Exercise and Anxiety
While exposure (in the case of OCD, exposure with response prevention) and/or medication are the mainstream treatments for anxiety and OCD, there is some empirical evidence that there are some adjunctive treatments, such as exercise, that can also be helpful. There are numerous studies the results of which suggest that exercise can elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem and has been shown to be as effective as antidepressant medication in some studies (here is a recent book that covers this topic in some detail). Our overall mood benefits from regular exercise. Exercising to the point where you’re breathing really hard (aerobic exercise) tends to be the most effective, but any kind of movement, even for short bursts, is helpful.
Many people with anxiety/OCD, especially with chronic problems in these areas, also struggle with depression. And while there are fewer studies on exercises’ impact on anxiety, there is still a substantial body of evidence that suggests it helps. I certainly have seen exercise benefit many of my clients, so while I would always suggest starting with either or both of the established treatments (exposure therapy and medication), I would also suggest considering adding exercise to your weekly routine, especially if you have long-standing problems with anxiety/OCD.
With my clients, I usually suggest shooting for at least 30 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic exercise at least three times a week as a good place to start. When I suggest adding exercise to their treatment program, virtually everyone agrees that it would be a good idea, but very few of them actually follow through and start.
Some ideas to consider when attempting to begin an exercise program are:
Start small - begin with a short daily walk and build over time.
Join some type of exercise group or club. When I was a regular runner I found being part of a running group was the best way to guarantee that I would run regularly.
Find some type of activity you enjoy. It only makes sense that you will continue to do something if you enjoy it.
Keep in mind all of the benefits of exercise. Not only how it may help with your anxiety/OCD, but also how it will likely benefit your sleep, overall mood and general health.
Track your progress. As Peter Drucker said, “What gets measured, gets managed”.
Exercise with a partner. You’re much more likely to exercise if a friend is waiting for you.
A concept that I’ll expand on in future posts is that “It is good to do hard things”. If you think about it, almost anything worth doing in life takes hard work.
Here is a good resource for additional ways to begin and continue an exercise program.
As always, I welcome your questions and comments.
Stay well,
Dr Bob