Scared to workout
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hello good morning. I used to exercise to relieve stress and anxiety but lately for a while I've been having heart palpitations and dizziness. My doctor told me that I have a healthy heart and my ct scan came back normal and blood work is fine. So I've been scared to exercise bc of my heart palpitations and I get woozy even from just jogging a bit. Anybody ever go through this or is going through this? Thank you in advance.
0 likes, 11 replies
jeffrey89726 Lopez979
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Lopez979 jeffrey89726
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reece93588 Lopez979
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Lopez979 reece93588
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Thank you for your input Reece. Yes anxiety is a horrible thing. It really feels good knowing that I'm not the only one feeling these things but at the same time I'm sorry that you're going through this too. I hope things get better for you.
devon62987 Lopez979
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Try not using any stimulants if you are. caffeine is dangerous, especially if you have even a hint of anxiety my man. Start light and see how it goes, bust out some cardio then the iron.. show your mind who's boss.
MarvinMartian Lopez979
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Yes, I have the same problem. I suffer from panic attacks. The feeling of panic attacks and working out are the same. Both release adrenalin, you feel out of breath, heart rate increases. The "runner high" the lightheadedness that some people love feels like crap. For myself I don't trust my breath will be ok because I get so short of breath during a panic attack. Sometimes I will get a panic attack during exercise and not realize it until my pulse takes off sky high. When I work out I will get short of breath a few times because of anxiety. If I can make it to a half hour without a full panic attack the feelings normally fade and I actually feel good. Pushing through the workout during the first half hour without a panic attack is challenging though so I just take it slow and easy. You can tell when to bump it up a notch. Taking a day off from exercising also makes it harder to jump back in.
Laroxe Lopez979
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Its interesting that when people actually do have heart problems one of the first things recommended is exercise. When people describe having palpitations, it usually just means they are becoming more aware of their heart rate, its pretty normal for people to be aware of their heartbeat after exercise. The trouble is that when you think this means your ill, you start to pay much more attention to the sensations.
One idea might be to mix the forms of exercise you do, I really like Tia Chi, its not half as passive and easy as it looks and you can learn a lot about how your body feels under tension. It also helps you to develop breathing control and is excellent for anxiety, you could do more aerobic stuff on other days. The fact that your using the exerciser to help your anxiety doesn't mean its not doing other things. Remember its also improving your physical health and heart health, don't let the anxiety stop you.
MarvinMartian Laroxe
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My "palpitations" as the doctor call them go to the 160, 170 range when I am laying down. When I work out I don't enjoy anything over 140. I can reach 160 during a workout but only for a few seconds before I start to freak out. I recorded them on my chest strap heart rate monitor. Sudden onset and sudden slow back down 10 minutes later. I met people that say they go over 200, I could not imagine that. Still, they never found anything wrong with me. Supposedly it is all anxiety but the combination of palpitations, shortness of breath is hard to blow off at the time you get them.
Laroxe MarvinMartian
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Remember its the job of your heart to supply your muscles with the energy they need, if you exercise your heart rate increases. The problem is that is you think this increase is abnormal your anxiety goes up and your heart rate with it. Its your anxiety about your health that makes you focus on it. Really you know, 10 minutes is quite a good recovery time.
If you think your heart rate is indicating your seriously ill, it isn't really surprising that you get anxious and this will exaggerate all the exercise effects. When people panic they usually think a particular sensation means they are going to die, they often feel they can't breath properly, feel dizzy and are aware of their heart. Then when you think this you spend all your time looking out for the symptoms, in this case using a heart rate monitor might not be a good idea, it keeps you aware of it. When anyone worries about their heart its always useful to consider other factors like age, family history, and general level of fitness. In the USA Drs are much more likely to refer even extremely low risk people for investigations, in a lot of countries they simply wouldn't. For example someone in their 20's with no known risk factors is probably more likely to be kicked to death by a donkey, than die of a heart attack. People read about these things in newspapers but don't consider the only reason its in the papers is because its so rare.
Remember the best cardiac exercises are supposed to increase your heart rate, don't think all the levels you see in articles are accurate, there is loads of variation, even in the same person. I think what you do is sensible, get your heart rate up and then rest and let it settle, you can do this repeatedly. If you plan to do this then maybe you wont have to freak out about it. Best wishes.
MarvinMartian Laroxe
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Yeah, thanks Laroxe. I actually used my heart rate monitor to track progress. I will admit that I pay way to much attention to my bodies feelings. I walked three miles every day. It was nice to see my average heart rate go down along with the time it took me to walk those three miles. Got into better shape and started to jog more often in those three miles. Then suddenly I lost my breath and collapsed during my everyday routine two years ago. Started to have panic attacks 3 times a day and became agoraphobic at the age of 44. Bedridden for about two months. Anyways three panic attacks a day with no exercise was new to me so I recorded them to show my doctor that these are more than so-called palpitations. I also then bought a blood oxygen meter too. I don't look at it much but when I am out of breath in a panic attack I can see the reality that my o2 levels actually pegged at 99-100%. It reassures me despite how I feel I am not suffocating. I use them as tools to inspire more confidence.
After being bed bedridden and losing all my stamina it's nice to see proof of small gains and victories. Being agoraphobic this includes the GPS function when reviewing how far I walked and realizing "hey I walked two houses farther today." At my age, I am not nieve to the fact that I have had several of my friends die suddenly. Two of them from heart attacks. Anyways my problem is the fact as stated where I post separately and what makes it hard for me to recover is the fact that exercise feels like a panic attack. Calm deep breaths are not an option when you are jogging and an attack hits. Somedays I can get past it and other days it just gets worse. For some reason, I cant walk around my block. But I can pace up and down my street a little more. I can see hey I walked 1.5 miles up and down my street today. If I go around the block it is only .5 miles. I can then see in hard numbers in front of me that since I walked 1.5 miles I should be able to walk the .5 miles around my block that sends me in a panic for absolutely no reason that I know of. I try to think logically that I should have no fear in actually walking around the block. When I finally get around the block then I will start the process to walk two blocks. At least that is the plan.
Humanity17013 Lopez979
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