I am stressed – can exercise help?

All of us our stressed at one time or another.  According to a study in the UK carried out in 2018 Brits feel stressed for on average 9 days a month.  Those who don’t feel stressed at all are in the minority making up only 15% of the study group. Women are overall more stressed than men and somewhat surprisingly students of university age are one of the most stressed groups in society. (Forthwithlife.co.uk blog)

The reasons for stress are commonly: money worries, work stresses, relationships and health concerns.

When we are stressed our body releases a hormone called cortisol.  If this happens a lot bodies can no longer respond to the stress and we start to feel very, very tired.  Stress can also exacerbate heart problems, cause digestive issues and give us long-term muscle tension.  Stress can also impact negatively our mental health with anxiety and depression being a common side effect. Unfortunately it is easy to fall into a spiral of stress, depression, anxiety and ill-health.  Stress can be exhausting causing ill-health and fatigue which make you feel that you are not up to anything, lack of energy and mental clarity mean that you are less able to cope with everyday tasks and consequently you are less productive leading to more stress, and so it goes on…..

How do you break the cycle?

Simple- Get yourself out there and exercise!

The postive effects of exercise on our stress levels are well documented and here are just a few of the best but the list could go on……

• Exercise is good at maintaining mental fitness – after exercise the body releases feel-good endorphins that stabilise mood and act as a natural painkiller.
• Exercise enhances cognitive function meaning that after exercising in the morning you will be more productive at work.
• Exercise improves our ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress and makes us more productive.
• Exercise improves self-esteem.
• Exercise can help alleviate health problems that are the cause of our stress.

You are far more likely to make exercise with all its benefits an ongoing part of your life if you set up a routine with regular exercise slots in your diary.  Exercising as part of a group is also extremely effective at maintaining your motivation.  Try our next 10 week bootcamp and we will help you to reduce the impact of stress on your life and break the cycle!