Exercise as a coping mechanism

Searching · Post by **Searching** » Tue May 11, 2004 7:59 am

Just wondering what kind of effect does exercise has on people here when used as a coping mechanism.

frodo · Post by **frodo** » Tue May 11, 2004 5:25 pm

personally i have a natural ability at sport, it is just one of those things that i dont even have to try at, and im good at it. as a result of that, from a very young age i played so many different sports i can hardly remember the names of them!! as i got older i specialised into the sports i was pretty damn good at, i would be playing up to three different sporting activities a day. then i hurt my knee and i can honestly say, that i think this was one of the reasons why i started SI'ing, i felt like my life was completely and utterly out of my control.

over the two or three years it has taken to sort my knee out, the times when i was able to go back to sport, i felt no real urges to SI. it acts not as a coping mechanism, but as an outlet, which i see as different. i wouldnt exercise so i didnt SI, i exercise because i love doing it and the effects of that exercise mean that im in a much safer and better state of mind.

of course there is all the physiology that goes hand in hand with sport, such as endorphins and what have you, which im sure makes a huge difference. sport in general, makes me feel good, it makes me feel worthwhile and it stops the world spinning as fast as it usually does for me, because for that particular time period, im focused on one thing only.

so yeah, that was a huge response for your question.

with love,
frodo.

gui hong · Post by **gui hong** » Tue May 11, 2004 5:34 pm

Besides all the physiological responses that Frodo mentioned, and the health benefits, exercise relieves stress and helps me feel better about my body, two big reasons why I SI'd. I'm not athletic but if I do something aerobic every day, it really helps.

gui

Orange Crush · Post by **Orange Crush** » Tue May 11, 2004 8:32 pm

I always find that dancing helps, it's what I've always done (but I'm a dancer)
Though sometimes I just thrash around in my bedroom.

nirvana · Post by **nirvana** » Wed May 12, 2004 12:11 am

sometimes.

i'm naturally athletic too, and i used to use excercise a lot to cope. lacrosse worked for "anger management" for me, because i could get aggressive. and i run a lot, which i use just to take my mind off things. i also ice skate, which is just something i've grown up doing, so i love it.

but not all those work all the time. most of the time yes, but sometimes, they don't. like if i'm too far gone, and in a panicky/depressed mood, i can't make myself do anything, because i don't have the energy or drive for it. but it does help relieve stress.

not sure that made sense.

xoxo, tara.

Roxi · Post by **Roxi** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:53 pm

I posted other b/c it usually is. But sometimes it just isn't and I'd have been at the gym for 2 hours and still land up SIing soon thereafter. But generally, yes- it does work quite well

Chaocontrol6 · Post by **Chaocontrol6** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:26 pm

Definitely for me, when I go and train karate it is a great coping mechanism when I'm punching the pads to death and practicing my kata, man it feels good

Forget Me · Post by **Forget Me** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:36 am

it works for me, but only once i can be bothered going out.
for me, when i really push myself, i can concentrate on the pain of that the same way i concentrate on SI.

Emma Wallace · Post by **Emma Wallace** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:56 pm

It works for me... for a little while. The other trouble is that when I'm under stress, exercising is one of the last things I want to do.

zombiepeople · Post by **zombiepeople** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:23 am

I put other, just because it really depends on what mood I'm in before I start excercising...usually when I'm really depressed I dont' want to even move, but once I do I feel better sometimes. Other times it doesn't work so well and I end up SIing any way.

nineteen · Post by **nineteen** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:58 pm

well i just went the gym for the first time in like 3 weeks. so apart from being knackered i feel invigorated.

the runner's high?

i feel better in spite of the fact that i accually cut myself this morning.

so it has picked me up somewhat. i'll need to do it again.

also, i've been drinking vodka.

XD

MusicalMorphine · Post by **MusicalMorphine** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:26 pm

It never really worked much for me. I did karate every week and sometimes I came back feeling better, but I think that was just mainly because I was socialising with people. But if I was really depressed before hand, it just made it worse because I wan't focused or motivated to do anything, and I would come back feeling annoyed and like a failure.

whatever · Post by **whatever** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:18 pm

oh, good point MusicalMorphine - for me there can be a big difference between 'organised sport' (including having to be sociable with other people) and 'exercise', which can mean going for a run in the middle of the night if i have to, or doing mad aerobics in my bedroom where nobody else can see me.

idork · Post by **idork** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:49 am

sometimes exercise really does help... it at least helps me get through most of the day, I enjoy running but I'm not good at physical stuff so it usually wears off quickly

the edge of the world · Post by **the edge of the world** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:32 am

other - when I can get up the will to exercise

Glockenspiel · Post by **Glockenspiel** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:54 pm

It's a coping mechanism. It's not the only one, though. It certainly reminds me of some of the things I have accomplished in my life.

Cuppy · Post by **Cuppy** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:50 pm

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