Reduce Stress by Exercise

All the little things that aggravate, upset or worry you during the day can build up and eventually lead to a period of stress. Combat the negative effects of stress by releasing your pent-up tension in exercise.

The stress response is a highly physical one. It gears the body and the mind to react to a state of physical, not mental, emergency. This is unfailingly appropriate in cases of immediate physical stress, such as finding a bus coming straight towards you when you start to cross the street. (It has given you the energy and the impetus to jump out of the way).

It is less appropriate in cases of longer-lasting psychological stress. Over the course of a day, it is likely you will encounter a number of situations that give rise to strong negative emotions, such as anger and anxiety. These situations are not necessarily life-changing, they are usually such things as mistakes at work or being late for an appointment because your train was cancelled or you were stuck in a traffic jam, or mentally replaying the previous night's argument and preparing for the next.

Any type of stress alerts the body for action. If none follows, relatively large amounts of the stress hormones, together with their more dangerous by-products, such as free fatty acids which can raise cholesterol and blood pressure levels, are left circulating in the bloodstream with no chance of being burned off. In such cases it is up to you to restore the balance.

It is easy to prevent negative emotions from building up. Besides learning to relax and talking problems through with a loved one, you will find that one of the most effective ways to combat stress is to release all the negativity of your day in a vigorous exercise or sport session. This is much more productive than politely suppressing your feelings or losing your temper.

Channeling all your pent-up emotions into a physical activity not only releases feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins and raises serotonin levels, which help to relieve pain and relax muscles and balance your mood, but will also give you a sense of well-being, boost your problem solving ability, reduce your aggression levels, minimize depression and promote good sleep.

When choosing a sport or exercise to help you release your pent-up tension, it is important that you make sure your choice suits your needs and fits in with your lifestyle. You will need to be able to sustain a high level of effort for as long as possible, so you should choose an exercise that suits your fitness level.

The best activities are those that work best with a little aggression added. A contact sport such as boxing or an intense aerobics work-out can be the perfect choice but, for those who like team sports, tennis, net ball, and water polo can be excellent alternatives. Whatever your choice, make sure it is one that you can use to channel your stress into and above all else, make sure it is one you enjoy.

Other simple exercises to reduce stress are:

Stretching and breathing:

Stretching and deep breathing exercises are an excellent way to ease muscle tension especially if you are sitting for most of the day at work.

Practicing Yoga:

By doing Yogic postural, breathing and relaxation exercises this can help to increase your flexibility and relieve stress and fatigue that a hard day at work can cause.

Aerobic exercise:

Aerobic exercises, like walking, swimming, gardening and cycling are great stress-busters. Brisk walking in particular is most beneficial as it can be performed almost anywhere and at any time. Plus it encourages you to take advantage of the fresh air and changing scenery.

Just remember to engage in an activity for 30 minutes or more at least 3 days a week and choose something that you'll really enjoy doing and stick with it as you embark on your stress prevention journey.