How to Reduce Anxiety with Movement (and the Science Behind It)

Search “how to reduce anxiety” on Google, and you’ll quickly find about 1.44 billion results. The coping options range from medication and talk therapy to lifestyle changes, natural remedies, or self-care practices like meditation. And while each case is truly individual, one prevalent, low-barrier strategy (backed by science) can provide instant relief: Learning how to reduce anxiety with movement. 

Most of us are no strangers to anxiety. Living through a pandemic, juggling the constant stressors of modern living, and being exposed to a 24/7 news cycle certainly add to the strain. In the United States, nearly 1 in 3 adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives (making it the most common mental illness)—and women are statistically more susceptible. 

We’re also more sedentary than ever (hi, desk jobs and #WorkFromHome life), which certainly doesn’t help us manage. The good news: Research from the past few decades has found that aerobic exercise is one of our most powerful tools for preventing and treating anxiety. One breakthrough 2021 study has found strong evidence that being physically active cuts your risk of developing clinical anxiety in half. 

So how does movement work to reduce anxiety—and what can you do if anxious thoughts are in the way of you getting started? We turned to Melody D., obé’s Senior Manager of Programming, to walk us through the why and how. In addition to being a rockstar fitness instructor, she’s experienced anxiety throughout her life and believes learning how to reduce anxiety with movement can be a superpower. 

1. Movement boosts your natural anti-anxiety neurochemicals

As we’ve all learned from Legally Blonde: Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Though this statement comes from a fictitious movie, science backs this up, identifying exercise as a particularly potent, natural mood booster.

Here’s how it works: As soon as your heart rate builds, your brain chemistry changes. Suddenly, more serotonin, dopamine, GABA, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and endocannabinoids are available to send signals through your brain and body. This can translate into feelings of calm, happiness, and resilience while diminishing sadness, nervousness, or anger. Endorphins also act as natural painkillers and can even help you sleep sounder at night.

“It doesn’t even matter what type of movement it is—whether you’re doing Dance Cardio or a strength training class—they’re all going to produce these neurochemicals, which can counteract hormonal imbalances that may contribute to anxiety,” explains Melody. 

2. Movement distracts you from anxious thoughts

Another perk of exercise—it forces you to get focused. “Working out is great at taking you out of that vicious, repetitive loop in your mind,” says Melody. “Whatever the spiral is, once you’re working out, the movements you need to follow demand your attention.”

There’s evidence that even a single bout of exercise can alleviate anxiety symptoms. That means if you find yourself in an intense episode, you can seek out a quick walk, Express Yoga, or a full-body shakeout to feel relief. As little as 5 minutes of aerobic exercise is often enough!

“I also think exercise promotes an overall sense of well-being, confidence, purpose, and achievement, all of which naturally improves our sense of self,” says Melody. “These factors can compound and help us feel good about ourselves.”

Don’t get trapped in the idea that movement needs to be extreme—like a 45-minute Ride class or boot camp drill—in order to “work.” Studies indicate that everything from restorative yoga to high-intensity interval training will reduce anxiety. A brisk walk, for example, can deliver hours of relief. 

3. Movement stimulates brain regions that mitigate anxiety responses

Most of us are familiar with the fight-or-flight response—that psychological trigger that turns on when we perceive danger. Less common knowledge: Your fight-or-flight response is predominantly controlled by the amygdala, a brain region that initiates feelings of fear and anxiety. When you’re feeling particularly anxious, the amygdala goes into overdrive.

Luckily, doing any kind of workout (like an obé class) activates brain regions that influence executive function. This helps calm you down by leveling out those stress responses in the amygdala. If you’re looking for a great place to start, obé’s 3-week Wellness Essentials Program, featuring Express Meditation, Breathwork, and Restorative Yoga classes, is perfect.

4. Movement builds physical, mental, and emotional resilience

Here’s another thing about the fight-or-flight response: it can be healthy or unhealthy. “Anxiety is a form of stress which puts us in that survivor state and increases our cortisol levels,” explains Melody. “Exercise can do that too, but it’s in a positive way that helps us become stronger.”

Once your mind and body experience processing the stress from exercise, they can apply that experience to other stressful situations. The more consistent you are with your workouts, the more resilience you build for those anxious fight-or-flight moments. “It’s a good stress that breaks us down to build us up, as opposed to the stress of anxiety, which just pulls us down,” says Melody. 

5. Movement decreases muscle tension

Anxiety can often manifest in your body as physical tension. It’s a stress reflex that protects your body against injury and pain. Typically, your body releases tension when the stressful event passes, but for people with anxiety, the physical response may persist and create a feedback loop that further feeds anxious thoughts.

Exercise helps bring down spikes in adrenaline and cortisol while stimulating those painkilling and mood-elevating neurochemicals mentioned above. The result: Less tension in the body. It can also bring down inflammation in the body and increase blood flow in a way that helps your muscles relax. 

A good stretch can be particularly helpful in releasing the tension, and obé has plenty of options. Some benefits include a decreased heart rate, a drop in blood pleasure, and muscle lengthening that counteracts tightening. 

5 tips for getting started when you’re feeling anxious

It’s one thing to understand how to reduce anxiety with movement—and it’s another to make a habit of it, especially if your anxiety revolves around working out. If this is where you’re at, you’re not alone. One study found that those with anxiety tend to be more sedentary and pursue physical activity less often (if at all). 

Here are Melody’s top tips for getting over the anxiety hurdle and start building a movement routine that works to support you. For a guided experience, start with the 3-week Wellness Essentials program, featuring Meditation, Breathwork, and Restorative Yoga classes, and layer on some Express movement classes!

1. Start small. Go for a short and sweet Express class. Don’t put too many barriers between yourself and movement by setting high expectations about what success looks like. The research says quick, short bursts of activity are just as effective as longer sessions, so scale up! 
2. Stack a meditation before class. Meditation has gotten a lot of recent attention as another powerful way to reduce anxiety naturally. Research has shown that a consistent practice is just as efficient at reducing symptoms as medication. If you’re having trouble grounding yourself, try a quick 5-minute Meditation before class to ease the mind. (A body scan can be super helpful.)
3. Try some breathwork. “Though it’s meditation’s lesser-known cousin, breathwork also naturally calms you down,” says Melody. “It helps control your parasympathetic nervous system to offset that constant stress and tension.” Pro tip: Search for an anti-anxiety Breathwork on the obé class page for accessible options.
4. Go for something fun, not competitive. “There’s a fine line between doing something that takes your mind off anxiety and getting too intense and competitive with it,” says Melody. “If you’re competitive, prone to self-doubt, or tend to beat yourself up, don’t go for a HIIT class that would make you feel like you’re not doing your best. Try something more fun like Dance Cardio, Bounce, Sculpt—or whatever that happy medium for you!”
5. Head outdoors. Let nature ease your mind. Studies show that being outdoors also contributes to reducing stress and anxiety. Try to stack your coping strategies by going for an obé audio-guided Walk or Run in a green space. 

And the most important thing to remember? “If the movement doesn’t happen for you today, don’t beat yourself up,” says Melody. “Try again the next day, and be gentle with yourself.” 

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