Let’s face it. We all have stress in our lives and no matter how hard we try, we can’t make it go away, but we can do things to make our lives less stressful. One of the most important things you can do for yourself and your body is to exercise. Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being. Studies have shown, exercise can relax the body and mind, burn fat, improve your cardiovascular system, reduce the occurrence of diseases and help lower blood pressure. Exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.
- It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to pump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. This makes you feel more confident about yourself.
- It’s meditation in movement. It gives you time to escape from your problems or, for some people, face them and come up with solutions.
- It puts you in a better mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. This can also give you a sense of mastery in this crazy world.
Exercise can help with stress by providing an outlet for negative emotions such as worry, irritability, depression, hostility, anger, frustration, and anxiety. You can dissipate these feelings by simply working them out on the tennis court, by running, or punching a bag. Regular exercise provides the opportunity to help the body to return to a clam, balanced mood more quickly. Whatever you do, don’t think of exercise as just one more thing on your to-do list. Find an activity you enjoy and make it part of your regular routine.
