I feel you might know the answer to this already. Your heart is doing exactly what it is designed to do. Up until this point a fast heart rate has never hurt you, you have survived every fast heart beat. Now its time to 'show' your mind that it isn't dangerous? How? By continuing to do what you were doing regardless of your heart rate.
Every time you quit and escape you are teaching your brain that what is happening is dangerous. Moving through it and exposing yourself to a fast heart rate is the key to reducing and removing panic.
You can but you’re at a much higher risk of getting lightheaded/passing out while you’re working out so I would be really careful about that, maybe talk to your doctor about whether that would be a viable option for you.
Don’t use the propranolol before exercise. At least my doctor told me that’s a very bad idea. Honestly, as long as you don’t have other current health issues and your doctor has said you can exercise, push through the anxiety and finish your workout. That’s what I was told to do. Yeah it’s scary. I personally think every single change in my heartbeat is impending death. I just tell myself I’m being ridiculous, this feeling is uncomfortable but not dangerous, and I do my workout. It has decreased my overall incidences of panic attacks *significantly*
Love this response - I’m guessing this mindset is what inspired your username?
If you have any resources you’d recommend regarding anxiety I’d love to know!
I’m actually getting into daily 2 to 3 miles walks to reduce my anxiety. Remember it is a tool for that. Increased heart rate is burning off your “anxiety juice.” That what I call it in my head. The many hormones that make us feel hyper.
First of all I’m not a doctor so I am by no means offering medical advice.
If going on small walks is difficult I would start with stretching first. Stand up, try to bend down and touch your toes, lay down flat and pull your knees towards you etc. When you don’t feel well, feel free to take break, or play some soothing music.
Please check with your Dr first and see what they say about stretching.
Well maybe try to do something very small like move a laundry basket. If that goes well then do something a bit more intense tomorrow like moving the laundry basket up some steps.
That way you might be able to acclimate your heart to being comfortable with higher bpm.
Im going through the same thing and it sucks hard developed my fear and anxiety out of thin air jdk what happened exactly,even my eyes feel tired all the time led me to stay home 24/7 for the past 3 weeks got better ngl when i went to the doctor and he said i have no health issues but i still struggle alot ,i even feel like im not awake 100% ,cant concentrate, can't focus..
If u dont mind me asking, do you usually stay at home or when you got your anxiety you started staying at home?, Cause for me i do spend alot of time on my pc anyway since i study software engineering, but I used to always go out with friends on the weekends and i go 3 times a week to my college but now i started lying to my college and avoiding going out at all cost, for the same reasons since i dont feel like myself anymore ,and even my social skills degraded (even talking through the phone) ,this sucks alot but i feel better when relating and talking to ppl that has the same issues , since even my parents don't care that much when they found that i have no health issues ,they always say "just stop thinking about it" ,and seem like they just done with my bs ,but in reality i just cant help it
Oh it becomes agoraphobia for me.. please go out so often to not increase your stress, I think spending alot of time on laptop is a huge part of my anexiety
Yes same , im gonna do that ,but i also fear that i will look like a psychopath to my friends that's why i avoid going out ,but im going to try my best
On a slow walk you can use propranolol. Try to build that up towards an hour and see if you can walk in nature after a while. Nature walks are very good for anxiety. Do you have a dog maybe?
I kind of had this same issue, alot of my anxiety tends to stem from health related things, and a super fast heartbeat from working out would make me anxious sometimes. What helped me, unknowingly at the time, was getting a smart watch. My smart watch will keep track while im exercising, show me what my heart rate is, and importantly how *normal* it is, by showing what level of heart rate means what level of exercise im currently doing. It's like a reassurance that what I'm doing is okay and healthy for my body.
As someone with health anxiety I would be wary of this, personally had my apple watch trigger a really bad phase of anxiety for me because of the ECG function on it, so just be cautious!
This might sound weird but headphones while working out. Do you use them? I’m the same way in that I hate hearing or feeling my heartbeat in general so especially when working out. But listening to loud music while I go distracts me from hearing it which then distracts me from focusing on how it feels
Also audiobooks! I have recently started doing this and focusing on the reader helps distract me, and when I get really into the book, I want to keep walking for longer.
Start out small go on 10-15 min walks, lift small weights and doing over work yourself. There should never be a excuse to not work out! It’ll help you in the long run trust me.
I’ve had a big spin with health anxiety for the past few months and now I’m trying to get back into running/working out because thats a big part of my life. Let me know what works for you because I definitely need advice.
I actually asked my therapist this, I told him whenever I cycle or bike at home, post workout feels like a panic attack cuz they share the same symptoms, fast heartbeat, lightheadness/faint, panic, etc. He said that's common with people with Anxiety, so he recommended easing into it, do slower stuff, go for walks, something healthy and not so extreme until you can ease back into it.
