One of the things I enjoy doing the most, is spending time in the outdoors. Whether I am hiking on the Bruce Trail, or running at Bay Front, getting in the outdoors helps me to get rid of the daily tensions of the day. While walking on the Bruce trail recently, I thought about the importance of exercise in stress management.
Stress has been shown to have several manifestations in the body. From decreased effects of chronic pain to a multitude of benefits to the heart, stress can have a significant impact on how we function.
Fortunately, there are numerous studies that show that exercise is a simple and straightforward way to help with stress management. Exercise has been shown to effectively decrease the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system, hormonal balance, mental fatigue physical illness, self image, along with many more benefits.
Several studies have been shown to exhilarate and relax an individual. Exercise has been shown to reduce the body’s amount of stress hormones as well as stimulate the production of endorphins, which help us with our mood.
As studies have shown in the past, exercise also helps with our physical condition as well. It helps us to maintain body weight, strengthen muscles and balance our hormonal control (similar to above). Theses physical factors often help individuals with daily tasks, making things like grocery shopping much easier. However, these physical effects can also help with self image. This increase in image can lead to increased self confidence and pride, which can in turn help achieve other lifestyle goals.
Exercise has also been shown to have a multitude of cardiovascular benefits by increasing the strength of the heart and cardiovascular system, as well as helping us to maintain a healthy body. Studies show that exercise helps the body to burn fatty tissues, build stronger muscles and bones and even help with balancing our cholesterol levels.
The best part of how exercise can affect both our physical and mental health is that it does not have to be as vigorous as many people think. Even going for a 30 minute walk each day can have a massive effect on our life quality. Even better is that there are so many places in our community that we can go to have an enjoyable time, that most of the time I forget that what I am doing is good for me, I am just having fun.
This article was written by Thomas Eagles, Registered Kinesiologist, and Osteopathic Manual Practitioner at Freemotion Therapy on Main Street East. Please feel free to contact us for more information at 289-925-0445 or info@freemotiontherapy.ca.
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