Felt good, & went jogging. Big mistake?

[gjpj]

I have been up and down with anxiety and ptsd for over a year I have a gym induction on Friday and felt ok to go for a little bit jogging yesterday to see how I was. I was ok at the time but last night and today have been terrible with fatigue and random headaches. Is it a coincidence or did my anxiety/ptsd go into overdrive?

 

[Friday]

I would guess a bit of both. Less coincidence than that’s just how starting a new exercise program works, combined with PTSD reacting to stress the way it does.

Exercising after not having done so? Creates a LOT of low-level pain/soreness/toxins that need to be flushed out, that our body isn’t used to flushing out, and mineral/salt deficits (Calcium & Potassium in particular) we’re not used to replacing.

So even if we drank twice as much water as usual, AND ate a banana (postassium for muscle relaxation), AND something calcium rich (for muscle flex, or be prepared to be exhausted, it takes way more energy to take calcium out of our bones to send to our muscles, than to take it out of our bloodstream), AND ate protein (for muscle repair)? We’ll still probably have a headache, sore muscles, and feel exhausted & crappy… for a couple of days. x1000 if we didn’t actually increase water, potassium, calcium, & protein intake.

Pain? At any level? Even low level “I’m not used to this” exercise soreness? Increases anxiety. Because that’s just how pain works.

Whilst exercise reduces stress (in no small part by burning off all the chemicals swirling around in our blood saying fight/flight), the sudden LACK of that normal high stress living? Plus Pain? Creates a lurch, a gap, where the sudden lack of OMG! creates a rebound OMFG!!!

AKA

Drink water, hit up the potassium & calcium rich food sources (or drink a Gatorade), up your protein, drink MORE water… and keep exercising. Even “just” stretching and moving around… And I would expect you to feel better very shortly. As in better than before you started jogging.

Beginnings? Can be rough.

Even just taking a few days off, or trying something new in the middle pf an established routine, nearly always creates the “I feel AWFUL!” for a few days, up to a few weeks. But as long as we’re supporting our bodies (giving them the increased nutrients and water they need), it’s usually very short lived. Just not as short lived as anyone I’ve ever met (from pro athlete to couch-to-5k) would like!

 

[No More]

If you haven’t exercised for a while, you will absolutely feel it a bit when you first start.
That satisfying muscle ache the next day I have come to absolutely *love* bc I know I got it jussst right.

Keep drinking lots of water, don’t static stretch, do a gentle warm up first, make sure you get lots of nutrients in & keep at it!

 

[Tishie]

Hi GJPJ. I totally relate to your post. I feel ok energy wise and emotionally. Do something active like errands, workout, concert, etc. and the next day I'm exhausted. This week it lasted 4 days. I also experience severe brain pain. It's not a headache. It's actual pain in my brain sometimes in my forehead or on top of my head. I know your post is from quite a while ago (Nov. 2023). I've been in a cycle of exhaustion and head pain/rest/pace myself until I do a few things and repeat - exhaustion, etc. Since November, have you experienced the same thing again? If so what helps you cope with this? I rest, pray and meditate. Eventually journal and/or talk to someone but no one understands. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

 

[arfie]

in my own case, i would assume both. it doesn't take much physical change to trigger my anxiety and hyper-vigilance. ironically, that quirk is even more intense when i am fit and practicing solid self-care. perhaps an awareness thing? vigilance is a form of awareness, after all. it's the hyper that keeps turning that natural gift into a human made curse.

 

[Freddyt]

I have been up and down with anxiety and ptsd for over a year I have a gym induction on Friday and felt ok to go for a little bit jogging yesterday to see how I was. I was ok at the time but last night and today have been terrible with fatigue and random headaches. Is it a coincidence or did my anxiety/ptsd go into overdrive?

Absolutly the single hardest thing to deal with when I first found out I had PTSD and started therapy.....how much is too much? And then....did I do to much? Then "oh carp what do I do now?"

Finding limits is hard. But gradually I put together a pile of things to help when I did overdo it. Everything from simple grounding to meds on odd occasions when nothing worked.

Ask and spend time with your T working on ways to get calmed and slow symptoms. Having a bunch of those tools in your ptsd toolbox to help with symptoms is really helpful. I use everything from simple grounding to very occasional meds and if we have "what do you want to do?" time in therapy - lets add another tool....