Exercise Information

Is Exercise Making You Feel Worse?


I'm sure you've heard the following statement over and over again: exercise can help you to beat stress, or alleviate anxiety or boost a depressed mind. This is only true in part. Because many exercises can actually worsen these illnesses. And even if you perform exercises that can help, these exercises will only help temporarily.

The reason many people believe exercise to be helpful in combating stressful and depressive illnesses is because when you exercise vigorously for longer than 20 minutes, your body floods with endorphins. These chemicals give us a buzz, and this is why it is widely believed that exercise can cure stress, depression or anxiety.

If you're suffering a stressful or depressive episode, you'll know that no matter how regularly you exercise, the bad feelings return. The only way to beat these illnesses is to treat the root cause: flawed modes of thinking. Exercise, though great for our bodies, simply doesn't do anything to address modes of thinking.

When my anxiety was at it's worst back in 2000, I exercised 4 times a week. For 2 days, I'd perform weight-training exercises. These exercises are the type of exercise that can actually make you feel worse because you have time to think about all of the issues and problems you have in your life at the time. I'd also warm up and warm down on bike machines or cross-trainers. Again, you can perform these exercises easily so you can think about your problems.

For my other workouts, I'd perform instructor-led circuit training sessions. As you're listening out for instructions and performing sequences of exercises at a high tempo, you don't have time to dwell on your troubles and worries. The problem is that once you stop exercising, you return to the modes of thinking which lead to stress, depression or anxiety.

As soon as my workout had finished, I'd perform the flawed modes of thinking, modes that made me anxious and depressed. Exercising did very little ū if anything ū to stop me performing these flawed thought processes.

Do be aware of what's happening when you exercise. Exercises that don't require much concentration may have you brooding over your troubles as you perform them. Jogging, walking, exercise machines, weight-training are all examples of such exercises. Instead, try ones that are more intensive or competitive so your whole concentration is required. Circuit-training worked for me, so did sports like soccer and badminton.

The idea is to give yourself a period of time where you're not thinking about your problems and worries. And of course, you'll do your body a whole heap of good too!

The point here is to understand that exercise can only provide temporary relief. The only way to find permanent relief from your suffering is to understand and address flawed modes of thinking. And, just as physical exercise benefits our bodies, mental skills leading to better modes of thinking will bring enormous benefits to our minds.

The following quote sums it up in a nutshell:

"Thought can make you, thought can break you." - Swami Sukhabodhanada

Until next time.

Looking to beat stress, anxiety or depression QUICKLY? "Conquering Stress" reveals the powerful, effective secrets so you can beat these illnesses once and for all DRUG FREE! Click Here==> http://www.conqueringstress.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Boston Globe

Reputed underboss seeks time to exercise
Boston Globe, United States - 12 hours ago
(Robert Spencer/Globe File Photo) By Milton J. Valencia Carmen "The Cheese Man" DiNunzio is looking for a bit of exercise and a good night's sleep. ...
Carmen ā€œThe Cheesemanā€ DiNunzio: Live and let diet Boston Herald
"CHEESEMAN" WANTS OUT WHYN
Reputed mob boss wants more exercise WHDH-TV
all 84 news articles


Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. Announces Exercise of Over-Allotment Option
FOXBusiness - 5 hours ago
Including the exercise of the over-allotment option, the net proceeds of the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and Kodiak's ...


Voice of America

Georgians exercise 'passive resistance'
USA Today - 5 hours ago
By Bela Szandelszky, AP By Jeffrey Stinson, USA TODAY TBILISI, Georgia — Irakli Petriashvili and a small group of fellow Georgians will confront the Russian ...
Russian troops slow to leave Georgia Christian Science Monitor
all 1,727 news articles


Great Western Minerals Group announces closing of early exercise ...
FOXBusiness - 6 hours ago
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. ("GWMG" or the "Company") announces that the exercise period of the Company's early exercise warrant incentive program ...


Exercise of employee share options in Revus Energy ASA
FOXBusiness - 6 hours ago
As a result of the exercise, the Board of Directors, following the authority approved in the Annual General Meeting, has resolved to increase the share ...


Economist

New film Five-finger exercise
Economist, UK - 13 hours ago
WOODY ALLEN’S 39th film, ā€œVicky Cristina Barcelonaā€, is being described as a return to form after three not very good years. In this romantic comedy, ...


BETTER HEALTH IS 80% NUTRITION - 20% EXERCISE
Ventura County Star, CA - 7 hours ago
Some of us have enough drive to hold together a good and nutritious diet as well as getting ourselves MOVING and keeping exercise as a priority. ...


Life support area gives troops ā€˜comfortable’ feel for weeklong ...
Stars and Stripes, DC - 6 hours ago
By Jimmy Norris, Stars and Stripes YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — The more than 350 US troops in town for this week’s training exercise found "home" in a ...
Yongsan cabs still not ready Stars and Stripes
all 2 news articles


Training exercise to increase noise near Barksdale AFB
KSLA-TV, LA - 11 hours ago
A training exercise involving as many as a dozen B52 bombers which began early Thursday will resume Monday morning. A spokesperson for the 2nd Bomb Wing ...
Training exercise to increase noise near Barksdale AFB KSLA-TV
all 4 news articles


New York Times

Men, Women and Speed. 2 Words: Got Testosterone?
New York Times, United States - 1 hour ago
But for a variety of intrinsic biological reasons, the best women can never run as fast as the best men, exercise researchers say. Women are slower than men ...

Exercise - Google News

home | site map
© 2006