Relieving Stress by Exercise

With the fast pace of today’s life stress is becoming more and more of an issue, so it’s vital we know how to control it.

What is stress and how does it affect us?
There are 2 types of stress, physical and emotional. Physical stresses are actual physical conditions placed upon our body during activity or exercise. Emotional stress is caused by feelings and emotions from a certain situation, for example pressure at work or the loss of a loved one.

A certain amount of stress can be good for us, because stress is designed to make us react and take action. It goes back to the time of our ancestors where the response to stress was either fight-or-flight. They may have been in a situation where they were forced to fight or run away from a wild animal. Stress is what happens when we need to mobilize our body to take action. The problems come in today’s society where we don’t have the need to initiate the actions (fight-or-flight) associated with stress, so all the tension and emotion gets built up. Too much stress can eventually have an affect on our mental and physical health.

The affects of stress can be responsible for a number of complaints. These are just a few,

Asthma
Hyperventilation
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity
Colitis
Constipation
Migraine
Heart attack
Colds and flu
Depression

Some people cope with stress much better than others. Learning to cope with stress is something that can be acquired and applied at anytime. It’s important for you to realize when you are suffering from stress and apply the techniques to help control it.

Unfortunately people tend to use alternative methods of coping with stress that are ineffective and detrimental to health, such as;

Smoking
Alcohol
Caffeine
Aggression

There are much better natural ways available to deal with stress. Taking regular exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Exercise helps you to relax and deal with the fight-or flight response that your body has been gearing up for all day at work.
Exercise initiates the release of natural endorphins that make you feel happy and more relaxed. After an exercise session you will feel revitalized and invigorated, which helps to set you up for the day at work or a relaxing evening at home, depending on when you exercise. Of course it’s much more of a benefit if you participate in an activity that you enjoy and motivates you. Getting out, having fun and mixing with like minded people helps you to forget about the stressful things on your mind. Exercise gives you a sense of personal power and control that helps to combat the feelings of depression and anxiety.

However, it’s important to realize that exercise alone is not a complete solution to stress and is way to help relieve stress. You should carry out a lifestyle analysis and build a Stress Management Plan to identify and deal with the areas that are contributing to your stress. Identifying the source and applying a solution will help to nip it in the bud. Exercise should then become a part of a permanent change in lifestyle.