If
you're looking for some lasting stress relief, there is probably nothing better
for you than exercise and physical activity.
This might come as bad news to some who immediately realize that you
only get exercise and physical activity through effort and work on your part;
you can't simply sit on the couch and "wish" stress relief upon
yourself. Rarely does this happen.
But
how is exercise and stress relief related?
Why is it that physical activity, one of the last things anyone wants
when they're stressed, is so healthy and healing when it comes to tension? Let's look at that subject a bit closer here.
Exercise
is a great means of stress relief because it helps to loosen tense and cramped
muscles. When you're under stress the
muscles have a tendency to stiffen up, as if ready for action. This is a very primal response to tension
that you may not even be aware of.
However, when muscles are stiff and tense, blood cannot flow freely in
those areas and blood is very necessary for the health and healing of
muscles. So it's a vicious circle -
tension creates stiff muscles which in turn means they are often in pain, which
creates more tension. Some easy
stretching and light exercise can provide stress relief by increasing blood
circulation so that those muscles can loosen up and be healthy. This means the body will be in less pain and
will feel looser and healthier.
Physical
activity also increases blood circulation to all areas of the body as
well. This can provide a measure of
stress relief because blood is a healing agent; it carries nutrients as well as
oxygen to all the body's cells. This
means the cells of the brain as well! When
you increase your blood circulation it's like you're actually feeding and
healing your brain more often. This
means that you're better equipped to handle the stress that life throws at
you. You can achieve stress relief
because you're thinking clearly and are able to address and solve problems you
have rather than allowing them to multiply and overwhelm you.
Exercise
also releases endorphins, those "feel good" chemicals and hormones
that give you stress relief by making you feel calm and relaxed. You might not realize this because of course
exercising energizes you just as you're engaging in it, but once those
endorphins are released you feel more at ease and can sleep better as well,
which in turn can lead to stress relief the next day. If you're still not too happy about needing
to exercise to get relief from tension and stress, remember that this doesn't
necessarily mean in a gym. You can get
plenty of physical activity just by playing with your kids, taking up a sport,
or getting a dog that will need walking.
The key is to be active on a regular basis, even if it's twenty or
thirty minutes every day, in order to get lasting stress relief.
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