How to Use Running to Overcome Your Anxiety, According to Experts

I learned that I suffer from anxiety when, some 10 years ago at the age of 20, I checked myself into a hospital for what I was convinced was an impending heart attack. My chest felt tight, my breathing rapid, head spinning, arms tingling. I couldn’t think straight. After a series of tests, the ER doctor told me that physically, I was healthy. Then he gently suggested what I’d just experienced may have been a panic attack. That a mental state could manifest itself as physical symptoms was a complete revelation to me. I’d experienced a variety of them before (usually attributing them to post-illness recovery or environmental reactions) but not at this magnitude. To help treat my anxiety, among other things, he recommended aerobic exercise. Because of its low barrier to entry, I turned to running. My controlled treadmill runs went fine, but the moment I ran outside, it took a mere few minutes before a wave of tension washed over my body, leading to the symptoms I knew so intimately: shortness of breath, a fast-beating heart, sweating, throwing my body in a state of panic. Running made me more anxious, I figured, and so I tossed the idea—together with my running shoes—in the corner. That was where my short-lived running venture ended. It would take years for me to lace up my running sneakers again. I had to learn about how to get into running gradually and pace myself, along with accepting that I can walk when I need to. Now, running helps me manage my anxiety in ways I’d never expected. After talking to other runners and psychologists, I learned that my situation isn’t unique. So with the help of experts, we’re sharing tips on how to make running work for your anxiety, alleviating your symptoms instead of exacerbating it. [View in Browser]( [Runner's World Logo]( [SHOP]( [RW+ EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [How to Use Running to Overcome Your Anxiety, According to Experts]( [How to Use Running to Overcome Your Anxiety, According to Experts]( [How to Use Running to Overcome Your Anxiety, According to Experts]( I learned that I suffer from anxiety when, some 10 years ago at the age of 20, I checked myself into a hospital for what I was convinced was an impending heart attack. My chest felt tight, my breathing rapid, head spinning, arms tingling. I couldn’t think straight. After a series of tests, the ER doctor told me that physically, I was healthy. Then he gently suggested what I’d just experienced may have been a panic attack. That a mental state could manifest itself as physical symptoms was a complete revelation to me. I’d experienced a variety of them before (usually attributing them to post-illness recovery or environmental reactions) but not at this magnitude. To help treat my anxiety, among other things, he recommended aerobic exercise. Because of its low barrier to entry, I turned to running. My controlled treadmill runs went fine, but the moment I ran outside, it took a mere few minutes before a wave of tension washed over my body, leading to the symptoms I knew so intimately: shortness of breath, a fast-beating heart, sweating, throwing my body in a state of panic. Running made me more anxious, I figured, and so I tossed the idea—together with my running shoes—in the corner. That was where my short-lived running venture ended. It would take years for me to lace up my running sneakers again. I had to learn about how to get into running gradually and pace myself, along with accepting that I can walk when I need to. Now, running helps me manage my anxiety in ways I’d never expected. After talking to other runners and psychologists, I learned that my situation isn’t unique. So with the help of experts, we’re sharing tips on how to make running work for your anxiety, alleviating your symptoms instead of exacerbating it. I learned that I suffer from anxiety when, some 10 years ago at the age of 20, I checked myself into a hospital for what I was convinced was an impending heart attack. My chest felt tight, my breathing rapid, head spinning, arms tingling. I couldn’t think straight. After a series of tests, the ER doctor told me that physically, I was healthy. Then he gently suggested what I’d just experienced may have been a panic attack. That a mental state could manifest itself as physical symptoms was a complete revelation to me. I’d experienced a variety of them before (usually attributing them to post-illness recovery or environmental reactions) but not at this magnitude. To help treat my anxiety, among other things, he recommended aerobic exercise. Because of its low barrier to entry, I turned to running. My controlled treadmill runs went fine, but the moment I ran outside, it took a mere few minutes before a wave of tension washed over my body, leading to the symptoms I knew so intimately: shortness of breath, a fast-beating heart, sweating, throwing my body in a state of panic. Running made me more anxious, I figured, and so I tossed the idea—together with my running shoes—in the corner. That was where my short-lived running venture ended. It would take years for me to lace up my running sneakers again. I had to learn about how to get into running gradually and pace myself, along with accepting that I can walk when I need to. Now, running helps me manage my anxiety in ways I’d never expected. After talking to other runners and psychologists, I learned that my situation isn’t unique. So with the help of experts, we’re sharing tips on how to make running work for your anxiety, alleviating your symptoms instead of exacerbating it. 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