How Exercise Reduces Stress and Promotes Wellness
Addressing Rising Stress Levels
According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily, with most saying it interferes at least moderately with their lives. In turn, this causes a slew of harmful physical, mental and emotional symptoms that impact the quality of one’s life. This is particularly alarming, especially as modern living becomes increasingly challenging with busy schedules and other demands.
However, while stress is a reality for all of us and will never be completely eliminated, there are ways to effectively and consistently manage it. It’s probably not groundbreaking news that exercise is very frequently the answer to coping with chronic stress, and there’s articles aplenty outlining scientific-based evidence that demonstrates its positive influence on our overall wellbeing and longevity. Moreover, exercise has a host of other health benefits that aid in making us feel top notch. Sounds like a winning combination, doesn’t it?
Stress-Busting Magic
Endorphins. We’ve all heard of ‘em. These powerful feel-good neurotransmitters are nature’s painkillers and responsible for the rush of energy and happiness we feel when exercising. So whether you’re trekking through the mountains, vigorously swimming laps through the pool, or playing a competitive game of basketball, you’ll find yourself feeling on top of the world with an abundance of endorphins. Additionally, regular exercise acts as a form of moving meditation. In other words, when you’re preoccupied with exercising, you’re more likely to forget certain stressors or worries that have are ongoing or have occurred throughout your day, and you may even find yourself more clear-headed after a solid sweat session. Moreover, a solid workout helps boost our mood and improve self-confidence, which is shown to fight off mild depression and anxiety. Collectively, these benefits help to ease overall stress levels.
Additional Physical Benefits
Stress not only impacts how we feel, but has an adverse effect on the body. However, if your body feels better, so will your mind. Not only does regular exercise help you feel strong, healthy and happy, but it has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, reduce fatigue, improve alertness, concentration and self-esteem, and enhance overall cognitive function, which helps our body and mind function optimally at all times. It’s also the ultimate sleeping pill: sleep quality is shown to improve drastically when invested in a regular exercise routine, and nearly every aspect of our body and life improves after a good night’s rest. This is why exercising regularly is so crucial to improve our physical and mental condition and simultaneously fight disease.
Consistency Is Key
Anything done consistently is usually something that yields promising results. This is undoubtedly true for exercise. Luckily, it’s less about what type of exercise you’re doing and more about actually making it a part of your routine. So if high intensity interval training isn’t your cup of tea? Not to worry. Yoga, running, biking, walking, hiking: they are all viable options and achieve the same result. Even five minutes of exercise daily can make a monumental difference in your health and completely demolish pesky stressors. There’s no time like now to get moving!
Strategies For Success
Making time for anything in our busy lives, much less exercise, can seem impossible. While exercise isn’t intended to be overwhelming, penciling it in each week and holding yourself accountable increases the likelihood that you’ll actually partake in and prioritize it. Healthcare professionals and The American Heart Association recommend 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly, but always be sure to pay a visit to your doctor before beginning or intensifying any workout program.
With exercise’s unending list of health benefits and a regular workout regimen, your body, mind and stress levels will continue to thank you.
This article was written by our very own Megan Carter.
Sources:
https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-anxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety