Got Stress?

Feeling a little stressed? You’re not alone.

Stress in an inevitable part of our modern existence. Whether you’re the president of a Fortune 500 company, a Kindergarten teacher or a construction worker, you have stress to deal with.

But you don’t have to let it get the best of you.

By battling stress in your day-to-day routine, you can stop pulling your hair out and get back to living a more relaxed life.

How can you turn your stress-filled life on its head?

With one of the best weapons against stress: EXERCISE

 

Working Out Works

When stress is getting you down, you need something to kick you out of your funk. You need something that makes you feel good.

Because every time you exercise, you increase your body’s production of endorphins.

Just to clarify, endorphins are responsible for those good moods you get in after a race or the euphoria you feel while devouring that favorite piece of chocolate.

However, before you grab a piece of chocolate and skip the gym, remember the end result of each and choose which one will help you battle stress in the long run. (btw, It’s not the chocolate)

 

Best Bets

Now that you know exercise reduces stress, you may be wondering which exercises will be most likely to keep you from banging your head against the wall.

Ready to learn what exercise you should be performing as you wage war against stress? Here it is: whatever you enjoy doing.

That’s right – any and all exercise you perform helps you fend off the effects of stress. So whether you enjoy jogging, lifting weights, playing basketball, practicing ballet, swimming, or Yoga, simply getting involved in your stress reliever of choice is sure to help reduce your stress.

 

Through the Brick Wall

Working out every day and not getting the stress relief you desire? Then it’s time to o things a little different. If all you do is lift weights five days a week, you should add in tennis or racquetball a couple days a week.

And if you’re all cardio all the time, it may be time to get off the treadmill and grab a dumbbell or two.

Still not working? Keep a diary of your progression. Write down how long and hard you exercise, the various weights you lift, and the steps you make toward whatever health goal you set for yourself.

Take pictures along the way as well. Then look back over your journal on occasion. Seeing the progression when you feel you’re not making progress may give you the confidence you need to put stress in its place and move on.

 

Even Less Stress

In addition to exercise, get maximum stress reduction by:

1. Learn what situations cause you to experience unwanted stress, and avoid situations. Can’t avoid your boss or that awkward business luncheon? Then you’ll need to use some more brainpower. Think back to your last experience with the boss or the business lunch. How bad was it really? You survived it, and it wasn’t really all that bad.

Keep that in mind, and you’ll be ready to take on whatever stressful situation comes your way.

2. Make necessary lifestyle modifications. Did you know you’re more likely to suffer stress when you’re tired? Or did you know that when you don’t feed your body well, your body isn’t ready to handle stress as it would with a healthy diet? By getting plenty of sleep and eating healthy, you won’t kiss stress goodbye altogether, but its effects will be diminished greatly.

Better yet, if you aren’t feeling the relief you need add in Yoga to your weekly routine, the combination of a relaxing and stretching is a perfect balance for stress relief.

Here’s a perfect Yoga program I highly recommend from my colleague Kris Fondran, Shapeshifter Yoga.