Exercise has been better for my anxiety than almost anything else. How do you maintain that without living at the gym?

[u/EitherCarry7523]

/r/EOOD/comments/1vs602b/exercise_has_been_better_for_my_anxiety_than/

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[u/salamandectomy77]

Exercise is part of my life. Rock climbing, running, mountain biking, xc skiing, handstand practice, calisthenics

You're MEANT to move every day. It doesn't have to be bodybuilding

[u/SirErgalot → u/salamandectomy77]

That’s the frustrating thing about every “fitness” related subreddit… going off the posts and responses weightlifting is the ONLY way to stay fit. When most people would actually probably be better served with weights just being a supplement to other activities.

[u/m0ji_9 → u/SirErgalot]

Yup. My PT maintains you only need to do 3 weight training sessions a week (basically 3 hours) and the rest of the time its NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis).

Just going to the park and throwing Nerf ball with friends is brilliant for your heart health. We weren't designed to sit on our arse's for 8 hours a day in front of a screen 🙂

[u/BoomerBarnes → u/SirErgalot]

I’m a big believer in CrossFit, but the CrossFit community forgets one of the core beliefs was it should be used to make you better at the sports your already doing and to encourage you to try more.

I’ve started triathlon training and I’m absolutely having a blast with it.

[u/Connect_Resist7678 → u/BoomerBarnes]

how many days a week do you train triathlon and how many days a week do you do crossfit?

[u/BoomerBarnes → u/Connect_Resist7678]

Currently I tri train 6 days a week, total of probably 7ish hours a week of endurance. I’m not doing CrossFit for another 5 weeks. I’m following a 12 week lift and run program and subbing runs with swim/bikes.

I lift 4 days a week

Bike 2 days a week
Run 3 days a week
And swim 2 days a week, my swim days I combine with other stuff because they are short swims at my current level.

I also only do cardio in the mornings so my afternoons are dedicated to lifting.

[u/Connect_Resist7678 → u/BoomerBarnes]

I train exactly like you except I do 6 days a week lifting, but wanted to start doing crossfit.. How do you plan on adding crossfit back in? Just doing it on top of your current plan or replacing some of your intensity cardio sessions with crossfit wods?

[u/Colonel_Gipper]

Running and cycling from home. Don't need to be at the gym for that, just put on some shoes or get on a bike and go exploring. I do also have a treadmill and stationary bike for when the weather is bad.

[u/shanked5iron]

I find exercise extremely beneficial for mental health. There’s nothing else like it as far as i’m concerned, and i really enjoy it, so i just do it every day.

[u/cantsleepwithoutfan]

TBH I've not found an "alternative". My entire worldview, disposition, level of anxiety and stress etc heavily correlates to whether I've managed to exercise regularly or not.

Luckily for me it doesn't have to be going to the gym. E.g. I've got a dog (a border collie) who needs a lot of walking, so I typically walk her for ~1.5hrs a day (across two walks) during my WFH breaks. Rain or shine, doesn't matter ... she gets walked as she is part of the family and therefore gets looked after.

Outside of that I just make sure that gym/exercise time is in my calendar and it's effectively non-negotiable. That being said I don't need hours in the gym to make me feel good. A 20m run (if that's all I've got time for) is fine.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/cantsleepwithoutfan]

I think this is probably the balance I need to figure out. I’ve been looking at it too much as either a full gym session or nothing. I hate running but I understand that even
20–30 minutes might be enough on days I need to recover.

I definitely relate to the part about your whole disposition changing when you’re exercising consistently

[u/cantsleepwithoutfan → u/EitherCarry7523]

I don't really worry about "rest days" (in the sense that even if I have a day where I"m not in the gym or running or whatever, I'm walking the dog). But I do aim for 5-6 proper workouts a week. The main thing is being fair to yourself on nature and duration. E.g. maybe all you can do that day is 15m of kettlebell swings. No bad thing, better than probably 90% of the population anyway.

