By Chris Goffett
Everyday we are faced with stress, be it the traffic on the way to work, the boss hounding us for that report, the customer who thinks they’re the only person you have to deal with this year, the kids homework or the fact that the bills keep coming even though you just want to go to Bali to relax for the rest of your life.
Stress truly is an unavoidable part of life, and it can actually have extremely dire effect on our overall health and well-being. It is stated that “stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma”¹ meaning that some of these conditions can actually be reduced if not totally eliminated by simply reducing stress.
Sounds simple… it might actually be more simple than you think.
When we look at exercise as a way to combat stress, it is important to realise the three pronged approach that exercise takes. The physical aspect, but the mental aspect and the emotional aspect are just as important, if not more so.
You could call this the trinity of human.
If we look at the mental aspect (as stress is often associated with mental and emotional). Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators”.
As your waistline shrinks and your strength and stamina increase, your self-image will improve. You’ll earn a sense of mastery and control, of pride and self-confidence. Your renewed vigor and energy will help you succeed in many tasks, and the discipline of regular exercise will help you achieve other important lifestyle goals”²
Another way that exercise reduces stress is by improving our sleep. It is stated “We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality”.
It is a known fact that those that sleep better will generally have less response to stress, therefor seeing less of the negative effects of stress.
At Clean Health Fitness Institute, many of our clients come to us with the goal to improve their physical condition. What we often see though, is the overall quality of life improves due to not only becoming stronger, leaner and physically more healthy, but also the improvement in their family life, working life and general lifestyle.
We approach every client individually and tailor programs for both training and nutrition to help our clients perform better at life.
Chris Goffett
@Chris_goffett
Clean Health Fitness Institute
References:
- https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/features/10-fixable-stress-related-health-problems#1
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
