Have you ever felt relaxed after a brisk walk or workout? Have you ever noticed how your cares seem to melt away doing something you enjoy? Or have you ever found yourself
laughing or smiling while extreme power hooping,
shooting hoops, playing tag, or biking with your kids? These are all examples of how exercise can help you manage stress.
Come on and follow me while I, Coach Pinky, get into it.
• Which workouts are best for managing stress
• How to start an exercise routine, and
• How exercise helps you manage stress
Did you know that exercise has physical benefits and many mental and emotional benefits, too? It can:
• Improve your mood
• Reduce your anxiety
• Combat depression
• Increase energy
• Improve self-confidence, self-esteem, and
• Lower your stress level
You’re probably wondering how does exercise do all of this? For starters, it lowers the level of stress hormones in your body. This can help you wind down and relax after stressful events. Exercise also triggers the release of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. These help you feel good after a workout. They also help your body deal with stress. Besides producing feel-good brain and body chemicals, exercise helps you manage stress in many other ways. It can:
• Improves your sleep
• Strengthen your immunity.
• Relax tense muscles.
• Release pent-up emotions
• Calm your mind
• Provide solitude
• Provide a social outlet
I bet you’re wondering what types of exercises are best for fighting stress? Just about any kind will help, especially if it’s a type 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.
Extreme Power Hooping (EPH) with a Luxury Fitness Hoop® is also known for soothing stress. It’s a type of mind-body exercise that helps calm and focus the mind. EPH also signals your body to relax out of the fight-or-flight brought on by stress. How does EPH do this? The intense breathing eases stress and anxiety, improves concentration, lowers stress, and allows you fun and excitement with a boost of energy.
Is it okay to say you are ready to start working out to help lower your stress? How do you get started? It may help to create a plan, with set steps, for starting your exercise routine. Look into your options. Do what you love. Workouts you enjoy may motivate you to do more of them. Invite your friends, and you may prefer working out in a group setting. If the peace and quiet of solitude help ease your stress, think about solo workouts. You may want to try working out outdoors when you can. The soothing natural environment, fresh air, and sunshine will do you good.
Schedule your workouts. Planning when you work out and putting it in your calendar may help you stay committed and on track. Start small don’t start so strong that you don’t want to go back. If you haven’t exercised in a long time, you may want to start with two or three 10-, 15-, or 20-minute workouts a week. Then, slowly build up your endurance, strengthen your core and get back to more frequent and more prolonged workouts as you’re ready.
I recommend getting 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. That works out to be 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. Even a little bit of exercise can help you manage stress and help you feel better, and a little is better than none. Make sure you have the right equipment. Comfortable, supportive 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 journal may help. Is the exercise helping to improve your stress levels? Do you feel less frustrated, anxious, or stressed? Do you feel calmer than before? Do you feel like you’re able to cope more easily with
stressful events or situations? If not, you may need to try a few different types of exercise or switch up your routine until you find what works for you. Stick with it. Please don’t give up after one or two tries. We learn our lessons from failures. It may take a little bit of time to feel the overall stress-soothing benefits of your new exercise routine. But it will be worth it all
in the end. Stay focused and trust the process.
Coach Pinky!
