Many people exercise to control weight and get in better physical condition to become more healthy or physically attractive, but exercise and stress management are also closely linked. Exercise can be an extremely effective stress reliever for several reasons:
Exercise for less stress:
Exercise can decrease ‘stress hormones' like cortisol, and increase endorphins. This has the effect of giving your mood a natural boost. (This is the chemistry behind a ‘runner's high’.)
Give your mind a mini-holiday:
Physical activity can take your mind off of your problems and either redirect it on the activity at hand or get you into a state very much like meditation. Exercise usually involves a change of scenery. Just getting out of your home or office will help you to forget all of the little distractions that, over the course of the day, tend to increase your stress levels.
Exercise is good for what's bugging you:
When life’s annoyances or frustrating situations build up, you can feel stressed or experience low-grade anger. High-energy forms of exercise like kick-boxing, can provide an effective release of negative emotions. In another light, Pilates, Yoga and other mind-body forms of exercise can calm the mind, helping you to relax both mentally and physically. The little 'tricks' learned with mind-body exercise methods can be used in the office or home during times that normally trigger stress.
Lookin’ Good:
Of course you already know this! That's probably the main reason you're interested in exercise in the first place. I don't need to tell you that it helps you lose weight, tone your body, and maintain a healthy glow. When your clothes fit better, you see results in the mirror and you have more energy you will have more confidence. This of course has a positive impact on your mood and can help relieve stress for those who are concerned with their appearance and worry that they don’t look as healthy as they could.
Social Support:
Exercise and physical activity can often involve others. WOW!! So you can enjoy a double dose of stress-relief with the combined benefits of exercise and fun with friends? What more could you want to up your mood and get your day off to a great start?! Whether you’re in a class with others, working out in the gym with a friend, playing your favorite team sport or taking a walk or hike with a friend, having others work out with you can make you feel good as well as help motivate you to push harder to get a better workout without it feeling so much like ‘work’.
Increased Health:
Improving your overall health and longevity with exercise can also save you a great deal of stress in the short run. The 'now' benefits of exercise are: strengthening your immunity to colds, the flu and other minor illnesses, just to name a few. In the 'long-term' exercise helps you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more. I've always said that Pilates is an investment in your future that you get to enjoy now...That really goes for all forms of healthy exercise methods.
Resilience To Stress:
Simply put, those who get more exercise are less likely to be affected by the stress they face. So, in addition to all the other benefits, exercise may supply some immunity toward future stress as well as a way to cope with current stress. If that's not a great reason to get more active, I don't know what is!
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