r/AutismInWomen • u/a_common_spring • 22h ago
General Discussion/Question Anyone else feel that exercise does not relieve anxiety for them like it's reportedly supposed to do?
I can do a whole workout on a bad-anxiety day and feel super anxious the entire time. I can go for an hour long walk and feel super anxious the entire time.
I do exercise for the other health benefits but I have to find other techniques for relieving the bad feelings in my body, ie stimming or therapy techniques
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u/EyesOfAStranger28 aging AuDHD 👵 22h ago
Bizarrely, the only physical activity that helps me is cleaning. I despise cleaning so it's not ideal. But I can also stress the entire time while out walking, and the gym is a whole sensory nightmare.
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u/a_common_spring 21h ago
Cleaning helps me too. I like cleaning. The only bad part is sometimes if I'm really dysregulated, I can get fixated on cleaning and angry at my family for making a mess and I just want to throw everything in the garbage
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u/HoneyNextdoor 15h ago
OH my god! That's what that is?!
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
Yeah. There are a LOT of things that I always interpreted as "everything is chaos and everyone is ruining my life" but then I found it about sensory overload, and now I can identify that things are actually probably normal but I am not ok because my nervous system is freaking out.
And definitely for me, the feeling of "the house is trashed because my family are pigs and nobody cares about me and I want to throw away all our stuff and also probably move to a different country" comes partially from inside of myself. It is truly triggered by seeing the house really messy/dirty when I'm already dysregulated. I do truly hate a messy house and I clean a lot and it is truly annoying to have everyone make a mess in it. But yea
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u/Red_Squirrel__ 4h ago
Same here!! So super satisfying, especially cleaning a small bathroom with door shut.
I think it's the feeling of being somehow isolated from everything (no/small window, kinda quiet), it's kind of uncluttered (usually no Fancy colours/patterns) and surfaces look shiny after cleaning. Love my cleaning rage!!
(well, just moved into my own flat and the bathroom has dark and non-shiny tiles 🥲)
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u/sqdpt 20h ago
I think it's important to take into account your sensory experience when exercising. If increased input into your vestibular system makes you anxious then exercises that stimulate the vestibular system will increase your anxiety.
For me an hour walk in the country does wonders. An hour walk in the city would make me want to hide in a hole
I swim at the YMCA in the winter. Oftentimes it increases my anxiety. When I swim in the river near my house in the summer with the only people around being in cars driving by (maybe 4 in 30 mins) my anxiety is improved.
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u/planet_rose 3h ago
The details make such a big difference. Classic hippie Yoga with a good meditative approach (lots of breathing) and low lighting is the only exercise that has ever given me the “exercise high” that everyone talks about. I used to feel like I was on a cloud walking home and had elevated calmness for hours after. However yoga in a fitness studio with bright lights, mirrors, and music filtering in from other spaces is draining. The stretching is good but I end up exhausted. Unfortunately finding that good yoga is almost impossible since it became a fashionable fitness style.
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u/la_ghoulette 22h ago
The only thing that helps me is swimming. The workout is just a by-product of this activity. Every so often hiking will feel good, but only in the right conditions.
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u/CookingPurple 19h ago
Yes!!! Swimming is almost magic for me and I’m so sad I can’t do it anymore. My second pregnancy did something that messed up my inner ear and now I can’t swim without getting motion sick :-(. But I miss it and I love the almost complete sensory deprivation that comes from sliding into the pool.
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u/a_common_spring 21h ago
Me too, I love the way swimming feels on my skin, especially in a bikini. Naked would be ideal.
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u/jdijks 21h ago
Exercise makes me so depressed. I feel like I'm wasting my time. I hate trying to force myself to go. I hate being there. I hate recognizing all the time I lost per week being there. I hate being sore. I find different types of exercise because maybe I just hate the one I'm doing and I get so bored so quick with everything I've tried.
To me exercise gives me more time to ruminate on my issues so I usually end up even more peeved off.
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u/Samdasamurai 22h ago
The only exercise I found that relieved anxiety for me was gamified activities like wii Sports or that Ring Adventure game on the switch. Doing exercise in the gym or alone makes me incredibly self conscious about my form and appearance, which made my anxiety worse lol.
