Combating Stress with Exercise: The Proven Benefits

Abstract

How exercise Reduces stress Introduction Everyone experiences stress, and contrary to what people think, not all stress is bad for health. In some instances, stress is usually helpful to the body since it encourages individuals to try harder over some things hence working on individual improvements. Unfortunately, too much stress is usually detrimental to human health and usually has negative consequences. Stress tends to weaken the body's immune system, which in turn causes various health issues like cardiovascular complications, insomnia, high blood pressure, disruptive mood swings, among other health issues. Things that cause stress are called stressors, and the worst bit of it is that people cannot control their stressors but have the mandate to control their stress. One of the ways of managing stress is through exercise. All forms of exercise can be an effective component of stress management, but it depends on individuals; hence, exercise programs should be consistent with recommendations from qualified personnel. Bearing this in mind, one would ask, are there exercises which are better than others as far as stress management is concerned? In response to this, analyzing different ideas from different scholars will offer a clear understanding between stress and exercise. Different forms of exercise are usually used in managing stress and in improving mental health. Exercise helps the body to handle stress by changing the hormone responses. For instance, during exercise, endorphins levels are elevated in plasma, which inhibits the central nervous system. The result is usually a sensation of calm and improved mood (Childs, Emma, and Harriet de Wit, 4-6). On the other hand, whenever somebody engages in physical exercise, the synaptic transmission of monoamines is increased. These include serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline, which act as anti-depressants responsible for behaviour and mood. Still, exercise serves as a distraction on the stressors that one may be having and therefore, one tends to have a calming effect while at the same time an improved retrieval of positive thoughts hence forgetting about the bad moments at that particular time (Childs, Emma, and Harriet de Wit, 5). Physical exercises far in many forms and, whichever one chooses, helps them directly or indirectly. But at the end of the day, physical exercise has more benefits in the human body than harm as far as stress management is concerned. In general, physical exercise improves one’s body's ability to maximize oxygen, which improves blood flow (Sharon-David and Tenenbaum, 5-6). The results of the increased blood flow lead to the increase in the production of endorphins which are the feel-good neurotransmitters responsible for the feel-good effect (Sharon-David and Tenenbaum, 5-6). In other words, after physical exercise, people tend to feel a sense of euphoria. Indirectly, physical exercises tend to act as meditations because of the repetitive motions, which tend to focus on the body rhythm rather than the mind. If one is stressed, the attention shifts from the mind to the body movements, distracting the mental issues and somehow meditating on the body movements. In the end, the physical tasks provide calmness and clarity. On the other hand, aerobic exercise has been argued to achieve a calmer feeling after 20-30 minutes of engagement. Aerobic exercise tends to achieve a calm feeling that lasts for several hours after the exercise. Therefore, this means that a stressed person who engages in aerobics for approximately one hour is guaranteed a relaxed, calm feeling for a couple of hours. In this case, therefore, there is a certainty the durable effects of Yoga on stress which, interestingly, is quite immediate (Francis, Alisha, and Rhonda Cross Beemer, 6-8). The calmness achieved after the yoga exercise increases mindfulness which acts on stress reduction. Mindfulness helps combat psychological stress responses, including anxiety, depression, and pain (Stults-Kolehmainen, Matthew and Rajita Sinha, 2). Different people appraise stressors differently, and therefore, Yoga reduces stress differently in different people. On the other hand, Yoga involves a combination of body positions and incorporates mind concentration (Tong et al., 5). Therefore, unlike athletics or football, which could be done unconsciously, Yoga dictates some form of concentration because of the concept of different body positions (Francis, Alisha L, and Rhonda Cross Beemer, 6). In other words, one must give their all in Yoga because maximum concentration is paramount, which brings about the desired effect. Stress can be alleviated by so many exercises to choose from. These exercises can be done on a routine that can benefit individuals. Some people choose daily targets, whereas others choose weekly exercise targets. The bottom line is that one does not need to be an elite athlete or a pro to experience stress relief from exercises, but any kind of exercise can be helpful (Kim, Jong-Ho, and Larry McKenzie, 2). One needs to do a personal inventory and identify what works for oneself because what is convenient for one person could be strenuous for the other. People tend to overthink about exercises and only focus on professional levels. A simple task as taking the stairs rather than the elevators can give one an emotional lift, or simple tasks as gardening (Churchill, Ryan, et al., 3). Stress-relieving benefits of exercise can be achieved even if one is out of shape or not athletic. The main purpose of exercise would not be to keep fit...