The Benefits of Exercise for Schizoaffective Disorder

Exercise really helps my schizoaffective disorder, particularly my anxiety. In the past, I've found it hard to exercise in the brutal Chicago winter weather. I’ve now found a way to exercise without even leaving my apartment building that I’d like to share with you.

Exercise Helps with My Schizoaffective Anxiety

I’ve started climbing up and down the two flights of stairs in my building several times. The two flights have 16 steps each. So far, I’ve worked up to climbing the pair of them seven times. When I started out, I was only able to complete three sets.

I do this twice a day. However, sometimes I take a long walk—yes, even in the cold. You see, I’ve found that since my apartment is so hot in the winter—because of the radiators—the cold is refreshing. When I take a long walk, it replaces the second time I go up and down the stairs. But, while I can adjust to the cold, I still don’t like walking in the ice and the snow. So discovering this indoor option is great.

What’s also great is the effect climbing the stairs has had on my schizoaffective disorder. For one thing, it feels great to know I’m doing something proactive about the weight gain caused by my schizoaffective medication. For another, the endorphins from exercising feel great. It really helps me think more clearly, and it’s so empowering not to have my thoughts ruled by schizoaffective anxiety.

You might wonder why I don’t join a gym. Well, gyms are expensive, and also, I’m still a little afraid to drive in winter so I couldn’t count on myself to get to the gym every day.

Schizoaffective Anxiety Can Get in the Way of Exercising

I used to run every day. The good news is that I think I’m ready to start running again in the spring. But this is where my schizoaffective anxiety rears its ugly head. One of the reasons I don’t like exercising outside is that I don’t like the possibility of getting rained or snowed on in the middle of the trek. The reason for this is that my husband, Tom, and I have a very small apartment and there aren’t many places to lay clothes to dry.

However, you can always improvise. I’ve found that the wet clothes aren’t as big of a deal as I thought. I have a chair I can just hang my clothes over, and I realized this is good enough. With luck, I can check that off my list of things to worry about.

In any case, right now, I have an exercise routine for schizoaffective disorder that works for me. And I’m honestly delighted.