Can Exercise Help You Manage Stress?

 Exercise is One of THE Best Remedies for Stress.

Exercise may not be your favorite word or activity, but there is no denying its benefits to every aspect of your health. Moving your body every day will not only make you healthier in general, but it can also diminish the effects of stress on your body.

Have you ever gone to see a doctor for something non-specific and been told, “It’s stress related”?  You might have laughed it off and thought, “That’s what doctors say when they don’t know the real answers or diagnosis.” 

The truth is that too much stress can play a role in many diseases.

Exercise is a safe and effective way to help boost your immune system function and decrease your stress level.  And it doesn’t have to be complicated.  All movement is good movement and it all counts as exercise. Stretch, walk, dance, lift weights, it all counts.

Here are some simple ways to get started:

• Walk. Get outside or walk in place in front of the TV during commercials. Both are effective and can do wonders for your health as well as reduce your stress.
• Calisthenics. Squats, push-ups, lunges. Think old-school gym class. You can do any and all of these exercises anywhere, from your living room to your office. Scatter a few of them into your routine throughout your day and you’ll get stronger without even breaking a sweat.
•   Make it a formal dance class or just shake your booty in your living room. Dance like no one is watching for 1-2 minutes. You can get your heart rate up and you’ll be amazed at how your stress will melt away.
• Join a gym or workout class. Of course, if the whole thought of this just adds to your stress levels, try one of the options above. If it doesn’t worry you, your local fitness center will have everything from weights to a post-workout sauna or hot tub that can melt away the stress.

Stress is not all bad. If we didn’t have the stress of deadlines, many tasks would be left undone. Stress is meant to be a one-and-done event. This means that when you encounter a stress-inducer, your body reacts by releasing cortisol and other hormones to raise your heart rate and respiration rate, then the stress passes, and you return to “rest and digest,” chill mode. When this happens, stress is an inspiration helping you move out of lethargy.

When stress dominates your every waking moment, and you don’t ever get to rest and digest mode, your body begins to break down. This is when diseases like heart disease and cancer can find a way to flourish.

Moving your body helps move the stress hormones out of your bloodstream, reverse the effects of too much stress, and help you return to rest and digest mode.

Need help getting started moving your body? Join us in The Women’s Wellness Academy where you can start with my “Anytime, Anywhere Workouts.” They’ll get you started and take away all of the reasons why you aren’t moving already.

See you on the inside,
Ginny