Vigorous Exercise to quieten ocd!

[tigershark]

Hi! Hope u are all enjoying the weekend.

I find vigorous exercise really helpful;it relieves anxiety, makes me feel good and look good. Most importantly, in the midst of a bad ocd day;if I go and 'let rip' at the gym, on my bike up the hills or on the pitch at football I always feel more relaxed afterwards. U defo get an endorphine/hormonal buzz after exercise. It is one of the recognised ways to overcome depression.

I exercise nearly every day;cycle for 1.5hours twice a week, football 1 or twice a week and gym a coupla times a week, oh yea and yoga once a week. Even a good walk with our dog is a great stress reliever.

If you don't exercise I recommend u get out there and get that blood pumping and oxygen flowing. Turn the mind off for a while and let rip;when you are physically tired you cannot be as anxious as before exercise!

If you havn't exercised for a long time, start slowly and build up as your fitness improves.

So my question is;do any of you find exercise helpful?

[whitebeam]

So my question is;do any of you find exercise helpful?

Yes, absolutely!!

For the past 12 or so weeks I have been going to the gym and I am feeling so much better for it.

Partly is that I get up and go - so am not spending so many hours in bed - but I also think that the exercise itself helps me. I do feel more positive :original:

[Guest SallyB]

Definitely! For the last 6 months I have been swimming before work almost every morning and that has really helped! Then a month ago I joined a women's running club which is great - it is a challenge and the people who I run with are really lovely!

However, the activity that stopped any OCD in it's tracks for a whole half-hour was a Boxing lesson I had a couple of weeks ago. It was a free taster session with a personal trainer and was brilliant - not only did I really have to concentrate, it was physically very hard work (my face didn't cool down for at least 2 hours!). If I could afford it I would definitely pay for sessions as it was so good!

Having said that I have found that exercise helps me with my depression. That's why I started in the first place - it focuses me, uses my muscles and I find that I fancy healthy food when I go regularly - so altogether I've lost some of my middle-aged spread as I am eating well too!

Sally

[tigershark]

Hi! well done! When you are exercising, you give your mind a break and when you sweat loads and get that heart pumping your body releases feel good hormones. This will give you strength to battle your ocd and you might feel so good that your ocd doesn't bite as bad anyway.

Also you can look at yourself in the eyes in the mirror and say 'Damn, I look good!'

[Guest peanuts]

I agree, I go to the gym everyday and I think it helps. Sometimes if I am feeling down and tired before I go its a struggle to go but afterwards I feel so much better.

[Guest GingGangGoolie]

Exercise definitely helps me as well, but it doesn't necessarily have to be vigirous. Going swimmng, on the treadmill, riding my bike or even just doing aerobics at home can do the job. It makes me feel relaxed, focuses my mind, helps me sleep well and encourages me to eat healthly.

*Laura(GGG)*

[Guest tiredOfOcd]

Yes.

As a matter of fact, I find the more vigorous the better.

I kickbox and wrestle. I find nothing gets my mind off of everything like having someone try to hit me in the head or smash me into the floor.

[tigershark]

Yea I suppose it doesn't have to be vigorous;but just getting up, getting out and switching from mind to body, breath, lungs , heart etc! Me and the bro have a big punchbag, and sometimes I just let rip on it for 10 minutes;I have a lot of respect for boxers, they must be fit as hell!