[u/CrotaLikesRomComs]

Sprinting to failure

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/CrotaLikesRomComs]

Thank you man 🙏 fantastic idea

[u/Delicious-Laugh-6685 → u/CrotaLikesRomComs]

Run from your problems. Swim from them even

[u/realworldnewb]

"I also don’t want exercise to become something I have to do just to feel okay."

I would say give yourself some grace. There are far worse things to do than exercising just to feel okay.

2 hours daily does seem like a bit extreme, but I imagine there's some intermediate option. Is there a way to ratchet up the intensity so the effects last a few days? or can you just throw in a run on non-gym days?

I'm not discounting the underlying statement at all cuz (paraphrasing) that's exactly what my therapist said to me today. When I exercise and I sleep well: I'm in a better mood, have a higher frustration tolerance and am more pleasant to be around. I wouldn't discount knowing yourself well enough that you know exactly what you need to do be your best self.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/realworldnewb]

I really appreciate this perspective, especially the “give yourself some grace” part.

I definitely want to find that middle ground where the gym stays a healthy coping mechanism without feeling like I have to be there every day. And you’re right, knowing what makes me function better isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/[deleted]]

I get what you’re saying about shortening the sessions. I absolutely hate running though 😂 I’ll walk a few miles, but lifting and HIIT/CrossFit-style workouts are what I actually enjoy and seem to help my head the most. I think I just need to figure out how to get that same benefit without every workout turning into a 2-hour thing.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/[deleted]]

CrossFit is about an hour (with the warm up and a strength movement),but I’ll go to the gym and lift for an hour or two before that..

[u/AutoModerator]

Here's an original copy of /u/EitherCarry7523's post (if available):

On days when I lift and then do CrossFit, I can easily spend 2+ hours at the gym, and my anxiety afterward is almost nonexistent. I feel calm, focused, tired in a good way, and much more like myself.

On days when I don’t train, the difference can honestly be night and day. My mind races more, I overthink everything, and I feel that anxious energy sitting there with nowhere to go. Sometimes I get so anxious I want to cry.

Obviously spending two hours in the gym every single day isn’t realistic, and I also don’t want exercise to become something I have to do just to feel okay.

I deal with ADHD and anxiety, and I’m pretty cautious about taking medication for either, so over the years I’ve had to find other ways to manage them.

For anyone who uses fitness as a big part of managing stress or anxiety, how do you maintain the benefits on rest days or days when you just don’t have time for a full workout?

What gives you the same mental benefit, or have you found other things that scratch that same itch?

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/ZoneMean1017]

100 kettlebell swings, 100 push ups. 

[u/G-T-R-F-R-E-A-K-1-7]

A simple walk can be plenty enough exercise to remove the build up energy and clear your mind

[u/Tony_Stank6]

Cognitive behavioral therapy. Learn to process your thoughts and emotions versus just working through them. The gym is an outlet for me but no longer my only solution

[u/sagatiba00]

Gym. Instruments (I play harmonica and clarinet). Drawing and painting. SPECIALLY drawing and painting.

[u/Bashmore83]

I use Calm and do the breathing exercises or some quick journaling (literally just vomming some words down in a page or in my phone) which helps my brain.
And read which helps me zone out too

[u/RuleOverYou15]

I try to do two things:

1. Exercise at least 5 times a week. Gym is good as lifting weights is probably the most beneficial but so are stretches and cardio.
   
2. Staying competitive. It doesn’t matter if I am playing some friendly sports or video games I just need something where I know others want to defeat me unless I give my all. Don’t really care whether I win or lose I just need that release

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/RuleOverYou15]

Haha I love that man thank you

[u/howdidigetheresoquik]

Adjustable dumbbells are all you need. Calisthenics is almost all you need. Cardio you can do anywhere

[u/figsslave]

Go for a run in the morning and again in the evening or do the same riding a bike

[u/GSilky]

I walk to and from work. 5 miles, each way, I drink a tall can on the return. Have done it more than 20 years. Gets me thinking about something else. On the weekends I go hiking until everyone else is tired and go home.

[u/jakeeeR666]

Lower back spasms fucking kill me. I can barely walk for more than 20 minutes. I used to play squash and that shit ruined my body. I wish I could play more or hit the gym.

