Stress and its impact on health
Stress is a physical, emotional or mental strain on the body that causes tension in the mind or body. Certain types of stress can be good for the body, but chronic or prolonged high levels of stress is what can lead to health problems. We can’t always control our levels of stress as we inevitably will all go through high stress periods in our lives. However, we can control the negative toll prolonged stress can have on our health.
Studies have shown that chronic stress is one of the leading causes of death and it can lead to a myriad of other health problems such as high blood pressure and poor lifestyle choices. What’s more is that more than 75 percent of all physician office visits are for stress related ailments and complaints.
The challenge is many of us don’t know how to deal with stress in a positive way. You can look at reducing stress with exercise as one approach you can take.
Mind-muscle connection of exercise
There are powerful effects of mind and muscle connection on your psychological and brain health that show that you can reduce stress with exercise. Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., author of Joy of Movement explains, “When you move your body, your muscles release chemicals known as myokines into your bloodstream that improve your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and make your brain more resilient to stress. I call them ‘hope molecules.”
On days when you exercise the stressors of the day have less of an impact on your well-being. Kelly McGonigal goes onto explain that regular exercise actually changes your brain promoting brain health. After just six weeks of consistent physical activity there are clear and obvious functional and structural changes that happen in the brain’s reward system. This heightened “feel good” feeling makes you more motivated and better able to regulate your emotions so you can keep calm in high stress-provoking events or situations.
When you operate from a place of calm you are able to then make better lifestyle choices, which ultimately effects your overall mood and morale. Operating from a place of happiness allows you to find joy in everyday life despite what is happening around you. Maintaining this type of aura will lead to a positive cumulative effect on your life and spiritual development.o
Exercise and stress relief techniques
Exercise also puts you in tune with your body so you can become more aware of where in your body you are holding onto stress. Stress can be experienced in areas of the body where you feel increased tension or stiffness. It’s not uncommon to carry stress in your back, neck or shoulders. Once you become aware of where your stress is felt you can actually use these four stress relief techniques:
- Train your neurological system to release the tension the stress is causing in your body. You can do this by applying pressure to the area that is tense through foam rolling or by having someone else press down with their hands and hold it there for a few seconds before releasing and repeating. This tells the nerves to release.
- Practice mindful breathing by spending a few minutes focusing your awareness on your thoughts and your breathe without trying to change anything. As you get in the habit of just observing your thoughts without judgment you can detach yourself from them which will have a calming effect on your body and your breathe.
- Meditate to alleviate stress by first placing a hand over your heart and taking a few deep breaths. With each exhale center your attention on gratitude. Have gratitude for showing up for yourself today.
- Release any pent up energy you’re storing in your body through movement. Whether you prefer a high intensity workout or a slow restorative flow find a workout that gets your endorphins flowing. These feel-good neurotransmitters will boost your mood and well-being.
Not all stress is bad for you
Stress is a part of everyday life and necessary for survival. Without it we wouldn’t be motivated to push ourselves to be better and accomplish great things. Stress that doesn’t take a toll on our health actually serves us well. This is the kind of stress you get from exercise. The physical stress that exercise puts on the body shapes you into a better athlete, makes you stronger and more resilient to disease and injuries.
A personal trainer can teach you what types of exercise you can do to not only improve your physical health, but to help reduce the negative effects chronic stress has had on your emotional and mental health. However, if your symptoms are severe you should first seek the attention of a medical doctor.
No comment yet, add your voice below!