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u/Philosophic111 Diagnosed 2024 at a mature age 22h ago
I think it's about finding the right exercise for you. For me, that is walking and no other exercise comes close to relieving anxiety. For my daughter yoga is the only thing that soothes her.
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u/a_common_spring 21h ago
I figured out that walking isn't good for stress relief but walking silly is. If I'm in the woods where I can be unobserved, and I can walk silly or dance-walk, that's great
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u/Philosophic111 Diagnosed 2024 at a mature age 20h ago
Your comment reminds me that I heard somewhere that walking backwards is really good for you. I might go and give that a go now ...
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u/a_common_spring 18h ago
Good for strengthening the muscles supporting the knees especially if they're prone to injury
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u/goldandjade 13h ago
I tried getting into yoga and couldn’t and turns out I probably have a milder form of EDS and it was more stressful on my bendier joints. I love walking though.
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u/LibraryEm 4h ago
Absolutely it's about funding what's right for you. I struggled for a while to do any exercise consistently because I hated everything. Now I crave my weekly 30 min on the elliptical because I take my Kindle and read frivolous romance novels while I get my heart rate up.
I also carved out a little zen space at home and do yoga daily-- Yoga with Adrienne videos on my phone with Bluetooth headphones in. I really like her instructional style. She's very gentle and positive while still being quirky and kind of goofy.
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u/Fluffy_Register_8480 21h ago
I find it depends on what type of exercise, personally. I just started a tap dancing class in January! It’s amazing and so much fun - engages the brain and the body, and it’s hilarious. Good for the soul. I go on a Friday evening after work and it gives me a high for the entire weekend!
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u/Annari87 21h ago
Exercise doesn't help my mental health in any way. I still do it, but for other reasons.
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u/a_common_spring 20h ago
Me too. I wonder if this is an autistic thing because our stress comes from a different source?
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u/ssfoxx27 19h ago
Exercise triggers my asthma, and not being able to breathe is not a stress reducer!
And anyone who tells me that just means I just need to exercise more (a common response) can fuck off, because I had the same problem when I was swimming for 2 1/2 hours every day. It's never made me feel good or reduced stress or whatever else exercise is supposed to do.
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u/goldandjade 13h ago
I also have asthma and I cannot stand when people without it try to give us advice on how to breathe better. No, exercise won’t fix it, only medication will.
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u/bumblebeequeer 46m ago
This is how I felt when I started getting awful headaches, nausea and just general sick feelings for hours and hours after running. It legit felt like a bad hangover. Everyone I talked to insisted I was dehydrated (the amount of water I drink would make a fish nervous, I would have gotten sick if I drank more) or overtraining (it was the exact workout I had been doing for months without issues).
It’s really frustrating when people refuse to accept your experience as legitimate because it differs from theirs. I think “the gym saved me” is a really palatable storyline and people get really defensive when that isn’t the case for someone.
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u/CompactTravelSize 19h ago
Exercise does nothing but improve my stamina so I can be more anxious for longer. I do it anyway, for the long-term health benefits, but it has never fixed my anxiety and I can't work myself out to calmness - that would take four hours of fairly vigorous workout. (edit: my special interest involves a sport, even participating in that sport/special interest does not reduce anxiety)
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u/summerlua 19h ago
I’m not sure how much it helps my anxiety but I do think it helps my mood. I definitely feel less depressed when I am getting exercise but have to get into a routine and make it regular before I notice much of a difference. Which therein lays the issue lol
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u/CookingPurple 18h ago
I have personal training and group ex certifications and exercise is critical for managing my anxiety and depression. And I’ve stopped training and teaching because it’s impossible for me to exist in a gym and not have it increase my anxiety. Exercise in general is good for minimizing my baseline anxiety (I’m not sure if I’d consider it effective for managing acute anxiety spikes for me). But it has to be the right exercise. It needs to be outside. It needs to be repetitive. And I MUST have music (unless I’m in my bike). Cycling is my go to and it’s amazing for me. I enjoy rowing. I’ve never enjoyed running and it does nothing for my anxiety. I HATE yoga and always feel worse afterwords and resent having wasted my time.
