Exercise and Anxiety Management

Recently, a study was published examining how engagement in physical exercise changes the way people perceive their environment.   This article  summarizes that study and also provides some of the research stimuli used to assess a person’s perception of threats in their environment.  Evidence was found that people who engage in even brief amounts of physical exercise tend to view their surroundings as less threatening and instead more positively.   Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), a relaxation technique taught in cognitive behavioral therapy, was also associated with decreased perception of fear.People who struggle with anxiety tend to perceive threats in their daily life activities, whether it be meeting a new person in a social setting, giving a speech in front of coworkers, or sitting with a looming deadline for work.  These situations, while perhaps stressful, are not life-threatening or dangerous but may feel that way to people prone to anxiety.  This heightened perception of danger leads to increases in adrenaline and perpetuates feelings of anxiety.  The engagement of the stress response in these daily situations can be very upsetting for many people and disrupt their enjoyment of life. 

The mind-body connection is powerful.  If a person can view their environment in a more positive way, that person will feel less anxious, safer, and calmer in daily life.  They begin to perceive fewer threats and instead see situations as manageable and less scary.  Exercise might be one avenue to working with this mind-body connection and changing the perception of our world. 

Dr. Liza Guequierre