In the book
On Combat, by Lt Col. Dave Grossman (ret), he recommends warriors should work out. In the book
Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement, Dr. Kevin Gilmartin also suggests that working out is helpful.
PTSd is an anxiety and mood "disorder" (although I like to think of PTS as less of a "disorder" and more as something that happens when warriors face horrible experiences and
traumas associated with their livelihood). Regardless, even though these two compelling books mentioned that exercise is important for managing the stresses that come from post traumatic living, and even though I didn't doubt them, I found some scientific proof. Here it is:
“Exercise can be a magic drug for many people with depression and
anxiety disorders, and it should be more widely prescribed by mental health
care providers, according to researchers who analyzed the results of numerous
published studies. Exercise has been
shown to have tremendous benefits for mental health,” says Jasper Smits,
director of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist
University in Dallas.
“Individuals who exercise report fewer symptoms of anxiety and
depression, and lower levels of stress and anger,” Smits says. “Exercise
appears to affect, like and antidepressant, particular neurotransmitter systems
in the brain, and it helps patients with depression re-establish positive
behaviors. For patients with anxiety
disorders, exercise reduces their fears of fear and related bodily sensations
such as a racing heart and rapid breathing.”
Source:
http://blog.smu.edu/research/2010/04/01/study-exercise-should-be-prescribed-more-often-for-depression-anxiety/