Finding what exercises works for you is key.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I have a routine that works for me, but it just doesn't reduce my stress. I do it for my health and appearance tho, and it's ok.
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u/Maleficent_Ad1703 22h ago
If i have really bad anxiety, I generally stay in and take it slow. I tend to watch something to lift my spirits or listen to music. I basically try to stop the swirling thoughts and keep my brain busy with better things. Exercising or walking is great for maintenance but not great for an anxiety filled mind unless you are able to focus it on something. For example, counting reps or listening to loud music. Also, exercising generally raises your heart rate and may make your fight/flight response worse and increase your anxiety. If you have anxiety more often than not, you can consider getting your cortisol level checked. High cortisol will increase your anxiety. In general, things that lower cortisol, like sleeping and eating healthy, have been more beneficial to my anxiety. As far as stimming, I visual stim, so anime is my go to.
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u/a_common_spring 20h ago edited 20h ago
Although I used the term anxiety, because that's what it feels like, I've realized that most of my anxiety is actually from overstimulation, so probably that's why exercise doesn't help it unless the exercise is combined with a stim type movement
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u/randomcharacters859 No idea what to put here 18h ago
Exercise is a sweaty sensory nightmare as far as I'm concerned, if I try it I feel horrible.
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u/mcklewhore420 17h ago
Yes, especially high intensity exercise can for some people increase the histamine in your body
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u/notthecoyote 16h ago
The only exercise I can enjoy is swimming. Otherwise any physical activity is pretty much a sensory nightmare for me 🙃
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u/SmoothCooch 21h ago
I bicycle and hike as much as possible, even when the weather is terrible. These two activities are highly beneficial to my anxiety and well-being. Maybe it is because they do not involve any social interaction. The isolation helps me relax and notice nature and its beauty.
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u/JacquiJormpJomp 16h ago
I have very high histamine levels and before I knew that exercise ramped up my anxiety even higher. Now that I take antihistamines every day it’s better. I also have very very good noise canceling headphones which helps with a lot of the sensory stuff for me. And I exercise at home. Most gyms between music, machines, and grunting are just a no-go.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I've never been to a gym in my life. I know I would hate it. I walk outside, on my treadmill, or lift weights at home.
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u/friedmaple_leaves 16h ago
For me it doesn't help with anxiety as much as it helps with rage. But it depends what you mean by exercise.
Going for 5 Mile walks a day are not going to make me want to continue, that's not sustainable and it's slightly annoying. But make me throw a fucking ax repeatedly with a bunch of goofy incels watching...hold my cheeseballs.
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u/9876555 15h ago
Exercise makes me feel a lot better, but I find the “come down” to be very hard to deal with. When I’m working out, I want to keep going and going. I exercised today for the first time in a long time, and I feel right now the same way I did when I tried to get sober or leave a bad relationship
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u/Medical-League-7122 11h ago
Yes I’m the same. I can over exercise. Maybe bc of interoception issues. I’m a sensory seeker too, including pain, so it can be hard for me to switch off. I find the repetition and routine of my work out soothing. I only started working out recently, long after I understood my autism, so I have only ever had a routine that felt good to me and met my needs. I’m getting better at not overdoing it.
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u/SurprisedWildebeest 14h ago
Regular exercise doesn’t do that for me, but martial arts and beating the crap out of a heavy bag does. Not sure what the difference is but it’s huge.
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u/NaloxoneRescue 13h ago
This is why I workout at home and only do workouts that are fun for me (I like to dance, so I do dance workouts). The gym was a sensory nightmare for me. Once I started working out at home, it was much more beneficial and easier to stay on top of.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
Same. I've actually never been to a gym or a group workout class cause those things seem terrifying and bad.
Actually wait I forgot that I used to go to Curves a looong time ago. That was ok because it's a circuit and there are exact rules of what to do and everyone is doing the same stuff and there are no men.
