We’ve all felt that metaphorical mound of stress on our back that tends to push our posture forward and tighten our shoulder muscles into insane knots. With all of the pressures in everyday life our fight or flight reactions are working in overtime. Exercise is the most natural way to slow adrenal glands down and rid the body of any harmful chemicals that can cause anxiety or depression.
If this article and the mere thought of exercise is stressing you out, just know that even low impact exercise is better than none. Be it a quick walk outside in the sunshine or a rigorous one-on-one training session in a personal training studio, any exercise at any level will improve your mood and amp up your energy for a more productive day.
Here are seven known ways exercise can relieve stress:
The Systems Running Your Body: For us to react positively in negative situations the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, and muscular systems need to run smoothly. Exercise helps to lubricate these systems and helps to keep the oxygen flowing normally. Without the proper amount of oxygen to our brain, we can become irritable and feel like we are not fully functioning.
Pumped Up Endorphins : Ever heard of the runner’s high?After long periods of high intensity exercise, endorphins are released from the brain causing us to feel happy. Endorphins are nature’s pain reliever. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself and it’s sure that whatever is stressing you out now, will hardly be noticed after a heart pumping jog.
Meditation for the Mind: Exercise has a soothing effect on the body but even more so for the mind. While you are concentrating on the workout you are doing, your mind goes into meditation mode leaving you stress free and relaxed afterward.
More Organized Thoughts: If your work or home life is in shambles, we sometimes feel more stressed than we should. Working with a personal trainer in Chicago to help set up a workout plan can get you track to feeling stress free. Having an organized and well thought out routine to keep your mind and body healthy will help you apply some of those learned physical training skills to everyday life.
Immunity: Consistent exercise helps to prevent colds and virus. During body movement, immune cells circulate quicker and are better able to fight bacteria. Our immune system grows stronger with exercise just like our muscles. Keeping your immune system healthy helps to keep levels of stress down by shielding sickness which may cause time away from work, family, or friends.
Personal Bonding: Any chance you get to hang out with friends is a stress reliever in itself. Take the time to get active by organizing a game of tennis at the local court or gathering in the field for a friendly game of touch football. Any activity that involves the people you love gives you the chance to relieve stress, share conversation, and have a laugh.
A More Sound Sleep: If your everyday job has you sitting still all day, chances are your sleep pattern is not. Not enough exercise during the day can have you tossing and turning at night, leading up to a stressful and anxious morning. You see a pattern here? Adequate exercise helps to relieve the body of this draining cycle, helping you sleep soundly at night and work better during the day.
Like we said earlier, just a few minutes of blood pumping exercise is better than none. It’s important that you switch your routine up every so often to keep workouts fun and stimulating. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring and you should stick with what you enjoy. Just remember a good workout reduces tension, stabilizes mood, and improves self-esteem, which is all worth it for you to project your best qualities in a demanding world.