Reduce Stress

There are studies out there that talk about exercise and how it reduces stress. I absolutely believe each one of them. I won’t bore you with the details but will state the obvious. Exercise, workouts or movement, whatever you want to call it, reduce your daily stress because of the following reasons:

While working out, you have your mind on other things such as the task at hand so it helps reduce constantly thinking about the issues related to the stress
While exercising, you have the ability to think through your problems and maybe come up with solutions that you normally wouldn’t come up with, without having your stress reduced.
Exercise allows your body to relax and destress. I know it sounds weird, but your brain sends out chemicals which allow your body to de-compress.

When stress affects the brain, with its many nerve connections, the rest of the body feels the impact as well. So it stands to reason that if your body feels better, so does your mind. Exercise and other physical activity produce endorphins—chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers—and also improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress. Meditation, acupuncture, massage therapy, even breathing deeply can cause your body to produce endorphins. Conventional wisdom holds true that exercise makes you feel energized and healthy.

Oh, you don’t believe me? Health insurance companies charge lower premiums to those that are in good physical condition. Statistics have shown that people who are overweight and are not as healthy, have a better chance of getting sick with job absences, than those who are healthy. Less stress can lead to better health. Try it, you’ll see that exercise does reduce stress and will make you feel so much better!