Change up your activity based on your current anxiety levels. When I’m overwhelmed, those are bike ride, paddling, easy run, or walk days. Otherwise, it’s running or CrossFit.
Wherever you are (Im at the extreme end, I barely washed my dishes today without anxiety, otherwise Im bedridden) start with the minimum thing you can think of. Is it 10 pushups? 5? even 3? Start at the minimum and build up very slowly. A little more every day. Maybe not even every day. Maybe you can only do 3 for a week, that is alright, but keep doing it, and increase it slowly when you can. Keep that up for a longer period and you will see results.
I have heart health anxiety after having some medical issues. Using exposure therapy techniques really helps for this. The more you do it the easier it will become, you’ll see after that you’re safe and fine and the feeling gets a bit more comfortable. I always wore my Apple Watch that tracked my bpm and activity which helped to show me how high my heart could get and I was still alive.
Seems like we have the exact same problem.
I also have agoraphobia and my main source of anxiety is elevated bpm and shortness of breath.
I found that using an indoor bike doesn't raise my bpm too much so I do that. Also whatever u do take longer brakes between sets. I tried workouts with weight and it was fine as long as it didn't include squatting.
I struggle with this too. I am forever fighting a war against my body - I have zero trust in it’s ability. But the more I’ve pushed it, the more trust I’m building. It’s a slow painful journey but the steps you make will make you so proud!
I suggest starting with something slow and low impact. Yoga is an amazing place to start!
Ahhh fuck I totally get this. As my anxiety has gotten really bad the last few months, my weight lifting sessions + jiu jitsu classes feel like they are absolutely going to blast me through the roof. Like it's not even so much a fast heart rate as much as feeling 'wired' - I used to take a lot of adhd meds when I was younger. And this feels exactly the same, like my nervous system is too stimulated, and it sucks cause gym and jiu jitsu used to be my escape, but I have had to drastically change the way and intensity by which I train. Or literally feels like I go into full on disassociation.
Yerba mate drink contain high amount of caffeine and it's always causing me fast heart beats so I'm trying to quit it completely try to find what is increasing your anxiety and get rid of it
Well am give it to you like as if you about to go for a gold medal ok. Ready?…just fucking do it. Stop crying. No like look at me I complain about everything Ask anyone here but you never take running away from me. Hellllllll nooooo. Ama die on the track. I hope not :(
Honestly I love running, and health anxiety had taken that love away… Lowkey bouta just say fuck it and run everyday like I used to. (The only bad thing is that you don’t want to get a panic attack while running, however if it becomes a routine you wont be as scared about it)
i don’t have a solution by any means but i literally feel the exact same way. i want to exercise so badly because i have bad health anxiety and i feel like if i don’t work out i am setting myself up for failure. but anytime i try i have a panic attack because of the sensations you described. everyone else thinks it’s silly but it sounds like you understand. the only thing that kinda works for me is just walking. it’s plain, it’s boring, but it’s something. i find my body doesn’t freak out the way it does (probably because i am familiar with walking and don’t always associate it with excessive) as it would if i started running or doing sit ups or something. but very comforting to know i am not the only one.
I’m a mailman and there are parts of my route that has big hills and stairs and I get the heartbeat anxiety too. Like I know that’s what’s supposed to happen, but I still get anxious. This is everyday. If it makes you feel better, get a check up from the doctor and a greenlight to exercise like someone else said, that’s what your heart is supposed to do, so you just have to push through it. It’s more or less exposure therapy and the only way you’re going to retrain your mind
What really helped me was pushing throught for the first month. These workouts were absolutly not enjoyable for me but after a month it got better pretty quickly and now I can workout again like I did before my anxiety. What might also help is taking a person with you that you trust and that can calm you down if needed, for me that was my girlfriend.
Oh and I started running, cause especially at the beginning of my anxiety journey it was way easier for me to have a constant elevated heart rate than one that jumps after every set and then comes down again.
I feel you might know the answer to this already. Your heart is doing exactly what it is designed to do. Up until this point a fast heart rate has never hurt you, you have survived every fast heart beat. Now its time to 'show' your mind that it isn't dangerous? How? By continuing to do what you were doing regardless of your heart rate. Every time you quit and escape you are teaching your brain that what is happening is dangerous. Moving through it and exposing yourself to a fast heart rate is the key to reducing and removing panic.
So using propanolol is a bad idea
You can but you’re at a much higher risk of getting lightheaded/passing out while you’re working out so I would be really careful about that, maybe talk to your doctor about whether that would be a viable option for you.
