Body & Mind: Regular Exercise Can Help with Stress Management

When you are asked to think about human health in all its elements, you might be tempted to put physical health and mental health into two different categories, but the truth is that the two are inextricably linked. In the decades of studying and surveying since the push for improved health became a commercial venture, it has been proven time and time again that exercising regularly has the power to relieve a massive amount of stress.

No matter what exercise you engage in, from regular walks with your dog to training for a spring triathlon with the advice of John Yokley PTFS CEO, training towards a physical outcome can be nothing if not reward and good for the soul and mind.

If you are somebody who still needs convincing, then here is some undeniable information about links between a regular work out regime and improved stress management.

How Does Exercise Help Ease Stress?

One of the best-known factors in exercise helping with stress and anxiety is the way that it releases endorphins in your body. A good, heartbeat-raising workout session will have the effect of releasing endorphins, and these endorphins have a euphoria-inducing effect. For considerable periods of time, you will find that your mood is lifted thanks to exercise, and it is for this reason that so many people become addicted to maintaining a regular schedule.

Consistency Is Key

The trick to making sure that your exercise does actually make a difference to your mental health and stress levels is to maintain a consistency and frequency in your efforts. Here are a few tips for keeping consistent:

• Find a workout buddy to exercise with. You will be much more committed to making every ‘appointment’ because it’s not only you that is part of the pact!
• Try downloading one of the many fitness apps that can send notifications to help you stay on track. For example, the 30 Day Fitness Challenge app logs all of your workouts and presents you with new exercises, based on your schedule and fitness goals. Plus, science proposes that if you can do anything for 30 days in a row, it then becomes a habit.
• Remember why you started and monitor your progress. Keeping motivation high is one of the most powerful ways to stay on track. Tracking how far you’ve come, will instantly give you that kick of motivation to keep going and not lose what you’ve worked so hard for.

Risks of Accumulated Stress

Enduring long periods of stress can have a detrimental effect on both your mental and physical health, including:

• A variety of mental health ailments including depression, anxiety, and even in some serious cases the developing of a personality disorder.
• A long list of physical health related problems including increased blood pressure that can result in something like a stroke, cardiovascular disease that can lead to heart attack, and even something like obesity due to a reliance on overeating to ease stress and anxiety.

Find What Works for You

Ultimately, the truth is that you as an individual are only going to be able to commit to a regular workout regime if you can find something that really suits you and your needs. If you can attach yourself to a certain group class or a certain method of exercise that provides fun along with the hard work, then you are going to do wonders for your mental and physical health.

Are you lucky enough to have already found the method that works for you? Do you have a list of effective stress management tips that help with your stress? If so, then please let me know in the comments.