At Revolution Training in Stamford, CT, we focus on total body workouts and building strength, flexibility and endurance. However, you can’t always get to the gym, so any exercise is better than no exercise. In fact, there are simple options you can do anywhere and almost at any time of the day. It’s walking or running. Running helps burn off stress hormones, too, which makes it ideal when your day isn’t going the way you want, since running can lift your mood.
Why does running help relieve stress?
Mother Nature has the perfect plan. Early man faced many dangers, warring tribes and wild animals were just a few. He needed to run or fight those dangers. When you’re under stress, your body creates hormones that prepare your body for running or fighting, so you can escape the danger or end it. The hormones cause blood to be sent to extremities and away from digestion. They make the heart pound faster, muscles tighten, breath quicken, blood pressure increase and all the senses to become more focused and sharper.
What happens if we don’t burn off the hormones of stress?
Unless the hormones are burnt off by running or fighting, those changes can leave you feeling sick to your stomach, mentally foggy and lead to chronic heart conditions, high blood pressure, stroke, anxiety and depression. In fact, cortisol, one of the hormones associated with stress, is also associated with the accumulation of belly fat, visceral fat, which is one of the most dangerous types since it crowds internal organs. It’s also one of the hardest types of fat to lose.
The runner’s high is real.
You’ll also feel great after a run, or tough workout in the gym, not just because it burns stress, but because of the endorphins the exercise causes the body to make. Endorphins make you feel great and in addition to burning off the hormones of stress, the endorphins created can also lift your spirits and help you cope with life better, while increasing your sense of well-being. In fact, exercise has now been noted as a powerful tool for fighting off anxiety and depression. It’s used as a complementary therapy that can reduce the need for medication.
- Have you ever noticed people pacing when they’re nervous? In many cases, these people find that the pacing makes them feel better and do it without thinking. It’s an alternative to running.
- When you’re under stress, it’s important to do some form of exercise. While we promote regular visits to the gym, since boxing is also great therapy, simulating the fight in “fight or flight,” it’s not always possible. Stay active to stay happy and healthy.
- The endorphins released when you’re exercising are natural pain relievers. They stimulate the opioid receptors in the brain to bring that sense of peace and well-being.
- Any type of exercise can help you by either improving your endurance, flexibility or strength. It gives you a feeling of confidence as your body becomes better looking, more energetic and powerful.
For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training