Add Exercise and Stress Relief Will Come Your Way!

Did you know you can have fun and get healthy with exercise and stress reduction all at the same time?

Learn about exercise and stress. Find out about relieving stress by exercise and what types of stress management exercises to do for maximum stress relief.

You know that exercise can help you lose weight and fight disease, but did you know that physical activity can help you reduce stress? It does this by decreasing the production of stress hormones and counteracting the body’s stress response -- remember fight or flight?

Any type of stress relief exercise will do -- walking your dog, jogging, riding your bike. Use your imagination and find what you like.


Why does exercise and stress relief go together?

Exercise improves your overall health and the way you feel about yourself. Exercise reduces stress.

Exercise:

Alleviates daily tensions -- Exercise helps you get rid of your daily stresses and helps you learn to cope with them.

Improves your mood -- Studies have shown exercise can decrease anxiety levels and help ease mild depression. It can also make you feel better about yourself, improve your mood and boost your self-esteem.

Relaxes your muscles and helps you sleep -- Exercise can help loosen stiff muscles. The more stressed you are, the stiffer your muscles get. While all forms of exercise can help with this, try stretching or yoga to get the most benefit.

Improves blood flow to your brain -- This can bring additional sugars and oxygen needed during intense thinking. Increased blood flow also helps flush toxins and waste products out.

Releases endorphins -- Physical activity helps your body increase the production of endorphins -- your brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitters that make you feel happy.

Helps you forget your problems -- Stress management exercises forces you to concentrate on your body’s movements and not on your day. The result is a meditation like feeling.


What exercises are good for stress relief?

Really any kind of exercise will help you reduce your stress. Try to incorporate an aerobic exercise, a weight lifting exercise and a stretching exercise to your life to get the most anxiety reducing benefits.Exercise

These are just some examples of exercises that count:

  • Jogging/Running
  • Gardening
  • Bike riding
  • Walking
  • Cleaning
  • Gentle Stretching
  • Lifting weights
  • Yoga
  • Pilates
  • Playing with your kids
  • Walking the dog


Tips for Enjoying Exercise and Sticking With It

Before you get started on an exercise program there are few things to keep in mind.

Check with your doctor -- Before you begin an exercise program check with your doctor to ensure the program will not be too intense for you, especially if it has been awhile since you’ve exercised.

Start slowly -- Build up your fitness level gradually. Start out by walking or just pacing yourself. This will help reduce the chances of you being injured or disliking something that is too intense. You can start out with 10 minutes a day and work yourself up to 30 minutes or more.

Do what you love -- Pick an activity that you enjoy and have fun doing. Try finding a bunch of different activities you like so you can switch it up. That way you will never get bored.

Pick a time and stick to it -- Schedule an appointment with yourself and keep it -- you will thank yourself for it. One time that is popular at many workplaces is using the lunch hour to go to the gym or get outside and take a walk.

Get a partner -- Find someone to join you on your workout. Get outside and play with your kids or find a friend to join you at the gym.

With an activity you enjoy you will be relieving stress with exercise and improving your health in one easy step. You will be healthier and happier, so give it a chance!



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