Anxiety Series #3 - Treating Anxiety with Cardio

Remember hearing about the fight of flight response in your science class way back when? People who tend towards anxiety and panic problems deal with this response on a weekly and sometimes even daily basis. Imagine yourself in an uncomfortable setting, like in a meeting, at an event or in class. You want to leave, but can't because of obligations. The longer you sit, the more urgent your need to leave becomes. Before long you feel as though you have to leave in order to prevent some unnamable catastrophe. Do you stay in the meeting and "fight," or do you take flight and leave?

The fight or flight response, also called the acute stress response, is triggered by the release of adrenaline. The adrenaline causes the physical symptoms felt during a moment of panic: rapid pulse, sweating, feeling on edge and needing to act, etc. To curb the adrenaline's ability to respond, use it in a morning cardio workout (not weight training or Pilates... cardio.)

Below is a list of proven workouts that are easy to perform and will burn some of that adrenaline (not to mention improve your bod.) Shoot for at least a 20 minute workout, most days of the week.

Jogging
Ah, the old standby. Not everyone is a fan (myself included) but you should give it a try: it's about the best thing you can do when it comes to burning calories and tiring the heck out of yourself. This is one of the easiest and most sure-fire ways to burn off adrenaline, and it'll tighten you up quick too! Just make sure to have good equipment and a good surface to run on.

Jumping Rope
This is perfect for people with limited space who don't want to invest in a gym membership during cold weather. You can buy a jump rope for the warmer months, and mock jump rope inside during the fall and winter. Jumping rope is tough; it'll burn calories quickly and will tighten your butt, legs and tummy like you won't believe. Pick up some small hand weights for a better arm workout.

Videos
You don't have to whip out those old Denise Austen gems or Buns of Steel. Check out YouTube for a huge variety of cardio workouts you can do at home, inside, with little space to work with. I like the videos by Nicole from SparkPeople.com.