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u/basswired 11h ago
yes. I think my nervous system is wired differently. all stress is stress that I will feel physically depleted from. supposedly eustress is beneficial, but I've yet to see it not spiral into burnout the same way plain old stress stress does. adding exercise on top simply adds exhaustion. it really just quiets anxiety by bludgeoning it into submission.
plus, I dissociate like a champ and can block out so much interoception that I'll work out for hours obsessively monitoring the numbers. reps, sets, weights, distance, cals burned, percents, trends. by the time I've reached some mystical balance of numbered perfection I've outdone it. my first sign of more prolonged physical fatigue is always emotional downturn, so it backfires to work out solely for mental health.
it does help depression, but really only certain types, mostly weeding or gardening. something with my hands in the dirt that has a measurable difference from the attention.
I've never been able to meditate either. but I do have some hobbies that recreate what meditation has been described to be at least. mostly arts and crafts.
I've noticed stimming is actually what helps. now that I've given myself permission to.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
Yep stimming helps the most. I do exercise but it's for my health and appearance. I manage my anxiety in other ways.
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u/ChoiceImpression1337 9h ago
I would say that, for me, walking outside helps (once I get past the sensory annoyances of my clothing, getting my dogs leashed up, other people, etc.), but I’ve stopped running altogether. I’m 39 and can’t run anymore, thanks to knee and hip subluxation from Ehlers-Danlos. My knees have been popping since childhood, but back then, I could fight through the pain. The hips started more recently.
Additionally, I had tested with high cortisol, and have heard that running can elevate it.
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u/CopperGoldCrimson cluster B, ADHD-PI, professionally suspected autism 21h ago
The *only* exercise that makes me feel better at all is heavy work like lugging lumber around. But then my muscles knot up even worse and the pain and stress from that the next day is worse! Rolling out my back and thighs is the only thing that actually helps relieve anything in my body.
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u/a_common_spring 20h ago
Oh yes I like exercise that is actually doing work. Like yardwork. That does make me feel better probably because it's combined with the satisfaction of getting something done that's noticeable right away, like the garden looks good
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u/iamsojellyofu dx 4 16 years 20h ago
Yes but that is only because my anxiety has to do with my sensory issues and the affects from exercising is overwhelming for me. I can only do simple stuff like yoga, hiking, walking, and swimming. I do play tennis though because I grew up taking lessons but even then I sometimes get anxious since tennis involves alot of moving.
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u/snowlights 20h ago
The only exercise that makes a difference for me is driving several hours away into the mountains and going for a hike alone.
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u/thislittlemoon 18h ago
For me, it depends on the exercise. Going for a long walk is stress-relieving for me only if I relax into it, listen to an audiobook, podcast, or good music, and walk at a pace that feels natural at the time - sometimes brisk, sometimes slower, and I'm in a fairly peaceful environment. If I'm rushing, in a crowded area, or thinking about things I have to do the whole time, it doesn't help anything. Going to a gym does not help my mental health, unless I can go in the middle of the night when there's nobody else there. Doing a workout video at home entirely depends on the specific video - if the music is pleasant, the person explains things well and doesn't incessantly chatter on, and I feel like I am able to do the movements successfully and they're challenging enough to be a good workout, but not tricky so I'm uncertain if I'm doing it right, it can leave me feeling good, but if the music is annoying, the person is annoying, the exercises are tricky or annoying, there's flashy graphics, etc, I end up more stressed/anxious/overwhelmed than when I started and probably give up 5 minutes in.
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u/DazB1ane 17h ago
I’ve got pots, so exercise actually makes me anxious due to the increased symptoms
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u/briliantlyfreakish 16h ago
When I wasn't treating my PMDD there was always a point where movement didn't help anymore. Nothing really helped anymore. Now that Im on BC it is much more manageable.
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u/rinnycakes 16h ago
My doctor told me when she diagnosed me that the endorphins don't work quite the same way in a ND brain. I didn't ask any follow up questions because it was consistent with my experience lol
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I've heard that about ADHD. Is it true for autism as well? Maybe you don't know tho
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u/Special_Agency_4052 15h ago
bro I swear anything other than walking/dancing does not help. I just get sweaty and anxious <3
plus I get really itchy when I exercise to hard. even when I was working out consistently for 3 yrs, Id still get itchy 2-3x a week.
