Can Stress Lead to Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks may happen alone or as part of an existing anxiety disorder. In panic attacks, you will feel a sudden episode of terror, dread, and sense of loss of control that may last for a few seconds to 20 minutes or up to an hour. People experiencing these attacks typically report a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, sense of impending doom, dizziness, shaking, and tingling sensations.

These panic attacks are believed to follow significant stressful situations. Thus, to prevent panic attacks from trailing in, here are a few stress relief exercises you can get into to improve you mental health and your physical health, as well.

1. Yoga

Yoga, a low-impact physical exercise with aspects of meditation included, has become a popular therapeutic exercise in the West. The meditation and physical exertion involved stimulates the flow of healing “life energy”, allowing the mind and the body to be in sync. This exercise has shown promise in relieving stress, anxiety, and depression.

Moreover, yoga has been found to offer a positive psychological benefit. It makes you more conscious of your body and its capabilities, more mentally focused, positive, and energized.

Mindfulness, a state of complete attention to the present experience, is also achieved through yoga. It allows the mind to be calm and at peace making you more emotionally well-balanced – someone with panic attacks greatly needs.

2. Stretching Exercise

Stretching exercises, which are the preparatory exercises one performs before attempting any heavy exercise, not only increases your flexibility but also relieves muscle tension. This exercise can easily waken tensed and strained muscles from doing eight hours of work sitting on a chair in front of a desk. It loosens up the tired muscles by increasing the blood flow to the area. Not only does it do this, it also stimulates receptors in the nervous system that help release and increase the production of endorphins that reduces stress.

3. Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise, though focused on shaping the large muscles of the body, can be a great contributor to stress reduction. The rhythmic and periodic movements of the large muscles of the body not only strengthens your cardiovascular system and circulation, improves lung capacity, increases stamina and metabolism, promotes weight loss and improves sleep but also increase the oxygen in the muscles, reducing muscle tension and strain. It also helps release chemical substances like endorphin which are an effective, natural anti-depressant and “de-stressor”.

People experiencing tremendous stress will greatly gain from the effects of exercise. The physical and mental benefits will put you in better shape and in better mood. For a maximum health benefit, experts suggest that you exercise for 20 to 30 minutes three or more times a week. However, a caution is posed: always consult your physician before trying any of these exercises.