Stress and Exercise

People who exercise regularly are happier people, this is a fact.

Exercising releases endorphins which are the hormones secreted from the brain and nervous system that release pain.  Exercise is a natural pain reliever and mood elevator, when we are not in physical pain we feel better mentally, feeling better physically and mentally leads to feeling happy all over. 

According to a Harvard University study, "regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. 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."

The mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis. Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol (remember these from fight, flight or freeze?). It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. 

How much exercise does one have to do to help relieve stress and feel happier?  It's suggested that we move our bodies everyday.  If you're anything like me or human, not all of us love "working out"

So what do we do?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Start with 10-15 minutes a day, start small.  Add more time as the weeks progress. 
• Park your car further away from the place you are going, just those few more steps in your day add up over time.  
• Think of movement as exercise, gardening, mowing the lawn, house cleaning, all of these things are using your body, don't count them out because you don't do them in a gym or you're not wearing cool workout gear.

• Find something you enjoy doing, walking, dancing, running, HIIT, yoga, spinning, find the movement that brings you joy.  (I just took a tribal dance fusion class, it was magical.)
• Incentives for yourself help too, Did 2 weeks of exercise? How about new yoga pants to wear during your next "workout"? Did two months of movement? How about buying those new sneakers you have been eyeing for a while...