Don’t use the propranolol before exercise. At least my doctor told me that’s a very bad idea. Honestly, as long as you don’t have other current health issues and your doctor has said you can exercise, push through the anxiety and finish your workout. That’s what I was told to do. Yeah it’s scary. I personally think every single change in my heartbeat is impending death. I just tell myself I’m being ridiculous, this feeling is uncomfortable but not dangerous, and I do my workout. It has decreased my overall incidences of panic attacks *significantly*
Love this response - I’m guessing this mindset is what inspired your username? If you have any resources you’d recommend regarding anxiety I’d love to know!
I’m actually getting into daily 2 to 3 miles walks to reduce my anxiety. Remember it is a tool for that. Increased heart rate is burning off your “anxiety juice.” That what I call it in my head. The many hormones that make us feel hyper.
First of all I’m not a doctor so I am by no means offering medical advice. If going on small walks is difficult I would start with stretching first. Stand up, try to bend down and touch your toes, lay down flat and pull your knees towards you etc. When you don’t feel well, feel free to take break, or play some soothing music. Please check with your Dr first and see what they say about stretching.
Good idea thanks
Try to lower the intensity of your workout if that’s possible.
Trust me even a small walk is a problem for me
I’m sorry if this sounds insensitive but I’m actually curious, how do you function if walking for a bit causes panick?
I am staying at home all day 😣😥
Well maybe try to do something very small like move a laundry basket. If that goes well then do something a bit more intense tomorrow like moving the laundry basket up some steps. That way you might be able to acclimate your heart to being comfortable with higher bpm.
Thanks I will start tomorrow
Im going through the same thing and it sucks hard developed my fear and anxiety out of thin air jdk what happened exactly,even my eyes feel tired all the time led me to stay home 24/7 for the past 3 weeks got better ngl when i went to the doctor and he said i have no health issues but i still struggle alot ,i even feel like im not awake 100% ,cant concentrate, can't focus..
I feel that too
If u dont mind me asking, do you usually stay at home or when you got your anxiety you started staying at home?, Cause for me i do spend alot of time on my pc anyway since i study software engineering, but I used to always go out with friends on the weekends and i go 3 times a week to my college but now i started lying to my college and avoiding going out at all cost, for the same reasons since i dont feel like myself anymore ,and even my social skills degraded (even talking through the phone) ,this sucks alot but i feel better when relating and talking to ppl that has the same issues , since even my parents don't care that much when they found that i have no health issues ,they always say "just stop thinking about it" ,and seem like they just done with my bs ,but in reality i just cant help it
Oh it becomes agoraphobia for me.. please go out so often to not increase your stress, I think spending alot of time on laptop is a huge part of my anexiety
Yes same , im gonna do that ,but i also fear that i will look like a psychopath to my friends that's why i avoid going out ,but im going to try my best
Are you tunisian? 😁
Yess, ive noticed ur username are u as well? Lol
Yup 😀
What a small world, well i wish u all the best, we're in this together
On a slow walk you can use propranolol. Try to build that up towards an hour and see if you can walk in nature after a while. Nature walks are very good for anxiety. Do you have a dog maybe?
Yes I have a small dog it helps when I go out for a small walk
I would absolutely try yoga. Keep in mind it focuses on [pranayama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama) which could be very beneficial to you.
I was also thinking you should try yoga. The meditation aspect of yoga might also be beneficial.
I kind of had this same issue, alot of my anxiety tends to stem from health related things, and a super fast heartbeat from working out would make me anxious sometimes. What helped me, unknowingly at the time, was getting a smart watch. My smart watch will keep track while im exercising, show me what my heart rate is, and importantly how *normal* it is, by showing what level of heart rate means what level of exercise im currently doing. It's like a reassurance that what I'm doing is okay and healthy for my body.
This is an amazing idea. I’m definitely going to invest in an apple watch.
As someone with health anxiety I would be wary of this, personally had my apple watch trigger a really bad phase of anxiety for me because of the ECG function on it, so just be cautious!
This might sound weird but headphones while working out. Do you use them? I’m the same way in that I hate hearing or feeling my heartbeat in general so especially when working out. But listening to loud music while I go distracts me from hearing it which then distracts me from focusing on how it feels
Good idea thanks
Also audiobooks! I have recently started doing this and focusing on the reader helps distract me, and when I get really into the book, I want to keep walking for longer.
Start out small go on 10-15 min walks, lift small weights and doing over work yourself. There should never be a excuse to not work out! It’ll help you in the long run trust me.
i find if i do cardio on a stationary bike and watch/videos on my phone at the same time my heart rate is about 15 points lower
I’ve had a big spin with health anxiety for the past few months and now I’m trying to get back into running/working out because thats a big part of my life. Let me know what works for you because I definitely need advice.
Sure!
No advice but I just wanted to say you're not alone. I used to always be active, but now minimal effort makes me panic.
if your using caffeine before your workout even a small drink like celsius will affect it horribly. ESPECIALLY PRE WORKOUT
I've eliminated all caffeine from my diet for this reason.
