Feeling Empowered at KB Fitness
One excellent way to deal with fear and anxiety is to take them by the horns and go from fearful to powerful under the guiding hand of seasoned professionals. KB Fitness has a host of classes aimed at boosting your sense of strength and confidence. For instance, KB Kickboxing is known to produce a rush of endorphins. As you kick and box your way into shape, try to imagine that you are actually punching your anxiety into oblivion. You can also specialise in self-defence. Although the latter is aimed at helping you react to sudden and unexpected attacks, it creates a general sense of strength and resilience. It is empowering to discover that you don’t need anyone to defend yourself—you have all it takes to weather any storm, including your anxiety.
The Benefits of Kung Fu at KB Fitness
Kung Fu at KB Fitness is the ultimate metaphor for how you can succeed in life by using a blend of hardness (meeting force with force) and softness (using an aggressor’s strength against them). Martial arts like kung fu are known to help reduce anxiety because they require laser focus and mindfulness. When you practice Kung Fu regularly, you build a mental strength and fortitude that make fear, worry, and anxiety things of the past. In a Kung Fu class, your body releases endorphins (feel-good hormones), lifting your mood and helping you feel more energized. Kung Fu is also a magnificent way to release tension and stress within a safe, controlled setting; one in which you are with highly knowledgeable, experience teachers that guide your progress with intelligence and understanding.
Finding the Workout that is Right for You
Everybody loves yoga. It is a mindfulness-based activity that lowers stress, lifts the mood, and makes you feel more energized. However, for some people, trying to perfect an asana when they lack balance or coordination can be uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and simply demotivating. Before becoming a new member at a gym, check out the establishment’s offerings. What classes do they offer and are most of the classes that you feel most comfortable in held during your free time? Look at other characteristics such as proximity to your home and specialization. For instance, if your anxiety is induced by a fear of injury owing to past experiences, does the gym have a specialist physiotherapist or highly skilled staff that can help you strengthen your body and prevent future injury?
Setting Realistic Goals
If you haven’t exercised in a while, ease into it by planning short sessions that you can extend over time. For instance, the first time you go to the gym, you might simply complete 10 minutes of exercise on a treadmill and five minutes of free weights. You can gradually increase the amount of time you stay by around five minutes every few days. Don’t feel like you have to accomplish everything at once. Instead, focus on the journey and on making small but steady improvements that will raise your self-confidence and help battle false beliefs about your ability to overcome your anxiety.
Opting for Behavioural Therapy if Anxiety Hits Strongly or Regularly
If you find that despite efforts such as choosing interesting activities and going to the gym with good friends, you still shiver at the thought of having to attend a gym or you are stuck in a rut, a few sessions of behavioural therapy may help. There may be an underlying cause of anxiety that you have not managed to identify, including past trauma, a phobia concerning a specific aspect of gym training, or a belief that it is too late to make a change. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and other behaviour-based therapies can help you identify the causes of your anguish and set small behavioural goals that can in turn change the way you think and feel about exercise.
If you have exercise-related anxiety, your fear could be stopping you from achieving beneficial goals. You can try to quell this type of anxiety by yourself, by choosing the right gym and easing into your routine. However, if these efforts don’t work, consider a few sessions of CBT or other therapies that can help battle false beliefs and make you believe more in yourself.
Written by Jennifer Dawson