Have you noticed how your cares seem to melt away during an exercise class? Or have you ever found yourself laughing or smiling while dancing, extreme power hooping, or even doing a PnK Fitness Challenge? Have you ever felt relaxed after a brisk walk or workout at the home/gym? These are all examples of how exercise can help you manage stress. Come on and walk with me while you will find out:
• How to start an exercise routine
• How exercise helps you manage stress,
and
• Which workouts are best for managing
stress
Do you know that exercise has physical benefits? BUT there’s always that, but…did you know that exercise has many mental and emotional benefits, too? It can:
• Improve your mood
• Improves memory
• Reduce your anxiety
• Better Sleep
• Increase your energy
• Combat depression
• Lower your stress level
• Improve self-confidence and self-esteem, and
• Increase your energy
And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to be rewarded with all these benefits. How does exercise do all of this, you ask. First, it lowers the stress hormones in your body and can help you relax after stressful events. Exercise also triggers the release of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. These help you feel good after a workout, and they also help your body deal with stress.
Exercise helps you manage stress in many other ways. It can:
• Improve your sleep. A good night’s sleep can help you cope with stress. And working out may help you fall asleep and sleep more deeply.
• Strengthen your immunity. Being sick can be stressful. Regular workouts may boost immunity and help you fight disease.
• Relax tense muscles. Exercise works your muscles and lowers stress hormones. This, in turn, helps relax tense, tight muscles.
• Release pent-up emotions. When you’re emotionally keyed up, your stress levels tend to rise. Working out can help you release negative feelings such as anger and frustration. And dialing down that kind of emotional energy can leave you feeling calmer and less stressed.
• Calm your mind. Rhythmic, repetitive activities such as running, swimming, biking, and walking can focus your mind on your movement. This can draw your attention away from negative, stressful thoughts and help your mind slip into a calm, meditative state.
• Provide solitude. The solitude of some exercise lets you reflect on life’s problems and brainstorm solutions. This can help lower stress.
• Provide a social outlet.
Working out in a group or with friends can be fun and relaxing. And that can help lower your stress. So, what types of exercise are best for fighting stress? Just about any kind will help. Especially if it’s a type of exercise, you enjoy. Aerobic exercise is one kind. It gets your heart and lungs pumping and your body
sweating. It leaves your mind calmer and your muscles warm and relaxed. Brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and dancing are great examples. Yoga is also known for soothing stress. It’s a mind-body exercise that helps calm and focuses the mind.
Are you ready to start working out to help lower your stress? How do you get started? Let’s create a plan, with set steps, for starting your exercise routine. Look into your options. Would using a gym or fitness center help you work out? Or can you do it from the comfort of your home? Do your research on what is available in your area. Visit any locations you think you may be interested in. Choosing an option you enjoy may help you stick with your workout program. Do what you love.
Workouts you enjoy may motivate you to do more of them. If it helps relieve stress to be with your friends, you may prefer working out in a group setting. You may want to try working out outdoors when you can. Schedule your workouts. Planning when you work out and putting it on your calendar may help you stay committed and consistent. Then, slowly build up to more frequent and longer workouts as you’re ready. Guidelines recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. That works out to about 30 minutes, five days a week. But if you can’t get in 30 minutes of exercise a day, do what you can, even if it’s only 5 or 10 minutes a day to start. A little bit of exercise can help you manage stress, and a little is better than none. Make sure you have the right equipment. Comfortable, supportive walking, running, or cross-training shoes are a must-have for working out. Once you start your exercise routine, pay attention to your stress levels. Keeping a daily exercise diary may help. Get app www.myfitnesspal.com If the above idea or suggestions don’t work for you, you may want to try a few different types of exercise or switch up your routine until you find what works. Stick with it. It may take a little bit of time to feel the overall stress-soothing benefits of your new exercise routine. Remember, “You can FAKE a lot of things, but HARD work is not one of them!” ~Coach Pinky
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Shanden Jackson
