[IanG]

I agree with novangel. Try being anxious with cardio. Body...can't...do...both.

[Pattience]

Originally Posted by novangel

For me it's 40 minutes of cardio per day about 4-5 days a week, sometimes 6. I have to exercise more so to curb my anxiety than for just weight loss. I kill 2 birds with one stone.

But exercising more and more just sounds like more and more anxiety.

[novangel]

Originally Posted by Pattience

But exercising more and more just sounds like more and more anxiety.

Cardio releases endorphins, it's very good for mental health. Medication alone didn't cut it...at least not for me. My body wanted to release adrenaline from extreme stress so I gave it what it wanted. It took me a long time to not be scared of the sensation of my heart pounding fast but no more panic attacks. *knock on wood

[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by JohnP

It's not out dated advice. It's just taken out of context.

That advice is based on the cardiovascular health benefits of raising your heart rate.

For health, brisk walking 3 x a week is good. You just have to increase your heart rate.

I didn't take it out of context, that advice is given out of context. Saying that everyone needs to do this much exercise is arbitrary. One does not have to be in a gym and clock in for it to be exercise. I consider myself very active and that accumulates. And I don't/can't exercise vigorously.

[Pattience]

Originally Posted by novangel

Cardio releases endorphins, it's very good for mental health. Medication alone didn't cut it...at least not for me. My body wanted to release adrenaline from extreme stress so I gave it what it wanted. It took me a long time to not be scared of the sensation of my heart pounding fast but no more panic attacks. *knock on wood

I know. i have experienced runners high too. But if you are running or exercising such a lot from fear of gaining weight or not losing, that's a problem.

If you are just running because you love it, that's different.

There have been times when i was running two hours most days. It was great until i damaged my knee from over training. I was pissed off i can tell you. I loved it. But suddenly i had to quit. And i was getting ready to enter my first half marathon. I"ve never had another go, sadly.

[Sassyblonde]

At first I exercised to lose weight. I found that I could not drop pounds without dietary changes and exercise. As I gained more muscle my metabolism increased. I work out now more for stress relief and it really does help so much with anxiety. Things have been so very very hard at home and work over the last few months. The gym is almost my sanctuary now. I can get on the elliptical and tune out everything with my headphones on. It's all ME time. I may be in a gym with 100 people and I have so much more solitude on that machine than anywhere else. I also want to increase endurance and tone my body. It's not just for weight loss. I will do this for as many more years as I can because it just feels so good to do. I am trying to not overdo it (I canceled the 5k run) I do not want to hurt myself and that's unnecessary strain on my knees. I do get concerned if I hurt myself, how will I continue so I try to be smart about it. I enjoy all of the different exercise I get, I have a wide variety of things I do. I sit all day long 8-10 hours so adding 30-60 minutes of daily exercise still doesn't seem excessive to me. Now I indulge on the weekend because I can And I like it. I will get bored with the gym at some point so I am making plans for summer sports that I can do with my kids. I've never had an active lifestyle but now I do so I am still trying things and having fun. But my real motivation and why I want to continue is to be a good role model for my boys. They need to learn young that taking care of their body is very important, physical activity is important. They also needed to learn that mommy needs her time and space. So it's what is working for me right now.

[novangel]

Originally Posted by Pattience

I know. i have experienced runners high too. But if you are running or exercising such a lot from fear of gaining weight or not losing, that's a problem.

My anxiety isn't related to weight gain or loss. Excessive worrying isn't what I experience...it's much more complex but that's another thread.

[Pattience]

My post wasn't directed at your condition or problems but to the OP and my response was to show that i had done a lot of running and knew what endorphins were etc.

[Wannabehealthy]

Since you have only been at this for a week I think you are so excited that you are getting the exercise and losing weight, and while that's a good thing, at some point you will probably level out and settle in with a good exercise session 5 days a week. If you are still overdoing it in say 3 months, then it will be considered a problem.

Good luck to you.