Afraid of doing exercise

Dalma · Post by **Dalma** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:54 am

Here is my issue. I have been suffering from hight anxiety the past 3 months got the program a month ago. I do cleaning around the house but always afraid of it. I am trying to do more exercise but im afraid something will happen to me. I feel tired and fatigued like abodomen area feels heavy at times...so im afraid, any suggestions to get rid of the fear. Somebody that had the same fear? I will appreciate any advice. Thanks.

MinnChad · Post by **MinnChad** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:06 am

Dalma,
I think for the abdomen you should go see the doctor. If you don't have health insurance, maybe you should just start exercising light and see if it helps.

If it does, there might not be anything wrong with you (besides your thoughts).

If you've been suffering from an inordinate amount of anxiety for the past 3 months, then I would assume you have tension in your abdominal area from stress.

Just go exercise and see, ok?

ll Legend ll · Post by **ll Legend ll** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:42 pm

It's from anxiety. Everything. Your stomach feeling heavy, the fear of exercise, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.

Going to the doctor creates more anxiety, yet relief. Win, lose. Of course the "safe" thing to do would be to go to your doctor, but it's anxiety. Do not trap yourself and rely on going to the doctor's to rule out everything. It will become a bad habit.

What you must do is get your mind off of yourself. Do not entertain such negative thoughts. Try to listen to music while you clean. Chances are the fatigue you are feeling is normal. You are stressed out so you're going to feel tired. Everybody gets tired. A 16 year old teenager will get fatigued while cleaning the house just by thinking about cleaning.

poohie02 · Post by **poohie02** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:56 pm

hi dalma i do understand what you are going through i myself have alot of anxiety issues and would love to excersie but like you i worry that something will happen to me so i went to the doctor he gave me the ok which made me feel better but i have procrastinated up until i started this program which was almost 3 weeks ago i am happy to say i have been walking everynight since not that i dont have to force myself some nights but i make sure i do it and i walk myself through my aches and pains sometimes it helps and sometimes it does not but that is due to my scary thinking which will hopefully stop soon. hope this helped atleast alittle

cprince · Post by **cprince** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:08 pm

Hey Dalma.
I have the same problem but I enjoy doing Yoga. I am ALWAYS anxious doin my housework and the very thought of exercise make my pulse race, I feel dizzy and then I don't do it, but Yoga is very relaxing and it is great exercise. Wish I had a magic answer but maybe if you try it, you'll enjoy it too.

MAllenP · Post by **MAllenP** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:57 pm

Hi Dalma

I heve been on an exercise program for almost a year now but when I started I was much the same way....how I got started was when I would go out to a store or even to work, instead of trying to find a close parking spot, I would (and still do) park far away and walk into and out of where ever it is I am heading. Also like one of the other post said I started with light exercise...

I still do not do what I would call hard exercise...I walk about a mile a day and some light streching and deep breething...My bigest fear was I would have a heart attach and no one would notice...I didn't and by changing a few eating habbits and doing the exercise I am doing I have lost 53 lbs.

Hope this helps
Allen

Kathleen Judson · Post by **Kathleen Judson** » Wed May 07, 2008 11:15 am

Hi everyone I am new to all this. I was very interested in the post "Afraid of doing exercise". It caught my eye because I joined a gym a year ago and my membership is good until November of this year. My problem is last year at this time I was stronger and I was able to go out alone, not sure what happened but I can no longer leave my house by myself....so sits my gym membership. I tried paying for my oldest daughter to go with me, but I wanted to go in the mornings (I am always on a schedule, even if I am not going or doing anything) and she wanted to sleep all morning so that was a waste. So here I sit day in and day out all alone with my gym membership going to waste. With all of this happening it has made my depression much worse also. I am a very sad, lonely person even when my house is full of my family. Sad, right ?????? Well...thanks for listening !!!!! Hope I didn't stray too far off topic. KJUDDS

Josie62 · Post by **Josie62** » Wed May 07, 2008 12:04 pm

I, too, was a complete mess when I started having anxiety attacks which resulted in a degree of depression. The doctor had me take several tests to determine if there was anything wrong with my heart. It was a real effort for me to even take the tests because I was fearful something was wrong physically with me. At my worst time, I was so fatigued I could hardly walk by myself. My family was supportive of me and saw me through the tests. Come to find out, everything was okay with my heart. The doctor did put me on a cholesterol medicine which I needed. To make a long story short--it is good to find out that physically everything is okay. The doctor told me I had chronic anxiety and prescribed medicine for me for six months. I had to work at it really hard and to self talk a lot. When it finally became good weather, I got outside and worked in the yard all day and that helped to distract myself. I finally could stand to go someplace and have some fun without feeling the need to hurry back to my safe place at home. I still have some anxiety that hasn't fully gone away, so I decided to try the program and am now in my second week. What I am learning is negative thoughts and scary ones can send me backward to the place I was before, and I don't want to go back that far again. What I have trouble with is cloudy days when the sun doesn't shine and I can't get outside. I still work crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles from time to time to keep my mind occupied when I'm not doing any physical exercise. I also try to walk everyday when the weather permits. Ii've never had anything like this before in my life and it seems like it has been going on forever--not just since Feb '07. Hopefully we can all get fully recovered. That's my biggest aim right now. Time (and the program) will heal.