A New Year, A New You, Section 3: Stress and Exercise
Right about now, most of us are feeling stressed out in one way or another. Whether we are tired from working too many hours, overworked as a mom or are worrying about personal finances, stress can creep up on everyone. How we deal with all this stress is critical to our health.
The first thing many people do is reach for food or a drink for comfort. This may provide temporary comfort, but it can lead to additional problems such as weight gain and unhealthy habits such as trying to mask the problem rather than dealing with it. Instead of filling ourselves with food, we need to get moving and stay moving.
The notion that exercise is good for the body and mind is widely known, however more people need to make a daily commitment to doing it. Exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress naturally. Not only will it help to heal your mind, it will also help your body to function more efficiently. And a bonus feature of exercise is that the more you do, the better on the outside you will look as well.
When our bodies are stressed out, many reactions occur to prepare the body for what is known as the fight or flight response. If we were able to run away from our stress and problems immediately the body would be able to go back to a normal state quickly. However many of us keep our stress pent up inside which can lead to many emotional and physical problems.
Exercise can create an outlet for our emotions and help to release them. By exercising regularly the body can better manage the stress and return more quickly to a homeostasis state. In other words, exercise decreases the stress hormone cortisol while increasing your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, endorphins. This gives your body and mind a natural boost, or what is referred to as “runner’s high.” (Don’t worry, you don’t have to run to get a runner’s high! Many other types of exercise will do the trick.)
Many people however are scared away from the word “exercise.” They think that they have to go out and pound the pavement for miles or workout like an elite athlete. This is not case. For some a 6-mile run may help manage their stress while for others a good yoga or restorative relaxation class may do the trick. It’s not the type of exercise you do, but the consistency with which you do it. Select types of exercise that you enjoy and stick with it. As with anything start out slow and build into it. Set a goal, find a friend and change your routine every so often to keep yourself motivated. Once you form a regular exercise routine, your mind, body and life will thank you for it.
Great, motivating article!