5 Ways That Exercise Lowers Stress

Stress is the root cause of many life-threatening health problems like obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer. Cortisol, the hormone secreted by the adrenal glands is known to fight stress, by giving us a swift burst of energy. However, if we refrain from doing any exercise, cortisol levels in our body raise and we develop excess abdominal or visceral fat.  In that case, a stressful situation can lead to dangerous problems like high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Thus we understand how important exercising is to reduce stress and maintain a healthy body. Let us explore five ways in which ways in which exercises can lower stress.

start exercising to relieve stress

1. Strengthens the Heart: Exercising can improve the functioning of the most important muscle of your body-the heart. Exercising can increase blood circulation to the body and deliver fresh oxygen to the cells, as a result, the heart is able to function optimally. Also, the cholesterol build-up or plaque on the arterial walls is broken down due exercising, thwarting possibility of coronary heart disease.

2. Improves Mental Health: Exercise improves your focus, enhances your retention power and makes you immune to stress.  Due to increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain, you are able to  concentrate more and your mind becomes trained to react with logic and intelligence rather than be suppressed with panic in a stressful situation.

3. Relaxes Muscles: It is normal to feel tense while stressed.  A lot of people have felt their heart rates going up and their muscles getting tensed up under stress. Regular exercising can aid the muscles by releasing muscle tension so that we do not experience muscle spasms or pain.

4. Makes You Lose Weight and Feel Stress Free: Being overweight or obese makes you vulnerable to stress. When you exercise, you are able to reduce calories, trim the fat, look better physically, and feel healthy.

5. Improves Overall Sense of Well Being: Exercising boosts the secretion of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, which prevents you from going into depression. When we exercise, we become more confident, our skin begins to glow and we feel self-assured.  This is due to the release of endorphins; the body’s natural chemicals in the blood stream which significantly reduce pain and make us feel good.

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