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Nov 13
2015

Simply put, stress is very harmful to your health. Stress can make you lose sleep, increase your blood pressure, and negatively affect your body in so many other ways. Unfortunately, stress is a part of our everyday lives. We all have a variety of responsibilities, and occasionally, it gets overwhelming. So how can we reduce our stress in a healthy way? Exercise!

How Exercise Reduces Stress

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”

            -Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Elle Woods couldn’t have said it better. Any kind of exercise, from weight lifting to Zumba, acts as a natural stress reliever. Wondering how exercise reduces stress?  Physical activity produces endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers. Endorphins also improve your ability to sleep, which in turn can help reduce stress. In a nutshell, endorphins are hormones that fight stress!

If you’ve been feeling stressed out, one of the best things you can do is exercise! Exercise is a natural and healthy way to reduce stress. Here are some great exercises and workouts you can do to combat stress.

3 Exercises to Zap Stress

Cardio

Any high-energy activity is great for reducing stress. Running, spinning, dancing, and walking all increase your heart rate. When your heart rate goes up your body releases endorphins.

Yoga

Yoga is another great exercise you can do to reduce stress. Yoga exercises both your mind and your body with the goal of helping you relax. Studies show that breathing deeply, which is a focal point in yoga, can produce endorphins. Doing a simple series of yoga poses can help you drastically reduce your stress levels. If you aren’t an experienced yogi, try these poses for beginners.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is another great high-energy activity that will help you kick stress away. Because kickboxing is a very active workout, it will also make your body produce endorphins for a feel-good feeling after an intense workout!

Too much stress can negatively impact your health. Next time you’re feeling stressed out, grab your gym bag and go work out! Your body will thank you!

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Taking charge of your overall health and wellness means making the right lifestyle choices to maximize the quality of life. Optimal health and wellness includes physical, emotional, spiritual, interpersonal, social, intellectual and environmental well-being. Physical therapy helps promote overall health and wellness through prevention or treatment of a condition or injury. Learn more here!