Fitness Tips to Rid Your Life from Anxiety/Stress

Hey, it's Shea! :) Today I would like to discuss fitness, which is another way to reduce stress and anxiety. Not only does working out reduce stress and anxiety, it also makes you feel good and better yet, look good! coming from me, I am 5'0", 120 lbs, and have always been around that same weight most of the time after high school.

STORY TIME: My first year of college I remember when I went through a stage of depression because of my anxiety, I gained A LOT of weight, going from 120 lbs to around 140 lbs, of course for my height that is not a healthy weight to height ratio... I was miserable, cried constantly and sought comfort in unhealthy food. when I went to the doctors, they weighed me and told me that I was borderline diabetic. that was a wake up call for me, so I started my journey by eating healthier, jogging, outside, on the treadmill, etc. (PLEASE DO NOT JOG AT NIGHT), and also started to got to the gym. Now I know most people that are not comfortable with the gym always think "I am being judged." No, that is not the case. You see, with anxiety, no matter where you go, you will always fell like someone is judging you, when they're not. So I would like to share with you some tips I followed:

1. Start becoming fit and healthy.
2. Stop thinking about what others might think about you.
3. Rid your life of anxiety.

1.) Fit and Healthy:

CARDIO! CARDIO! CARDIO! the number one mind clearer is cardio! believe me, I absolutely dread cardio but once I push through it, it makes me feel ten times better. I will list a few ways to start out with cardio whether it is at the gym or outside.

At the Gym:

• I recommend either speed-walking on a treadmill at an incline (do not incline it so high you are hanging on for dear life) and I would say speed-walk for at least 20 minutes.
• Elliptical machine, this is better on your knees than walking on a treadmill. I would complete at least 15-20 minutes on the elliptical. place the tension settings to what you can handle.
• Bike machine, this is a similar motion as the elliptical, but of course you are sitting down, I would complete the same time 15-20 minutes.

(As for the weight lifting, that is totally up to you! you can look up exercises that works for you and work your way up.)

This is a list of the workouts I do consecutively throughout the week.

Upper Body: (You can always look these up.)

• Bicep Curls
• Tricep Extension
• Chest Press
• Military press (shoulders)
• Dumbbell Side raise (shoulders)
• Lat Pull-Downs (back)
• Close-grip Rows (back)

Lower Body:

• Squats (regular or weighted)
• Hamstring Curls
• Leg Extension( Quadriceps)
• Leg press
• Bridges (weighted or non-weighted)
• Calf Raises

Outdoors:

• Speed-walk in a safe area, make sure the sidewalks are decently level, that way it wont throw off your lower back by walking on uneven grounds. make sure you are wearing arch supported shoes. (Never wear flat shoes.)
• The same rules go for jogging or running.

This may or may not help with relieving anxiety/stress, because everyone is different. however I know a ton of people that I have recommended fitness too and they have told me that it has helped them keep busy and rid themselves of anxiety. This is to the point that I am finally off of my medication and I have never felt better! I think that is all I have on this topic. So focus on clearing your mind, keep busy, stay healthy and fit and of course, I wish you all the best of luck on YOUR journey! <3