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u/FtonKaren AuDHD 15h ago
I’ve been trying for forest bathing, that’s mindfully walking through the woods, maybe stopping by a tree to Fields bark maybe take off your shoes and feel the soil
But I’ve totally done a couple or few years of yoga, I ended up hurting myself because I didn’t know that the Swan pose and my hypermobility was going to not get along and so I was doing physiotherapy to fix my knees I was doing swimming
Years ago when I was first diagnosed with PTSD but didn’t have a bad back yet I tried just been just running
I walk every weekday morning with my neighbor when they’re not healing up from some operation or other and that’s just nice because I’m socializing, I don’t get much out of the Walk part but happy to do it I like walking but it doesn’t relax me but give me enough concentration to listen to audiobooks or something
Not moving means cramping or generally being upset but with a bad back moving means eventually pain there too
As I say my psychiatrist wore by it like it was a solar bullet and so I did it before Covid because I stopped doing it at Covid because I’m not going back to a gymnasium and now I fully transitioned and the world hates me so I’m also not going back to a gymnasium
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I found yoga bad for my back actually. I tried it for a long time. I have pretty much fixed my back pain now with mobility and strength training, finally. And Ughhh, I'm sorry about the world being a piece of shit right now, esp for trans people.
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u/Professional-Cut-490 4h ago
I found somatic yoga or yin yoga works better than the basic yoga stuff. Most instructors teach a type that seems more like pilates, then actual yoga.
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u/thegingerofficial 14h ago
I find that there’s a certain threshold for where traditional “anxiety solutions” are no longer helpful. Same theory goes for depression too. I’m sure exercise helps for certain levels of normal life anxiety, but if you are crippled by anxiety (🥲🙋🏼♀️) then it ain’t doin shit lol
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
For me, reducing my anxiety has been accomplished by recognising that a lot of the anxiety was sensory overload, and doing things to reduce that when possible.
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u/DragonfruitWilling87 9h ago
If I have to think of it like it’s a chore it’s not the right exercise for me. I always end up dancing in the kitchen and if it feels good I keep it up. If it doesn’t, I say, “not for me” and then I just do something that helps to regulate my nervous system. Even if it’s laying on the couch and scrolling, lol.
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u/Misery27TD 9h ago
Depends, if all other things are taken care of, then maybe xD. If I'm not perfectly regulated, no, it will absolutely not help. Which kinda defeats the purpose if you want to use it for self-regulation
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u/helloviolaine 9h ago
I like walking my dog because I enjoy being in nature, but it's not the exercise itself that does anything for me. I always listen to an audiobook so I don't start overthinking.
I tried running, I have an exercise bike, I tried yoga and pilates and HIIT, it just frustrates and exhausts me which leaves even less energy for the shit that actually needs to be done. I did an entire Chloe Ting challenge over a month and a half and it genuinely never got easier. The last day felt harder than the first day because on the first day I was at least motivated.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
Yeah I hate hard workouts. I do a slow paced weight routine that builds muscle and doesn't cause much sweating or heart pounding, and I do brisk walks. That's a routine I can keep
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u/luckyme1123 Autism and ADHD 9h ago
For me it’s like hit or miss. There are days when it helps me so much but then there are days that it seems like absolutely nothing helps. I have also noticed that it also depends on how my gut health is doing. I have been using exercise as a stim
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u/Altruistic_Carry2831 7h ago
Agree with what others have said with it regarding the exercise, stimulation of the environment and your personal limits. I’ve tried gym or walking off and on for years, nothing really stuck and didn’t feel great. I’m now doing Pilates classes at 6 am, 4-5 times a week and feel great. I’m at a life stage where my body needs to stay fit but it’s also very sensory friendly. Low lighting, minimal socialising and it’s at 6am which I’d usually still be sleeping
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u/kiwi-fjls 6h ago
Same! I don't really get any positive emotions from physical activity, especially cardio stuff like running. It just makes me exhausted, I don't think I ever experienced "runners high" or something. Sometimes it even makes me feel bad & I just start crying from the exertion and feel terrible.
