How do you get past the “exercise feels like a panic attack” stage?
I really want to start exercising regularly because I know it can help anxiety long term, but I keep hitting the same mental wall.
The problem is that exercise makes me breathe heavier, raises my heart rate, makes me feel hot/lightheaded etc — and those sensations are basically the exact same things I associate with panic attacks. As soon as I notice them, my brain instantly goes into “something’s wrong” mode and I get really anxious.
It’s frustrating because I want to exercise and improve myself, but the fear of getting anxious during exercise almost stops me before I even start.
Has anyone else dealt with this specifically? How did you train your brain to stop associating normal exercise sensations with panic/anxiety? Did you ease into it slowly, push through it, use certain breathing techniques, certain types of exercise, etc?
Would genuinely appreciate hearing from people who’ve managed to get past this.