![]() The physical symptoms of stress are themselves distressing. In extreme cases, hyperventilation can lead to tingling of the face and fingers, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, and even fainting. ![]() ![]() Rapid breathing is also typical, and may be accompanied by sighing or repetitive coughing. A pounding pulse is common, as is chest tightness. Intestinal symptoms range from "butterflies" to heartburn, cramps, or diarrhea. The skin can be pale, sweaty, and clammy. Clenched jaw muscles can produce jaw pain and headaches. The mouth is dry, producing unquenchable thirst or perhaps the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes swallowing difficult. Muscles are tense, resulting in fidgetiness, taut facial expressions, headaches, or neck and back pain. Mental stress can also produce physical symptoms. Mental symptoms range from worry and irritability to restlessness and insomnia, anger and hostility, or sensations of dread, foreboding, and even panic. Stress comes in many forms and produces many symptoms. But another special sort of exercise known as autoregulation exercises can also reduce stress. Regular physical activity keeps you healthy as it reduces stress. Autoregulation exercise and stress relief And the same stretching exercises that help relax your muscles after a hard workout will help relax your mind as well. That's one reason ellipticals are so popular. But some people prefer vigorous workouts that burn stress along with calories. Even a simple 20-minute stroll can clear the mind and reduce stress. Many people find that using large muscle groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion works best call it "muscular meditation," and you'll begin to understand how it works. Thomas Aquinas, "need leisure." Exercise is play and recreation when your body is busy, your mind will be distracted from the worries of daily life and will be free to think creatively.Īlmost any type of exercise will help. Your renewed vigor and energy will help you succeed in many tasks, and the discipline of regular exercise will help you achieve other important lifestyle goals.Įxercise and sports also provide opportunities to get away from it all and to either enjoy some solitude or to make friends and build networks. You'll earn a sense of mastery and control, of pride and self-confidence. As your waistline shrinks and your strength and stamina increase, your self-image will improve. Endorphins are responsible for the "runner's high" and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts - or, at least, the hot shower after your exercise is over.īehavioral factors also contribute to the emotional benefits of exercise. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. The mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis. How can exercise contend with problems as difficult as anxiety and depression? There are several explanations, some chemical, others behavioral. If athletes and patients can derive psychological benefits from exercise, so can you. It's a common experience among endurance athletes and has been verified in clinical trials that have successfully used exercise to treat anxiety disorders and clinical depression. It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. Regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. ![]() But as you get into shape, you'll begin to tolerate exercise, then enjoy it, and finally depend on it. You may not agree at first indeed, the first steps are the hardest, and in the beginning, exercise will be more work than fun. How exercise reduces stressĪerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart. Can physical stress relieve mental stress? Alexander Pope thought so: "Strength of mind is exercise, not rest." Plato agreed: "Exercise would cure a guilty conscience." You'll think so, too - if you learn to apply the physical stress of exercise in a controlled, graded fashion. It's true for most forms of physical activity as well as for specific relaxation exercises.Įxercise is a form of physical stress. And although rest really can be relaxing, the pat phrase causes many men to overlook the fact that exercise can also be relaxing. It's such a common expression that it has become a cliche. How does exercise reduce stress, and can exercise really be relaxing? How does exercise reduce stress? Surprising answers to this question and more.
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