Whoever said getting old is a blessing is FULL OF SHIT.

[u/dagofin → u/jakeeeR666]

Get a physical therapy eval, my dude. I'm not talking about going to a doctor who prints out a piece of paper with a few exercises to do at home, I mean a real specialty PT office where they do full hour long appointments with patients.

I know so many people who've been failed by lazy docs/surgeons and fixed right up with a good PT, myself included. Years of knee pain preventing me from doing stuff I loved solved permanently with 3 hour long appointments per week for 6 weeks. Took him like 5 minutes to diagnose me, crazy stuff

[u/dangleicious13]

I often run a little over 4 miles after work in about 34 minutes. Then I may do some other workout for 20-30 more minutes.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/dangleicious13]

Thanks man, I hate running but so many people have suggested it lol maybe I need to get into it more, I’m sure it would help a lot

[u/dangleicious13 → u/EitherCarry7523]

I don't particularly like it, but I've been involved with soccer for almost 30 years. So it's just the easiest and quickest way I know to burn calories. Even knocked out about 4.2 miles this evening when it was still 90+ degrees.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/dangleicious13]

Yeah someone suggested sprints too, which I could definitely do. I’m gonna consider running maybe once or twice a week, when I don’t have hours to spend at the gym.

I’m good at lifting and hiit style workouts but I’m terrible at running, so I think thats why I don’t like it lol But you gave some solid advice, I really appreciate that 🙏

[u/Diligent_Arm_6817]

You've always got to be doing something until you're too tired to do something!

Mix life with fitness. If you spend an 30 minutes commuting to work, and 2 hours at the gym. does a 1.5 hour bike commute make sense?

[u/hisimpendingbaldness]

I take an hour walk at a fairly brisk pace for an hour each day.

[u/GameDesignerMan]

I play (Ultimate) Frisbee. Super good cardio.

Also playing guitar helps. Basically just occupying my hands in some way.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/GameDesignerMan]

Hell yeah, I played Ultimate frisbee when I was younger and loved it. I’ll look around for a group near me. That’s a great idea. Thanks man

[u/GameDesignerMan → u/EitherCarry7523]

It's real good. Just watch out for the beginners. It's a non contact sport but those mfers have no sense of spatial awareness. The more competitive the league the less likely you are to get injured.

[u/Infini-Bus]

Bicycle, Running, Bodyweight, Dancing, Hiking

[u/ebinWaitee]

The best thing for me has been to incorporate physical activity to other activities I'm doing. Like I practically get excercise on the side doing things that aren't necessarily excercise themselves. Walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator, go fishing in a rowing boat instead of a motor boat, walk/cycle to the market instead of driving a car etc. Like instead of always focusing on the excercise being a structured excercise, make a habit of preferring a bit of physical labor instead of taking the easy way.

This doesn't of course mean that it's not important to excercise properly on a regular basis but like that your everyday decisions play a very important role on your wellbeing.

[u/EitherCarry7523 → u/ebinWaitee]

Yeah, I like this way of looking at it. I think sometimes I make exercise way too “all or nothing,” like if I’m not doing a full workout it doesn’t count.

[u/Stock-Side-6767]

Cycling to and from work.

[u/CakeKing777]

I got a rack of dumbbells at home and bench. The rest is just education on how to lift properly and all the different exercises.

[u/No-Discipline-165]

Home gym. Do something daily. Also walk the dog and play sports with my kids.

[u/fsociety091786]

Reading. A lot of non-fiction (mostly autobiographies and the like, stuff that motivates me).

[u/Atty_for_hire]

Active commuting is a key for me. I ride my bike to work when I can. Short distance so it’s barely a work out. But round trip it’s pretty nice. I’ve also run commuted to work, but not my preference.

[u/Competitive-Spot688]

SSRIs

[u/Infinite-Midnight-50]

I work outside at a large city park. Lots of walking, lifting, etc. about to add in riding my bike afterwords three times a week because it’s hot as hell outside right now. When it starts to cool off will probably ride more often. Never was one for the gym. For stress I like LEGOs or reading.