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Do you feel like exercise improves your state of mind?
Yes 58%  58%  [ 18 ]
No 29%  29%  [ 9 ]
Can't tell 13%  13%  [ 4 ]
Total votes : 31

maldoror
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04 May 2007, 1:01 am

I've always had a natural tendency to go out on walks in the middle of the night, or avoid driving when I can. But within the past week I started going on long bike rides every day, and all of a sudden I feel like I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I think this is why I've shied away from regular exercise before. I don't know if it's some other aspect of my life, or what, but I thought exercise was supposed to make you feel better!



Ticker
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04 May 2007, 1:30 am

Just a thought- maybe its not the exercise bothering you but maybe its where you are biking that is the problem. Are you biking in high traffic areas? Maybe dodging cars, other bikers, people and inhaling exhaust fumes is what's really bothering you.



maldoror
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04 May 2007, 1:33 am

Well, the past three days I went to my favorite park in the city, and before that I was going down a bike trail, but I guess that's a possibility; I don't really like the people in that park, and actually I don't really like looking at my city much, either, bike path or no. I would much rather be somewhere remote.



TheMachine1
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04 May 2007, 1:47 am

Yes it improves my mood. Not walked in two days(rain) and am about to in the next hour :)

One strange effect I note when I get back from a long walk my perception of time for maybe the next 1 hour seems to change. That hour slows down and it seems I get much more done in that time frame. It may all be in my mind but its a real sensation I get.

Maybe endorphins or other biochemical changes in the brain may explain that. Do opiate like drugs make people feel time is moving slower?

Oh I walk like 3 am and there are no cars or people and I'm with my 3 big dogs.



girl7000
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04 May 2007, 3:12 am

Depends on the type of exercise for me.

I have amblyopia and dyspraxia, so anything that requires good balance or physical co-ordination or judging of distances (so let's say beam exercises, modern / jazz dance, cricket / rounders / baseball to give some examples) are very difficult for me and leave me feeling confused. They aslo affect my confidence as I can immediately see that everyone else is better than me.

I also can't do team sports because I don't understand team dynamics and politics.

However, I like walking and running and tap dancing (as I only have to concentrate on my feet and don't have to dance wth a partner) and climbing and I also like capoeira although that is a more difficult because of the dyspraxia.

Exercise clears my head and gives me more energy and makes me feel good - release of endorphins, I guess.

I also find that when I am angry or upset, walking on my own really helps - although it has to be where there are unlikely to be other people otherwise the presence of those people upsets me further.
But generally it's good because I can 'walk off' or 'run off' anger, which is a very useful thing for me.



Davidufo
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04 May 2007, 4:58 am

yes, exercise improves my mood, gives me more energy, helps me get to sleep at night and i feel more alert the next day.
(this is when i combine it with eating healthy food like fruit and stuff, and when i don't overdo the amount of exercise and drink plenty of water) ..sometimes i like to go to the gym ... though having so many people around in the gym can be hard at times, but worth it.

edit: ...walking is good



TheMachine1
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04 May 2007, 5:02 am

Just got back from a 2 hour walk with my dogs. Time is feeling slow because I said I would start tracking it at 4:58 AM and 4 minutes later now seems like a lot longer :)



scrulie
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04 May 2007, 5:08 am

Walking in a nice, natural place is good but I hate walking in busy towns and cities. I don't like any kind of formal exercise - I find it really tedious and it makes me feel ill.


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longNstrong
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04 May 2007, 6:47 am

TheMachine1 wrote:
Yes it improves my mood. Not walked in two days(rain) and am about to in the next hour :)

One strange effect I note when I get back from a long walk my perception of time for maybe the next 1 hour seems to change. That hour slows down and it seems I get much more done in that time frame. It may all be in my mind but its a real sensation I get.

Maybe endorphins or other biochemical changes in the brain may explain that. Do opiate like drugs make people feel time is moving slower?

Oh I walk like 3 am and there are no cars or people and I'm with my 3 big dogs.


Interesting observations on walking and time. I have noticed something similar with being more productive. Basically post-walk my AS focus is this enormous productive asset that lets me get a lot done because I am anything but overwhelmed with stimuli.

I think I have also noticed that I most 'alive' or whatever when I do a lot of walking and other physical activity. I often wonder if perhaps AS is just a much more profound needs for certain physical conditions. But when these needs are met, we are generally more capable.



TellerStar
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04 May 2007, 8:43 am

Exercise is one of the main things that helps me. I expecially like running, but also cycling and swimming. It wakes me up and gives me time to myself to think and clear my mind.



9CatMom
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04 May 2007, 8:46 am

Walking works best for me.



poopylungstuffing
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04 May 2007, 11:48 am

I typically do much better all around when I am getting regular exercise....Right now I need to work on getting out of the house and going for a walk every morning instead of spending an hour on WP :(

I do remember though that I used to take this yoga class and after the class I would always find myself really really depressed for some reason...like in a melty downy state.

But i have taken other yoga classes that did not do that to me.



Fraya
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04 May 2007, 4:27 pm

If I go through a period where I have to exercise a lot I end up with more energy.

However exercising itself makes me feel bad because its painful. Not that Im exercising too much and causing damage or anything just that the feedback overstimulates me and puts me in near-meltdown state and it actually feels painful much like loud annoying noises or bright light.

I guess the endorphins that are supposed to compensate and make it something enjoyable don't work on me.



shadexiii
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04 May 2007, 4:34 pm

I've never heard of anyone feeling worse from exercise (well until now :P), but I can say that I've never noticed the stress-relieving effects that everyone else seems to bring up. That being said, I think Ticker's probably right about this, that something involved with the exercise, be it location or something else along those lines, could be the cause for anxiety.

Is the anxiety something that comes up right after (or during) the exercise, or is it delayed? It might not be related to the exercise at all.



Shelby
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04 May 2007, 10:49 pm

If I don't exercise first thing in the morning, I'll be much more "autistic" all day. I work with a chatty assistant, and if I don't exercise then I can't handle her. If I can't exercise then I need a strong coffee to turn my brain on enough to at least act like an NT.



ChrissandraChrissamba
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05 May 2007, 1:03 am

I hate exercise. It just makes me feel tired. :(