18. Regular exercise appears to lower the risk of anxiety disorders
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Maintaining a physically active lifestyle appears to reduce your risk of an anxiety disorder by over 60 percent, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults every year in the U.S. That’s roughly one in five adults in this country. In this study, researchers compared almost 200,000 Swedish skiers who participated in a long-distance cross-country ski race and compared their rates of anxiety disorders to almost 400,000 individuals in the general population. They couldn’t determine exactly why physically active people had lower rates of anxiety, though. It’s possible exercise distracts you from negative thoughts as well as lowers inflammation and oxidative stress.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
