Start an Anxiety-Reducing Exercise Regime

One of the most powerful and effective methods for reducing generalized anxiety and overcoming a predisposition to panic attacks is a program of regular, vigorous exercise.You have panic attacks when your body's natural "fight-or-flight" reaction — the sudden surge of adrenaline you experience in response to a realistic threat — becomes excessive or occurs out of context. Exercise is a natural outlet for your body when it is in the fight-or-flight mode of arousal. A majority of my clients who have undertaken a regular exercise program are less vulnerable to panic attacks and, if they do have them, find them to be less severe. Regular exercise also diminishes the tendency to experience anticipatory anxiety toward phobic situations, expediting recovery from all kinds of phobias ranging from fear of public speaking to fear of being alone. Regular exercise has a direct impact on several physiological factors that underlie anxiety. It brings about:

• Reduced skeletal muscle tension, which is largely responsible for your feelings of being tense or "uptight"
• More rapid metabolism of excess adrenaline and thyroxin in the bloodstream, the presence of which tends to keep you in a state of arousal and vigilance
• A discharge of pent-up frustration, which can aggravate phobic or panic reactions

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