If your day is hectic and it feels like the top of your head is about to blow off, take a break and go to the gym. You’ll end up leaving more refreshed and ready to handle those problems. That’s because exercising is a stress reliever that can help clear your mind and boost your energy. Stress saps you of your power and exhausts you. Exercise helps you get back to normal and function at your peak. There are scientific reasons to back this.
Scrub out the hormones of stress and replace them with happy hormones.
Stress hormones prepare your body to fight or run. It’s an automatic reaction to danger. That response sometimes serves a purpose, but for most of today’s stresses, it’s not appropriate. Can you imagine the problem an employee would face for punching a boss or what would happen if you abandoned your car and ran away in a traffic jam? Exercise burns off those hormones and replaces them with ones that make you feel good. It’s normal body chemistry and helps the body deal with pain and stress.
You can escape the world when you work out.
The continuous rhythmic movement of exercise acts like a meditative chant. It allows your brain to take a break from the problems of the day and focus only on body movements. Many runners describe the feeling they have when they’re in stride. They hear nothing but the sound of their feet on the pavement and the rhythm of their steps. That laser-sharp focus extends to the gym, whether lifting weights or doing squats. It turns the focus inward, just as meditation does.
Doctors now use exercise as a complementary treatment for depression and anxiety.
Stress can cause anxiety and depression. Besides professional therapy, many now use a program of exercise to help patients instead of medication. Studies have found that it helps relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety as much as most drugs and it doesn’t have negative side effects. Exercise not only releases endorphins, but it also boosts circulation. Sending more oxygen and nutrient-laden blood to the brain can improve your mood and clear your mind.
- You’ll sleep better when you work out. Higher quality sleep can improve your mood and the quality of the following day. When you combine exercise with having fun, it improves the results more dramatically.
- You’ll improve your posture when you work out and help prevent aches and pains. Feeling better physically can reduce stress. Improved posture makes you look and feel more confident and less stressed.
- Exercise improves the gut microbiome. The microbes in the gut affect your physical health, and also your emotional well-being. By increasing the diversity and the population of beneficial microbes, you’ll be giving your mood a boost, too.
- Changing your diet to a healthier one can also play a role in stress reduction. A diet high in sugar increases stress, while one with less sugar and more whole foods is beneficial for the mind and body.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
