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Anxiety And Exercise
Blog | November 16, 2018
My mindset in my younger years is different than how it is today. First of all, back then I thought that when I’d turn older, I’d be ancient, but also very wise, calm and s hundred times more confident and totally worry-free. While I don’t feel ancient, I’m not as stress-free as I thought I’d be.
Stress and anxiety are normal parts of life, just like joy and happiness. The world is full of opposites, which I believe are necessary to create balance and also meaning. What would happiness mean to you if you never experienced sadness, stress, anxiety, or any other negative emotion? Negative emotions are not necessarily bad. They guide us, teach us and protect us. You can learn a lot about yourself from your negative emotions… however, they can become a problem if they persist, creating a negative emotional imbalance resulting in stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic anxiety disorders.
I had gone through major anxiety after I turned 30 and sought out professional help for the first time in my life. Anxiety can be triggered by numerous factors and combinations including:
- Genetics
- Brain Chemistry
- Substance Abuse
- Lack of Movement/ Activity
- Medical Issues
However, it’s common for stress to build up as a result of simply getting older. It gets made up of major life changes, losses, and health problems. In my case, it was just a stress build up over time by going through major changes like divorce, moving from country to country, loss of my blog, starting a new blog, change of work environment, and starting a new relationship.
Now I see the benefits of talking to someone who can help to sort things out in your head and work through your emotions. Personally, I am strongly against taking medications for depression and anxiety, even though I know people who had a good experience with them. I am not saying that medications are bad. My belief is that they would be bad for me. I have always been cheerful and positive minded person and I would feel like I am taking the cheap way out instead of facing the challenge and coping with it in a healthy and natural way.
There is no doubt that exercise has healing effects on anxiety and depression. Besides talking to my therapist every once in a while, exercise has been the number one go-to coping strategy for me. It has not been always easy to get myself motivated to exercise, especially when I’m feeling down, but once I get started, it always makes a huge difference. I get my mood elevated immediately after a few minutes into my training and feel amazing for hours afterward. The best benefits come from intense exercises that burn away stress hormones such as cortisol while improving the release of endorphins and neurotransmitters in the brain.
So the next time you’re dealing with the blues, or need to get over a funk, try kicking your butt with a short and sweet training session. Even a brisk walk outside can help. For further guidance and structure in your routine, consider signing up for the ZGYM.
Talking more often about exercise and the positive effects it has on anxiety is something I really want to do more on my blog, because anxiety and depression is something that has affected me, people that I am close to, and millions of Americans.
Share your insight, stories, advice, and opinions in the comments below. Looking forward to reading them.
Best,
Zuzka.
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T
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Hi Zuzanita, I know exactly what you are going through. I too went through a divorce, moved to another country and started a new relationship. I have 2 kids and I´m 39 years old. I don´t feel ancient either lol. Any way I´ve been suffering from severe to moderate anxiety for almost 5 years now. It´s like a living hell. I did everything from going to a pshychiatrist to medication, to therapy and nothing helped. I hate doctors because they just prescribe medicines and do not dig very deep to see what the real issue is or how on earth you got into that state. I refused to keep taking medication as was determined to cure myself with out medications and doctors. I have done tons of research and learned so much about anxiety. What has worked for me was reading blogs of these amazing people who they themsleves had similar problems and have done their own research as well. I discovered that stress can deplete you from so many minerals and vitamins that create an inbalance in your body. Magensium was for me like a miracle. People who suffer from magnesium deficency tend to have anxiety and panic attacks. Basically thats it, if you are low in magnesium you will suffer from anxiety. I feel almots like a new person just by taking magnesium supplements. I just can´t believe a doctor instead of giving you drugs won´t get you tested for deficiencies and say, you know what? It´s as easy as taking magnesium to get rid of your 4 years of living hell!!! Any way, stress can deplete us from vitamins and minerals that help the nervou system and that heals. Also hormones play a big role in anxiety so get them checked as well. I can not say I´m anxiety free just yet, but I feel a humungus difference, I´m almost my old norma self again. I still have to deal with insomnia and my body is still very sensitive to stress. I hope you people can find your own deficiency, correct it and be anxiety free. Let the food be your medicine!!
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Oh, and if you want to know about the blogs I read with this kind of info about anxiety and how to cure yourself through your diet, you can email me and I will send the links lilalejandra_@hotmail.com
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Thank you for sharing this! I am one of the 40 million.