I do enjoy some types of physical activity like climbing, though I think I like that mainly for it's problem-solving aspect and cause it gives me a task that I can really focus on and get out of my head through that.
But yeah, most sports don't make me feel like that/don't make me feel good
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
Something that accomplishes a task is the only form of exercise that gives me the euphoric feeling. I do my walks and weights because they keep me healthy and pain free, not for the euphoria! But I do like gardening and cleaning as physical activities because they accomplish something
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u/heartofkyb3r 6h ago
exercise just makes it worse for me. I don't enjoy it, and it makes me feel like I'm wasting my time. I know it's good for me and all, but I just feel pressured into doing it.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I could never get into a routine until I was like 35 and the motivation to not become like my older family members got strong enough. Looking at my elders who are severely inhibited with obesity and chronic pain in their 50s and 60s got me motivated. So I do my workouts to stay fit and have a good future. I tried so many times when I was younger but nothing ever stuck.
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u/CD_piggytrainer 22h ago
I’ve found both, sometimes I find Pilates mixed with cardio and headphones in with a TV show playing will help calm me down if I’m really upset, other times I feel like it kicks in adrenaline
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u/hipsnail 21h ago
Do you have ADHD?
Personally I find heavy lifting or intense cardio usually does make me feel better (even if it sucks the whole time I’m doing it). My ADHD friends tell me they don’t really get the endorphins or satisfaction from it. Seem really rough :-/
Walking helps sometimes but not because of the literal walking. I think more because I found the right music or podcast to redirect my brain and because I like the sunshine and the birds and stuff.
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u/a_common_spring 20h ago
Idk if I have adhd. I have some features of it but I don't identify strongly with it. It's possible tho.
I do exercise now because of the long-term benefits I've gotten, like feeling stronger and being more able to do work and run up the stairs and stuff without difficulty. And the way it makes my body look. But the actual exercise is not motivating
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u/krystaviel 21h ago
It's not a direct effect for me, same as getting more energy. Exercising daily helps me get to sleep and that helps with energy and being able to handle things without spiraling. It's not until I found something that I can do every day without it feeling like a chore (walking while listening to podcasts or watching TV) that I was able to see that pattern where missing it led to worse sleep and less energy.
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u/FalconPorterBridges 21h ago
I don’t have luck either.
I find sudoku and other puzzles more effective.
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u/Nomnom96 18h ago
I know that sounds weird, but I feel like the only time exercise helps anxiety is when you're at the point of breaking. Like when the suffering is overpowering and the brain is so focused on not dying that it forgets it was anxious.
I'm super unfit, so reaching this lvl is quite easy, but even then, if the source of anxiety is smth significant like Royal Mail loosing my documents, absolutely nothing helps other than doing smth to fix the situation.
I read somewhere that breathing practices and exercise as good as they are only helping us avoid anxiety but don't resolve it. Sorry I don't have the answers, but it might be good looking into CBT stuff like cognitive reframing or feeling the feeling? These are my next steps anyways :)
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
Yes I find CBT practices are helpful for anxiety for sure! CBT and fixing my life is what helped me feel better. Exercise doesn't do it!
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u/UVRaveFairy Transgender Woman - Fae - Hyperphantasia - Faceless Witch 17h ago
Yes, though it helps with the body and rest.
Which makes for an easier base line.
It is not the base line though.
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u/fadedsober 14h ago
It feels like another demand added to a list of everything else thrown at me in order to exist today …
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u/bj12698 11h ago
Walking in quiet, peaceful areas, with trees, other plants, birds and other critters, seeing out to the horizon (very good for vision!), gazing at the sky, any "landmarks." That's what I'm lucky enough to do, almost every day.
The friend and 3 (total) dogs that go - that can be joy ... or more stress, depending on which dog is acting out or is not feeling well, or whether my friend (autistic elder) is fun or irritating. (Actually, it depends on how I *respond * to said friend.)