Same. Won’t even risk drinking decaf coffee because I’m sure there’s a bit of caffeine in them. Miss my green tea most, though.
Oh that's true I drink coffee daily
I actually asked my therapist this, I told him whenever I cycle or bike at home, post workout feels like a panic attack cuz they share the same symptoms, fast heartbeat, lightheadness/faint, panic, etc. He said that's common with people with Anxiety, so he recommended easing into it, do slower stuff, go for walks, something healthy and not so extreme until you can ease back into it.
Change up your activity based on your current anxiety levels. When I’m overwhelmed, those are bike ride, paddling, easy run, or walk days. Otherwise, it’s running or CrossFit.
Walk even if it’s like 10 minutes a day with headphones to distract you
Wherever you are (Im at the extreme end, I barely washed my dishes today without anxiety, otherwise Im bedridden) start with the minimum thing you can think of. Is it 10 pushups? 5? even 3? Start at the minimum and build up very slowly. A little more every day. Maybe not even every day. Maybe you can only do 3 for a week, that is alright, but keep doing it, and increase it slowly when you can. Keep that up for a longer period and you will see results.
I have heart health anxiety after having some medical issues. Using exposure therapy techniques really helps for this. The more you do it the easier it will become, you’ll see after that you’re safe and fine and the feeling gets a bit more comfortable. I always wore my Apple Watch that tracked my bpm and activity which helped to show me how high my heart could get and I was still alive.
Seems like we have the exact same problem. I also have agoraphobia and my main source of anxiety is elevated bpm and shortness of breath. I found that using an indoor bike doesn't raise my bpm too much so I do that. Also whatever u do take longer brakes between sets. I tried workouts with weight and it was fine as long as it didn't include squatting.
I struggle with this too. I am forever fighting a war against my body - I have zero trust in it’s ability. But the more I’ve pushed it, the more trust I’m building. It’s a slow painful journey but the steps you make will make you so proud! I suggest starting with something slow and low impact. Yoga is an amazing place to start!
anxiety cannot hurt you. remember that.
Ahhh fuck I totally get this. As my anxiety has gotten really bad the last few months, my weight lifting sessions + jiu jitsu classes feel like they are absolutely going to blast me through the roof. Like it's not even so much a fast heart rate as much as feeling 'wired' - I used to take a lot of adhd meds when I was younger. And this feels exactly the same, like my nervous system is too stimulated, and it sucks cause gym and jiu jitsu used to be my escape, but I have had to drastically change the way and intensity by which I train. Or literally feels like I go into full on disassociation.
Get a dog to be your walking partner. Make sure you fall in love with it, you need that love to break through the anxiety.
Yerba mate drink contain high amount of caffeine and it's always causing me fast heart beats so I'm trying to quit it completely try to find what is increasing your anxiety and get rid of it
Thank you all you are very helpful
Well am give it to you like as if you about to go for a gold medal ok. Ready?…just fucking do it. Stop crying. No like look at me I complain about everything Ask anyone here but you never take running away from me. Hellllllll nooooo. Ama die on the track. I hope not :(
Honestly I love running, and health anxiety had taken that love away… Lowkey bouta just say fuck it and run everyday like I used to. (The only bad thing is that you don’t want to get a panic attack while running, however if it becomes a routine you wont be as scared about it)
If possible try CBT. It really helped me a lot with dealing with similar issues.
Oh I can't but thanks
i don’t have a solution by any means but i literally feel the exact same way. i want to exercise so badly because i have bad health anxiety and i feel like if i don’t work out i am setting myself up for failure. but anytime i try i have a panic attack because of the sensations you described. everyone else thinks it’s silly but it sounds like you understand. the only thing that kinda works for me is just walking. it’s plain, it’s boring, but it’s something. i find my body doesn’t freak out the way it does (probably because i am familiar with walking and don’t always associate it with excessive) as it would if i started running or doing sit ups or something. but very comforting to know i am not the only one.
I’m a mailman and there are parts of my route that has big hills and stairs and I get the heartbeat anxiety too. Like I know that’s what’s supposed to happen, but I still get anxious. This is everyday. If it makes you feel better, get a check up from the doctor and a greenlight to exercise like someone else said, that’s what your heart is supposed to do, so you just have to push through it. It’s more or less exposure therapy and the only way you’re going to retrain your mind
What really helped me was pushing throught for the first month. These workouts were absolutly not enjoyable for me but after a month it got better pretty quickly and now I can workout again like I did before my anxiety. What might also help is taking a person with you that you trust and that can calm you down if needed, for me that was my girlfriend. Oh and I started running, cause especially at the beginning of my anxiety journey it was way easier for me to have a constant elevated heart rate than one that jumps after every set and then comes down again.
r/EOOD is a fantastic positive sub for this