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thank you for this zuzka 🙂
I am indeed coping with depression right now although I haven’t seek out any experts and therapists. I’ve been having trouble coping up with friends too because I’ve changed, and I mean for the better (like not going out at night parties with booze and cigarettes). My hubby is also diagnosed with dengue fever and is still recovering for a higher platelet count… He is supposed to be my fitness inspiration and partner… now his diet has gone mad because he needs to eat a lot of food, carbs usually and our staple food “white rice” but I go steady with my healthy diet with no rice and more fruits and veggies. However, I noticed that day by day, I become very emotional, depressed, anxious (from what will happen to my hubby), paranoid and lonely (because I don’t know if I have real friends anymore). I don’t know who I can rely to so I am pretty much very honest to you right now. After I read this post. I feel a little bit motivated to workout and go on training yet I also feel unsatisfied or sad because I’m working out and my hubby can’t, who is still in the hospital. I’m sorry for typing such a long comment… it’s just that you always inspire me! and whenever i see your vids, with you smiling… I always get excited and ready! 🙂 thank you zuzka…
truly honest,
clair de lune
kitzsaniel@yahoo.com
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Hi there Zuzka, This is Dee speaking. And i wanna share my story with you and the rest of the zwarriors. When i was in middle school i have suffered from anxieties and depression and also bullying. I never understood why i kept this pain and secret from others so long but i think its because i was not only ashame of my illness. I have ADHD, learning disability and dyslexia. I was really frustrated that i wasn’t like anyone because i had a disability and i felt left out from the world. High school i didnt make that many friends either like middle school. I was always shy and quiet. I was also overweight too and out of shape for so long. I didnt experience alot of bullying like i did in middle school but i still had people making front of me. When i went to college thats when i really was depressed. I was so excited to go to college but things just wasnt doing well for me. So i dropped out. I was so upset at myself for a very long time and i was actually suicidal in high school but when my 19 birthday came, i wanted to kill myself because this guy i thought was the one dumped me because he fell in love with another woman. I was so upset. So when i told my mom all of the stuff i was going through that recently and in the past. My mom immediately took me to the doctor. I had severe depression the doc said and she prescribed me 3 medications. I have been on and off them. To me this wasnt what i needed. But now til this day im still trying to recover from depression and anxieties and a bunch of other issues i have been through in my life. I have suffered many traumas in my life and i pray that God will bless me and bless the others who too are going through depression, anxieties and other horrible things that shouldnt never happened to them. I want to say thank you so much for inspiring us with your workouts and your posts and nutrition and diet tips and just for being yourself. I found out about you on accident actually. I was looking for a video highlights of one of my fave czech tennis players and bodyrocktv subscribe button was on the side of the video everytime i went by it. So i check it out and you were on the background. This was back in June 2011 btw. But i am very blessed that you still are inspiring people til this day. Thank you once again for posting this post. It made me feel alot better that i am not the only one who goes through this. God bless you Zuzka! xoxo
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doctor z we all love you so much, we would follow you from the planet if you decided to relocate elsewhere in the solar system! never give up! they’ll have to kill us all first! us who reconize and love your special being. yes you look good, but your inner self can shine so bright, sometimes it just blinds us all! thanks for being you and keepin on track. and finally in spirit, 31 in so young! happy life kid!
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i can relate to this 100 percent. thank you so much i would have never guessed you suffered from this as well. exercise helps me tremendously! i lost 18 lbs from you zuzana and i gained a lot of muscle but then got lazy. i am not trying to get back into training following your diet and workouts! thank you!!!
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Dear Zuzka,
First of all, Happy Birthday! I’m so happy I follow your work- you never fail to kick my butt and it’s awesome. Second of all, thank you for the heartfelt, honest post. I feel resonated with- I definitely understand what you mean and know where you are coming from. Always good to take the non-medicated, natural path of dealing with these difficult life issues. It’s a journey! All the best, Alissa
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Ciao Zuzka,
best wishes to your birthday deeply from my heart. U are my idol and i´m thankful to be part of your warriorZ-Squad which is all around the world. when ever u will be in italy don´t forget to contact and visit me! u will be my guest for a really hard workout 😉 greets from Italy… Annamaria…p.s greets also from my boyfriend who is part of the warriorZ team. i met him because of u and your workouts! <3