Soft tissue dysfunction and discomfort add to anxiety. As well as just being uncomfortable we can, for example, confuse muscular pain between the shoulder blades with panic attack pain. The difference here would be that panic attack pain would usually be in the front of the chest and Rhomboid, Trapezius and Erector Spinae discomfort would be at the back. The pain is similar and easily confused. Bad posture can cause this.

As the illustration suggests, sitting for too long and in a bad position can weaken and shorten muscles. When sitting, especially if the feet are under the chair the hip joints will be slightly twisted, causing problems in the gluteal muscles (butt pain hip pain). The Hammestrings are also in contraction for long periods. This tends to shorten them which in turn pulls down on the hip/sacroilliac joint, which in turn causes lower back pain.

As the gluteal muscles (especially glute maximus/big butt muscle) is out of play because of the sitting posture, the erector muscles which hold the spine straight are constantly working overtime on their own. This is because they are getting little or no help from the ‘glutes’ or hammestrings in stabilising the lower back and hip area and so try to do everyhting on their own. No wonder we get back ache.

The hip flexors which attach to the lumbar vertebrae and the top of the femur (top leg bone) also tend to tighten up/shorten and weaken. The quads then overwork to compensate. This may cause discomfort in the front of the hip, around the knees and side of the hips.

Basically if you let your hip area get out of balance then you will get no end of back trouble. Anxiety comes with many physical complaints. Aches, pains and fears of every description make life difficult. To keep physically well is to help the mood. This will help the mind think straighter and not go immediately to the worst physical scenario.

Use your muscle, keep the range of movement, stretch when appropriate. Consult a healthcare professional for a program of action and get disciplined. Easier said than done I know. But very rewarding.

Exercise is good for anxiety and general mental health that’s for sure. I cannot explain the science that accompanies this fact but staying healthy in body does help the mind. It’s worth checking out various theories on the physical/mental health connection, there are many online. Here is one  the pysche central newsletter concerning children with ADHD. The administration of drugs to children should always be a last resort. The study can be found here.

In my experience, exercising when in the eye of an anxiety storm usually made me feel worse not better. When I first sought help about my anxiety, I was advised that whenever I felt an anxiety attack coming on, I should try some exercise. Apparently, this was thought to be a good way to reduce the tension.

On more than one occasion, therefore, I started running around the block when I felt the tension rising. As I pounded the streets, unfortunately, I found my physical symptoms simply got worse. I would push the barrier for a while and then jack it in as a bad job. I realise today that that particular exercise at that particular time was simply mirroring the anxiety attack itself. Everything that I usually did when hitting an anxiety wall – like running away, for example – I did again when I strode out onto the pavement in search of relief.

I still have friends who run miles or cycle until they can hardly walk because when they are doing it they are not thinking about much else. The problem is what happens between jogs or sessions at the gym.

Physical Exercise Is Not Enough

For me, rhythmic movement has a mesmerising effect. In asylums, you can see the obvious rocking motion of some patients. The great philosophers walked backwards and forwards in front of their classes, teaching with their hands behind their backs. This became known as the peripatetic style. Some people still practice this today – so there is much to be said for movement helping to calm the mind. But does keeping moving and regular exercise make a real dent in the problem?

Today, I understand that exercise has a calming effect on the body but for it has to be in conjunction with other stuff. Running, cycling, or pumping iron – or whatever – every day in order to stave off the feelings of fear and worry no longer fits the bill for me. I need to seek a loving God of my understanding, a regular house cleaning or confession, to be of some use to someone else, a mental pursuit which taxes and interests me, and a healthy lifestyle. These things offer a strong foundation and a fruitful routine which, in turn, helps reduce anxious and panicky feelings.