Stress Reduction Through Exercise

Stress has always been a part of our lives. In this hectic time, people lead an increasingly stressful life. Experts state that a little stress can be good; it keeps you sharp and ready to move forward, and is sometimes vital for achieving optimum performance. However, medical research has determined that prolonged stress is very bad for the body, and can block the body’s natural ability to repair, regenerate and protect itself.  Stress is such a powerful and harmful force that it is vital that you learn effective stress management techniques to live a successful, happy, and healthy life. We must remember that we will always come across inevitable factors that cause pressure and anxiety on us.

One of the best ways to reduce stress is to start a Fitness program that challenges you physically and makes you feel great when you are done. Exercise helps to counter the negative effects that stress has on our mind and body, so why wouldn’t you do it?

Even a light workout or a walk in the park can be beneficial for stress reduction. By increasing the intensity of the exercise our body begins to release endorphins, which makes us feel happier and this counters the effects of stress. Incorporating stretching after a good workout helps you to focus on your body (and breathing), allowing you to reach a relaxed state.  Mental relaxation is a key way to reduce stress as well.

As our levels of Fitness increase we are able to handle more stress both in body and mind, as being physically fit also leads to a more positive outlook on life and less problems are likely to influence this outlook.

We become more alert as we get fitter and tasks that might have been difficult become easier to achieve.
This ability to perform more in a day with less effort has a dramatic effect on our stress levels.

In addition to this, when we exercise outdoors we get the benefits of fresh air, which is something that many people don’t get enough of in the air conditioned environments that we have become accustomed to.

The more we exercise the less we are inclined to suffer from the negative effects of stress and this reduction in stress allows us to exercise more easily as our energy levels rise. It becomes and ever increasing positive circle of less stress and more Fitness.  Practice makes perfect and the more you practice relax your mind, the easier it gets. 

People often get into a ‘rut’ where they feel they don’t have the time to exercise as they have too much to do, when in fact if they took the time to exercise they would have more energy and better health that would allow them to do more in the course of the day.  They would find they could be more productive and do so in a more relaxed manner.

The true causes of stress are not the problems or negative experiences that you encounter in your life; but your attitude toward them. So, the trick is to change adjust your focus to something that helps you body and allows you to achieve a relaxed state, because you cannot be stressed and relaxed at the same time. It is important to understand that what we focus on, we energize. The more you continue to think about the factors that cause your stress, the more energy you give it. So it is vital to let go and focus on your Fitness and relaxation instead. Consequently, you’re less likely to be upset by a stressor, and thus less likely to have its harmful effect occur. In the end, it is your choice. You could either continue to react in the same stressful way, or you could choose to improve your life by changing your attitude, getting fit and becoming relaxed.