It is always the sky, and distant mountains, and TREES - that help me combine movement with "less anxiety."
I so badly need to be doing "weight bearing" exercise - upper body ... core. So much demand avoidance. Anyone else checked out Feldenkrais? Very gentle movements that work like PT, but you have to be gentle gentle gentle.
Yoga used to give me so much, but I have to start all over again, and that is frustrating.
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u/Likeneverbefore3 10h ago
Exercice helps me feel better but not if I’m too in overdrive/anxious. I need to regulate myself before working out otherwise I’ll be more dysregulated afterwards.
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u/Mundane-Fact6861 4h ago
I like walking especially when I can naturally fit it into my day and swing by some cool, cute or beautiful places while I’m at it. I love flowers and parks and cafes and tea shops and animals and hobby shops though. If I’m walking and it’s close to a meal, I may also get a meal. Also sometimes I’ll put on music or an audiobook while walking and I love “dance walking” when I’m really feeling the music (and don’t care much if people stare at me).
Sometimes I may go out on a walk to get a small treat but I keep in mind exactly what that small treat is then may walk to a further away convenience store out of 2 options.
I also love urban exploration and find it interesting to people watch and play Pokemon go sometimes, so lots to do when walking!
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u/Zealousideal_Way_569 3h ago
I never, ever, got those special endorphins that make you feel good when you exercise. I exercised multiple days a week in school, and it did nothing for me. If anything, it just made me feel like shit. I was never a physically fit person. I once had to participate in a triathlon for high school, and I placed second to last.
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u/scssypants 15h ago
yoga, dude. the breathing is a big help too.
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I have a good routine now that I do for my health of walking and weight lifting. I really tried yoga for years and I find it is bad for my back. I know it's supposed to fix your body but for me it made things worse, even when I got experienced enough to know about good form. Thankfully my current routine has fixed my back and hip pain mostly.
But I still do OMs and I still use a few stretches from it.
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u/raininherpaderps 15h ago
Walk long distances absolutely does. Other things no. Yoga makes me angry if stressed. Don't you tell me how to breathe or to lie still! Idk maybe you just need to find your thing
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u/a_common_spring 6h ago
I've found something that works that I can stick to, it just doesn't help with stress in the moment. Like if I'm having a bad day, the workout doesn't help. But I still get it done enough of the time, I'm keeping pretty fit.
I find walking is more stress relieving if I unmask my walk. I discovered a while ago that my usual walk is highly masked.
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u/-skyhigh 12h ago
I don't get happy chemicals through exercise immediately, but I do notice i am more cranky generally speaking, so I still do it regularly. If i have a bad day though, exercise does nothing to improve it, my mood usually gets worse because I am much more easily frustrated etc.
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u/Antique-Professor263 5h ago
No, not for me. In general I think exercise helps my mental and physical health, and deff helps when I am feeling anxious. I also have adhd so I sometimes confuse the two. But movement helps me align my thoughts. I do get sensory overload from being sweaty but I make sure I’m wearing sweat wicking clothes, deodorant, a hat (or at least pull my hair back) and I can deal with it. I get sensory overload going to the gym for example (maybe headphones would make it a bit better). I get sensory overload from walking on the road or a busy street so I walk on a nature trail. Swimming is a sensory delight but the gym is not so I paused in doing that. Maybe you can examine your own sensory profile. I know some autistic people need the proprioceptive input from weights, or jumping on a trampoline is stimulating to their vestibular system. Sensory profiles are more than just the 5 senses. That said it used to be for me that cardio intensive exercise made me feel overall better. Then it got worse. But i never confused it for anxiety. I learned that I had POTS later. Now, I can no longer get the “good” endorphins feeling from exercise.
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u/redrose037 5h ago
For me it has to be something like going to the gym properly. If I just go for a walk I usually think and my mind wanders and that not good for anxiety.
I need to be working out intensely so I can’t just be “thinking”. But yes it helps greatly.
