Exercises To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts
How does exercise help ease anxiety?
Engaging in exercise diverts you from the very thing you are anxious about.
Moving your body decreases muscle tension, lowering the body’s contribution to feeling anxious.
Getting your heart rate up changes brain chemistry, increasing the availability of important anti-anxiety neurochemicals, including serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and endocannabinoids.
Exercise activates frontal regions of the brain responsible for executive function, which helps control the amygdala, our reacting system to real or imagined threats to our survival.
Exercising regularly builds up resources that bolster resilience against stormy emotions.