fairly obvious answer and it's not about exercise- if you've got insomnia and waking at 3am have you considered HRT?

Everyone should exercise anyway, but have you ruled out HRT?

Mostly but also chest tightness and shortness of breath. Worse when I have one coffee in the afternoon; but if I don’t have it I don’t have much energy in the afternoon. I do around 2 short sessions of yoga and practice mindfulness throughout the day. Will add pilates. I also swim.

I am considering HRT.

I don’t feel very motivated to work but have to keep going somehow.

You should see your GP and have some checks on your heart if you have breathlessness and a tight chest. Don't assume it's just anxiety. Being tired by the afternoon and no energy is not normal, but if it's that bad and is just menopause you need to treat it as menopause.
why not consider HRT?

I agree with @JinglingSpringbells please see your GP just to check the shortness of breath. Hopefully, they can reassure you but this is particularly important before you up your exercise.

Breathlessness, a tight chest (and fatigue by early afternoon) can be caused by all sorts of things. You are assuming this is anxiety which it could be. Like panic attacks. Make an appt with your GP and get things checked out.

If you feel you can't cope with work and your health is a real issue, and it is menopause, you can decide whether to try HRT.

You've a few threads going on this (one where you ask if you can try beta blockers) and say you don't want HRT as your symptoms aren't bad enough.

But they are bad- you are struggling to work, look after your family and your own health. You don't need hot flushes etc to need hrt. Sometimes the emotional side of menopause needs addressing as a priorty.

Very much agree with the advice to explore whether there's some underlying medical issue to be on the safe side - could be low iron, asthma or hormones out of kilter. Lack of sleep in itself does a real number on our physical and mental wellbeing. I understand the temptation to turn to coffee in the afternoon but it sounds like it's making the problem worse by affecting your anxiety and probably your sleep, so you're more tired and wired the next afternoon.

One thing to experiment with is eating lower GI carbs at lunch and breakfast and going for a 10 min walk after lunch - this can help to stabilise your blood sugar which is a common cause of afternoon slumps.

On exercise, you are doing lots of calming stuff - you may want to consider something a bit more energetic which paradoxically can help you relax later on. Anything that gets your heart rate up and requires you to breathe harder will help.

I booked an appointment with the doctor. iThank you

I find getting outside in the morning really beneficial, even if it's just a walk around the block or 15 mins pottering in the garden. There's evidence that early morning light exposure helps set you circadian rhythm and makes it easier to sleep.

In general, being outside and in nature helps my mood and anxiety more than exercise specifically. I don't get the same calm from a gym class as I do from an hour walking or out on my paddleboard.