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u/Professional-Cut-490 4h ago edited 4h ago
You have to do fun exercise. So I dislike most standard exercise but I love dancing. I've done bellydance for 14 years now and will do it forever. I've also done stuff like zumba, bollywood, and Hip Hop classes. As I'm getting older, I've started swing dancing classes, and I love it. I also enjoy walking in nature, gentle somatic yoga, and water aerobics. Find something you love. Western culture has turned exercise into a punishment. Really, any type of movement based activity or sport will do wonders for your mental health.
..... Just clarify I've tried harder, more traditional based exercise classes in the past. Those gave me the burnout that people mentioned in comments. I no longer do those types of classes because of the whiplash fatigue it caused.
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u/Shiranui42 3h ago
It makes me tired so I sleep better? And sleeping better helps me feel less stressed? So I guess it works?
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u/amimaybeiam 3h ago
I’m the same.
The only thing that has ever come close is my yoga classes because prepaying for it forces me to go, plus having an instructor means I’m guided rather than have to self motivate. It starts gentle and ends gently unlike the gym. The gym is noisy and bright. Yoga is dimly lit and guided. I definitely benefit from the yoga exercises itself but my autism is still always there. It’s still a lot of effort. I don’t get help much help with anxiety from it, other than knowing I’ve treated my body to exercise and know I’m stronger and more supple, so I get a tiny confidence boost. Like I said, my autistic brain is still there and struggling.
What works for me is being in spaces that nourish my brain. Think of all the things that feed your soul and sense of well-being instead. For me it’s being in nature and around animals. It’s being near the sea. Going to zoos and animal sanctuaries. Seeing close and trusted friends. Pursuing my current fixation. Watching favourite shows. Trying new things.
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u/Old_Weird_1828 2h ago
I can’t do traditional exercise like going to the gym or running or anything like that. I have to do something I enjoy like dance or trampoline.
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u/FierceScience 2h ago
Most of the time, weight lifting sessions help my mental health a lot. Just me, my music and I'm able to tune out everything else and just focus on the workout. And kickboxing can do the same, because I feel like I can get into a flow. If there is an occasional day where I'm too keyed up and the gym isn't feeling good, I go home and take a bath or something.
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u/SnooTangerines8539 1h ago
I recently learned that AFAB people's need to eat protein first thing in the morning and definitely before exercise otherwise our brains think we don't have enough nutrients and we go into fight or flight mode and stay there, then the body holds onto fat because our brains think we'll need it for the forthcoming hard times. Alternatively if you eat protein our brains think 'ok there's enough ' and we don't go into fight/flight/faun/shutdown.
I've noticed a big difference since implementing the practice. 🫶
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u/Busy-Preparation- 1h ago
It’s actually what saved my life. I was iatrogenically injured by medication psychiatrists prescribed me. I had to relearn basic functioning. I’m now the fittest Ive been in years and I don’t have suicidal ideation anymore except rare instances and I actually overtrain when I can’t harness my emotions and it dissipates them for me. I write now too
Edit: this process took 7 years
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u/Electrical-Tea6966 50m ago
It really helps when I’m able to focus on it. Be present, focus on synchronising my breathing with my motion etc. Lifting weights or yoga are great for my anxious brain, and cardio is good if I can distract myself enough to forget how much I hate it (watch Netflix on the treadmill etc). But it’s not foolproof- if I’m trying something new, or if I’m dissociated and can’t focus on what’s happening in my body, it sometimes makes me feel worse.
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u/AllTheDissonance 9m ago
It only helps my ADHD as it takes some energy from me, making me a bit less fidgety and restless.
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u/foryoursafety 20h ago
It's helps me a lot, but it has to be strenuous. A walk won't cut it. I gotta run, do HITT or lift weights with gusto.
I also have ADHD though which is where a lot of my anxiety comes from, the exercise help balance hormones and produce dopamine which I am obviously lacking constantly.
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u/bumblebeequeer 21h ago
Exercise does absolutely nothing for my mental health. I was doing it consistently for many months, and all it did was make me MORE anxious because I had yet another fucking obligation that I did not enjoy. I stopped.
I know my physical health is likely suffering for it, but I just do not have it in me right now. I have so little free time as it is.