How Exercise Reduces Stress – Use Physical Activity To Relieve Stress

by Inspiration4Living.com

Each day, you are faced with a number of demands both personal and professional. When these demands get to be too heavy, you will experience stress.

Stress is a natural reaction to the demands on your life; however, you have to be very careful to manage your stress so it does not cause you harm. It has been proven that stress can lead to a number of physical and mental ailments.

You can counter the negative effects of stress by incorporating some physical activity in your day. Exercise reduces stress in a number of ways, and here are some of the benefits of exercise as a stress reducer.

First, it’s important to look at what stress does to a body. Stress causes the heart rate to increase, interferes with breathing and digestion, and causes mental distress such as anxiety and depression. Stress can cause body aches and sleep disturbances. Long term exposure to stress weakens the body’s immune system making you more susceptible to illness. So how does exercise help combat these negative effects?

One of the most important ways exercise reduces stress is by release endorphins into your system. Endorphins are chemicals released by your brain during physical activity which cause you to feel a sense of euphoria or happiness. The more physical activity you engage in, the more endorphins are released. When these chemicals flood your system, stress is greatly reduced, making it much more manageable.

Walking is a great stress reducing exercise that benefits your body and mind. By walking a scenic route when you are feeling stressed, you are helping your body relax while at the same time giving you a visually appealing setting in which to unwind. Walking increases blood flow which improves your body’s ability to fight stress. Since stress diverts blood flow from your extremities, walking will help open up the blood flow to these areas, relaxing your body.

Physical activity relaxes your muscles which relieves the tension inherent in stress. When you get stressed, your muscles tense, which can cause body aches, headaches, and other physical discomfort. By doing some type of physical activity such as stretching, yoga or even more physically demanding exercises, you are forcing your muscles to relax, thereby relieving some of the physical symptoms of stress. When you are able to relax your muscles, you can feel the effects of the stress lessening. This is one way in which exercise reduces stress.

Exercise reduces stress by also taking your mind off the thing that has caused you stress. When you engage in vigorous physical activity, you don’t have the time (or the energy) to think of the things that have caused you stress in your day. Vigorous physical activity also gives you an outlet to release pent up feelings and emotions in a healthy way.

It is proven that exercise reduces stress in a number of ways. It increases blood flow, relieves muscle tension, and has both physical and mental benefits. By participating in physical activity on a daily basis, you are not only relieving the stressors of that day, you are preparing your body to deal with future stressors in a much more effective and healthy manner.

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