Panic attacks sometimes seem to arrive from nowhere and can be a frightening experience. Natural remedies such as deep breathing, aerobic exercise and relaxation techniques are helpful in reducing anxiety and panic. One explanation for the benefit of exercise is that it releases pleasurable brain chemicals called endorphins, which lift mood and cause the same feelings as a "runner's high."
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks often come out of the blue---a sudden surge of overwhelming fear and anxiety. These attacks are easy to recognize. Your heart may pound so hard that you feel you can't breathe, and you may feel dizzy and nauseated or even as if you are dying or going crazy. You may even break out in a cold sweat, tremble and shake. Panic attacks usually reach their peak within 10 minutes and last no longer than 20 or 30 minutes.
Breathing Exercises
The first step in handling a panic attack is to bring your breathing under control. Life Extension recommends the following breathing exercise. Exhale completely, then take a deep breath in through your nose, expanding your diaphragm---the muscle in your lower ribs that opens your lungs to breathe---to bring air into your lower lungs. As you fill your lungs from bottom to top, expand your chest, lifting your shoulders slightly. Then relax, letting the breath flow smoothly out through your nose, pulling in your stomach at the end to expel the last bit of air. Repeat until you feel the panic subsiding.
Aerobic Exercise
The Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute reports that a 2005 study by Dr. Andreas Strohle and associates in the "American Journal of Psychiatry" looked at the relationship between aerobic exercise and panic attacks. The researchers studied the effects of quiet rest or aerobic treadmill exercise on CCK-4-induced panic attacks in 15 healthy subjects. CCK-4, or cholecystokinin tetrapeptide, is a chemical compound that induces panic attacks in healthy subjects. Panic attacks occurred in 12 subjects after rest but in only six subjects after exercise.The researchers conclude that quiet rest helps to manage panic attacks, but aerobic exercise is even more effective in healthy subjects.
Other Exercise
According to Life Extension, other forms of exercise that are effective in protecting against panic attacks are yoga and tai chi. These practices use deep breathing along with light physical activity to bring about relaxation and stress reduction. Practicing yoga on a regular basis helps strengthen the body's relaxation response, the opposite of the stress response involved in anxiety and panic.
References
- Help Guide: Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
- "Disease Prevention and Treatment"; Life Extension Foundation, 2003
- Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute: Exercise and Anxiety Disorders
