Anyone have bad anxiety while excersicing?

[Matticus1983]

It seems to hit me while I'm on the treadmill. I've had episodes of dizziness etc. Automatically makes me believe there's something wrong with me. I used to be a beast in the gym. Seems like now since I started back, I can only jog so fast. Lift so heavy. Etc. My anxiety creates fear in me to excert myself, for fear of fainting, heart attack stroke. I'm 37 years old. Any thoughts from gym rats.? Can anxiety make you feel out of shape out of sorts? Constantly trying to control my breath. Hyperventilating?

 

[bin_tenn]

Yes, manual breathing can make you feel like crap. Not only that, but anxiety causes us to be much more sensitive to normal bodily functions / sensations, especially the heartbeat. People without anxiety usually don't think about or feel their heartbeat at all, but with anxiety we may be constantly aware of it; it's a normal effect of anxiety.

I also have a difficult time exercising because of it most of the time. The only thing I know to do is take it easy. Don't push yourself beyond what you're comfortable with. If it makes you feel anxious, slow down or take a break. Get back to it once you feel better. That's what I do.

 

[Matticus1983]

Yes, manual breathing can make you feel like crap. Not only that, but anxiety causes us to be much more sensitive to normal bodily functions / sensations, especially the heartbeat. People without anxiety usually don't think about or feel their heartbeat at all, but with anxiety we may be constantly aware of it; it's a normal effect of anxiety.

I also have a difficult time exercising because of it most of the time. The only thing I know to do is take it easy. Don't push yourself beyond what you're comfortable with. If it makes you feel anxious, slow down or take a break. Get back to it once you feel better. That's what I do.

Thanks

 

[TruthHurts]

It seems to hit me while I'm on the treadmill. I've had episodes of dizziness etc. Automatically makes me believe there's something wrong with me. I used to be a beast in the gym. Seems like now since I started back, I can only jog so fast. Lift so heavy. Etc. My anxiety creates fear in me to excert myself, for fear of fainting, heart attack stroke. I'm 37 years old. Any thoughts from gym rats.? Can anxiety make you feel out of shape out of sorts? Constantly trying to control my breath. Hyperventilating?

I think it's more of a mental thing then a physical thing you are thinking way to much when you should be exercising. Have you tried listening to music while exercising? Stop fearing the fact that your heart is beating fast it's just doing it's job. I was in the same position as you. I use to workout and not fear having a heart attack didn't even think twice about that then I had my panic attack and started focusing way to much on my heart. I'd find myself touching my chest all the time to feel how fast my heart was beating. As soon as I noticed it beating fast it'd psych me out mentally! That would caused me to slow my exercise or whatever I was doing down and speed my worrying up. I remember you saying that you drink coffee and use smokeless tobacco that will accelerate your heart rate, anxiety and elevate the blood pressure try working out before you drink your coffee and take your dip and see how that goes.

 

[Cuchculan]

Way I see this is the mind making some kind of link as to how the body is reacting when training. The heart speeds up. We breathe in a different way. We can feel worn out after a while. Those three things alone we might feel when anxiety hits too. Could just be the mind taking over knowing how it feels when anxious. Same way anybody would feel when exercising. Which is why I avoid it. Bad excuse to avoid exercising. Works for me though.