The Effects Of Exercise On Stress Management
Stress is a very common part of life, and people have lots of different ways to handle it. Sadly, a large portion of those stress-relieving tactics will ultimately result in more stress. Stress is a result of high cortisol, and not enough "feel good chemicals", such as dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin.
Exercise is a free, convenient, powerful tool to help maintain the level of stress in your life. Exercise uses the good kind of stress that leads to a release of those "feel good" hormones, to fight off the high levels of cortisol.
Now let's go over why chronic high cortisol is a bad thing in the first place. Some of you might say, "well I am stressed, but I am handling it just fine, so why should I worry?" Well here's a few things about stress that you might now have known. Stress affects your mood, focus, sleep, recovery, appetite, performance, hormone regulation, digestion, development in kids and teens, increase in inflammation, and decrease in muscle mass. Convinced yet? So, even if you may feel okay, there seems to be plenty of reasons to pay attention to how much cortisol you let into your life.
Luckily, the next steps are easy. Exercise doesn't have to be confusing, or long, but it should be intense. Studies show that even 15-20 minutes 4-5 times a week is enough to help regulate your stress, but only if the exercise is intense enough. Everyone is at a different starting point, so start with a light walk and gradually increase the intensity.
Building daily habits is the best way to see long term improvements, while using exercise as a stress mitigating tool. Choose ways to stay active that fit in your current lifestyle, and maybe even make it enjoyable if you can. Nobody says you have to put yourself through grueling 4 hour boot camps every day. Try your local run club, or take a friend and get good at tennis. Strength training also has a uniquely powerful effect on stress reduction. Whatever you do, just stay consistent with it, and explore all the ways you can move your body to increase your health, decrease your stress and elevate your mood.
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