Overcome Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Step-By-Step Self Help Action Plan to Overcome Social Anxiety, Defeat Shyness and Create Confidence by Lewis Matt

Author:Lewis, Matt [Lewis, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-13T16:00:00+00:00

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

I think we all now know physical activity is good for our physical health. There’s growing evidence physical activity can lower the risk of a number of ailments and disorders, ranging from type 2 diabetes, to heart disease, to cancer.35 However, maybe less well known is the gathering evidence illustrating the positive impact of physical exercise on mental wellbeing,36 and more specifically, anxiety.37

Physical Activity Reduces Anxiety Symptoms

Research has shown physical exercise can measurably reduce anxiety in around twenty minutes, which is less time than it takes most medications to work.38 Physical activity is not only effective at reducing the physiological symptoms of anxiety, but has also been demonstrated to calm the amygdala – reducing its reactivity – meaning anxious feelings and their symptoms are less likely to start, or are much reduced.39 & 40

This shouldn’t really surprise us, as when anxiety triggers the fight, flight, or freeze response, it prepares our body to move quickly and powerfully. Physical activity uses the emergency response in the way it was intended – by moving and being active. Being physically active lowers the levels of adrenaline pumping through the body and uses glucose released into the bloodstream. So exercise calms the amygdala and reduces anxious thoughts and the physical symptoms. Importantly, it also positively impacts on mental health by producing feelings of wellbeing and exhilaration, prompted by the release of neurotransmitters called endorphins, which also work on reducing pain.

However, exercise is not just an antidote to acute anxiety symptoms, it has also been shown to have a long-term effect on anxiety, with evidence it significantly reduces chronic anxiety, working at least as well as medication over long periods.41 & 42 Regular exercise also has the benefit of providing long lasting muscle relaxation, which, like the muscle relaxation exercises we outlined earlier, reduces muscle tension throughout the body and in turn dampens amygdala reactivity, further contributing to lower levels of anxiety.43

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