14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new scientific study, it would appear that taking some time off from an important, stressful task to do some physical exercises may contribute more to fulfilling that task than not doing so.
Exams, job interviews, deadlines at work and other similar events can boost people's anxiety levels, and make them edgier, stressed and more prone to becoming nervous. All of these things contribute to reducing their efficiency towards resolving the task at hand.
But taking a small break for physical exercises has been proven to enable individuals to remain calm, focused and relax, and therefore more capable of completing their given task. The connection was found to spread across all ages.
In other words, what the research team found was that exercises could be considered to be an effective short-term treatment for anxiety. The investigation was led by experts with the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill.
The director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic, Jonathan Abramowitz, PhD, was the leader of the research efforts. He says that, in the short run, physical activity can equal medication or psychotherapy in effectiveness against anxiety, stress and nervousness.
According to scientists, anxiety is not entirely a bad thing. It evolved in our species over hundreds of thousands of years, maybe even more, as an adaptation to living in a very dangerous environment.
When our ancestors saw predators, their “fight or flight” response kicked in. Major effects of this include sweaty palms, elevated heart rates, the release of specific hormones in the body and so on.
But modern society is presenting us with situations in which we cannot simply fight or flee. Important job interviews and low grades in school cause the same type of response as a hyena did in our ancestors, except without an actual response.
What physical exercises do in this context is they distract your mind from immediate worries. As you exercise more and more, the mind begins to experience a feeling of accomplishment, which further contributes to reducing anxiety.
The production of pain-relief molecules known as endorphins increases during workouts, and this contributes to an overall feeling of well-being. Still, the UNC team underlines the importance of visiting a specialist if this approach doesn't work in the long run.
“People should try cognitive-behavior therapy with a well-trained mental health professional before they take medicine for anxiety, because these problems are very treatable,” Abramowitz explains, quoted by PsychCentral.