Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition governed by a high level of anxiety. People who have OCD worry to the point of irrational obsession, usually about one type of thought, such as the fear of germs. The obsession creates a pattern of repetitive behavior that you engage in to try to manage or control the obsessions, like repeated hand-washing. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be exhausting, but can be managed through medications and behavior modifications. Alternative treatments that include aerobic exercise may be beneficial to some OCD patients, according to an article in the October 2010 issue of online journal Current Psychiatry. Speak to your physician before beginning any type of medical or home treatment for OCD.
Body Response to Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is a physical workout that gets your heart pumping -- you'll breathe faster, your heart rate will increase, and you'll break a sweat. During aerobic exercise, your muscles will receive more oxygen and you'll release mood-lifting chemicals called endorphins. These reactions help you feel more relaxed, both physically and emotionally, explains MayoClinic.com.
Research Studies
Aerobic exercise is beneficial to health in many ways, reducing the risk of heart disease, playing a role in weight loss and increasing your endurance in your everyday life. Medical researchers have studied the effect of exercise on OCD and the findings are promising. Studies in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease in June 2007 and the Journal of Anxiety Disorders in October 2009 found that OCD patients showed a decrease in symptoms after participating in regular aerobic workouts for three months at a time. The anxiety and incidence of compulsions decreased after exercise when compared to the self-reported mental state of the participants before the moderate workouts began. Depression, a symptom often associated with anxiety disorders such as OCD, lifted to some degree as well. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease study further reported that some of their patients showed long-lasting improvement, with a reduction of symptoms up to six months after the trial ended.
Getting Started
Speak to your doctor about developing a regular aerobic workout if you're suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and would like to take a natural approach. If you haven't exercised in the recent past, you'll need to work your way up to the moderate-intensity regimen that has been shown to help OCD patients. Your medical care providers can work with you to find an activity that is appropriate for your level of physical health as well as one that doesn't provoke more obsessions or compulsions. Walking, swimming, jogging, dancing or team sports like basketball and soccer are all aerobic activities that elevate your heart rate.
Considerations
OCD is a psychiatric condition, but one that involves biochemical responses within the body. In other words, you have an anxiety disorder, but you may have a chemical imbalance in your body that is making you more prone to anxiety, obsessions and compulsions. Medical and mental health treatment are first-line solutions to OCD, and should be explored fully to help you change your way of life. Current Psychiatry recommends using aerobic exercise, yoga and meditation as complementary treatments for OCD along with drug and behavioral therapy, not in place of these more conventional treatments. Consult your doctor about your desire to treat your condition with exercise or any form of alternative medicine.
References
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders: Acute Changes in Obsessions and Compulsions Following Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise Among Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease: A Pilot Study of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- American Family Physician: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Diagnosis and Management
- Current Psychiatry: CAM for Your Anxious Patient: What the Evidence Says
- MayoClinic.com: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- MayoClinic.com: Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons to Get Physical
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