Stress Less

STRESS!!!! After last weekend I think all of us experienced a little stress during the Super Bowl. Did you know that exercise is an AMAZING stress reliever? According to the Mayo Clinic,

Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.

•It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can contribute to this same feeling.

•It’s meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in the pool, you’ll often find that you’

•It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise also can improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All this can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.ve forgotten the day’s irritations and concentrated only on your body’s movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.

To be completely honest I HATE working out in the morning so I usually work out in the evenings after I get home from work. Sometimes because of dinner, homework, bedtime, etc. my workout starts at 9:00 at night or later. I always try to get it in though. By that time of night I can be stressed out or irritable but I love being able to sweat it out or hit and kick it out which some of my workouts entail. So this week when you are down in the dumps go workout and get moving, it will lift your spirits.