EXERCISE AS A STRESS RELIEVER

The last few years have been incredibly hard for many people and has created tons of stress and anxiety for many. However, for those that love to exercise, the stressors were something that could be “lifted away” or “outrun”. That is to say, exercise helped keep many of us sane during an unsure time. But why does it keep us sane and are there benefits for different kinds of exercises that exceed others? Or does just any old form of exercise help?

Let’s Talk Stress!

More specifically, oxidative stress. A culprit for many problems we seem to deal with. The more scientific background of oxidative stress is that it basically occurs when there is a disturbance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants. It means that your body can’t perform at its best and reduces its ability to detoxify itself. Because it’s not able to detox itself, damage can result. This means damage to areas such as proteins, lipids, and even our own DNA. 

There are theories about what oxidative stress can cause in humans, and that list is relatively endless, for example, in more simple variations of oxidative stress. Things like chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, depression, and ADHD can occur. In more extreme cases, a person may end up with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, different cancers, and even heart failure.

Types of Exercise for Stress Relief

The cool thing about exercising for stress relief is that there isn’t a set way to exercise. This means that things like going for a walk, run, or bike ride can be just as effective as going to the gym and lifting weights. 

The thing about it is you’ll need to choose an exercise that’s right for you. For example, if you’re just starting, maybe you go for a 10-minute walk around your neighbourhood. Biking may be the treat if you need something low-impact because of previous knee or ankle issues. Or, if you’re already an avid cardio enthusiast, you may want to go for a run. In any case, starting somewhere is better than not doing anything. 

Science Behind the Theory

In most cases, we’re told that physical exercise is great for our health and keeps us fit as a fiddle. But what about our mental health, too? Regular exercise has actually been reported as a way to reduce stress. 

In a study of over 185 students from German universities, 36.6% of them started off by saying they experienced depressive symptoms, with 41.8% of them also adding that they had a high level of anxiety. Those involved reported an improvement in their overall stress-related symptoms during the introduction of aerobic exercise, so much so that the results supported the study’s original hypothesis. 

Why Are We Happy After Exercise?

When we start exercising, whether daily, every other day, or three times a week, our body does something outstanding. It releases certain chemicals that give you a feel-good boost while suppressing hormones commonly associated with stress and anxiety. Three chemicals released include endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. But what are these different chemicals, and how do they affect us?

Dopamine

Let’s start with dopamine. This is the feel-good neurotransmitter. It’s primarily used as a messenger between nerve cells. Our dopamine plays a vital role in how we feel the sensation of pleasure. It’s usually what is responsible for helping us focus on things we enjoy or find interesting. Therefore, an increase in this specific chemical messenger can give us a boost in feeling good about ourselves.

Serotonin

Another chemical that our nerves produce, serotonin, is another messenger. It’s commonly found in our digestive system. However, it can also be found in our blood and central nervous system. But why does a boost in it make it so important to reduce stress? Because that is literally what it does. It can affect everything from your mood on a given day to how great of sleep you get. It helps to reduce things like depression and anxiety and can even stimulate wound healing.

Endorphins

Now, the other two are messenger-type chemicals that do two different things. One is pleasure, and the other is the release of hormones that create a feeling of good self. Endorphins are typically associated with being the natural painkillers for the body. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland release them. However, they don’t always release. In most cases, they are released in retaliation for pain or stress. However, when you exercise, they’re also in charge of creating a feeling of well-being.

Is Exercise the Only Way?

In short, no exercise is the only way to reduce stress or anxiety that can cause problems mentally as well as physically and emotionally. That’s actually where things like nootropics come into play. Nootropics are smart drugs designed to help with things like stress, anxiety, depression, and even focus. In doing so, you get much relief from these overbearing symptoms. Not only that, but some can even help protect your mind as well. 

Another Way to Reduce Stress

Suppose you’re not in love with the idea of exercise. It’s not the complete end of the word. However, we would still recommend at least trying to get out for a walk or something along those lines. This is because exercise doesn’t just help our stress; it helps our entire body. But if you’re still like, heck no, I will not. Then maybe mediation is more your style.

Meditation is not all about mumbling-specific noises, nor is it completely blocking everything out. In fact, it’s actually completely opposite of that. It’s more along the lines of understanding your thought process. Untangling it and then making it more organized. Here is an excellent read on mediation if it’s something that you’re interested in.