Exercise Reduces Stress

One of the oft-cited benefits of exercising is that exercise reduces stress, but how does this work? No matter what type of exercise you choose, each has stress reducing benefits. Learn how you can use exercise to reduce the stress in your life.

Reduce stress with exercise.

There are actually several different routes through which your body experiences a relief from stress through exercising. Not only does exercising work on the chemicals in your brain, but it also works on your own outlook and attitude. Both of these things result in an overall effect of reduced stress due to exercising.

The body releases neurotransmitters called epinephrine when you exercise at a certain level. You don't have to run a marathon for your body to produce this effect. Most forms of exercise will produce some degree of the effect due to the positive neurotransmitters increase. Of course, the harder you work out, the more intense and quickly you will feel this particular chemical effect. Sometimes called a runner's high, epinephrine produces a very positive feeling in both men and women.

In addition to this instantaneous mood-boost from exercising, working out produces a long-term mood boost because exercisers feel the following positive results:

• People feel better about their bodies.
• People feel more satisfied with themselves for sticking to their workout goals.
• People are happier with their physical appearance.

All of these feelings serve as stress reducers because the person's mood is happier, more laid-back and generally satisfied.

Depending on your fitness level and preferred exercise methods, you can reap different stress relieving benefits from different types of exercise. For example, yoga is an excellent type of exercise to reduce stress through channeling the mind's energy into a body-aware workout. Not only does yoga focus your mind, but it also relaxes your body through stretching and tonic strengthening. In addition, your muscles will become longer and stronger, which will increase your mood over time because of your improved self-image.

Cardio workouts reduce stress in another way. Aerobic exercise programs will make you fitter, which will improve your self-image, attitude and self-confidence in the long run. However, the feeling one has after a cardio workout is the polar opposite of the feeling one has after a yoga session. During cardio exercise, your body and heart work out hard causing your brain to produce large amounts of endorphins. Because of the large amounts of endorphins produced during cardio workouts, one often feels elated after a hard workout. For some people, it is hard when this intensely happy feeling gets replaced by extreme tiredness a few hours later. For other exercisers, this tired feeling is a welcome invitation to the best night of sleep ever!

Some other mental benefits of working out run parallel to the physical benefits. For example, working out increases the oxygen supply in the body, so not only do your extremities benefit from enhanced circulation, but your brain also benefits from the increased oxygen/blood flowing to your head. Exercise can clear your mind and put all the trials and tribulations of the day into perspective. Not only do the endorphins work on your mental state, but when you concentrate on exercising, you aren't focused on the guy who cut you off on the way to the gym or the client who canceled a deal during the final stages of negotiations.

Whether you work out because you know about the mental benefits, such as the fact that exercise reduces stress, or because you want to lose a few pounds, the mental benefits of exercising will automatically come with the territory. Many people don't realize the many benefits of exercising until they've been doing it for a while. Not only are their pants fitting better, but they are also smiling more often and having an easier time getting out of bed in the morning.

These benefits are also yours to enjoy, whether you go dancing this weekend, go for a walk with your dog, or head to the gym for a serious weight-lifting session.

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