The Importance of Exercise for Stress Relief

While exercise has been popularized in recent years for its numerous physical health benefits, it also deserves recognition as a powerful natural stress relief method. Activities like walking, aerobics, bicycling, swimming, weight-lifting exercises and even yoga can all be helpful in the fight against stress. Indeed, exercise is a great natural stress reliever for a variety of reasons:
It's a Distraction
Exercise can take your focus off of the issues that may be triggering worry and stress for you. Instead, your attention may settle singularly on the physical activity at hand. You may even enter into a
peaceful state otherwise known as "the zone". Getting away from your normal stress charged environment by going to the gym or the great outdoors may also enhance exercise's stress relieving benefits.
It Tempers Frustration
Let's face facts - life for most of us can be frustrating with its frequent annoyances and disappointments. Negative feelings and stress are natural by-products of the frustration. However, channeling your energy into vigorous activities like martial arts, wind sprints, strength training and boxing can help release these negative emotions. Sweating during physical workouts clears away mental and emotional problems by stimulating the brain to think of solutions to such problems. Moreover, you'll decrease cortisol (the stress hormone) and release endorphins which elevate mood and increase one's emotional resilience. The "runner's high" is a very real experience. Exercise is much healthier for you than using food, alcohol or tobacco for natural stress relief.
It Helps You Look and Feel Your Best
Exercise may also help your physical appearance and mental health. It tones the body, promotes clear and younger skin, eliminates toxins that cause illnesses, fatigue and aging, improves posture, and enhances self-esteem. You may even lose weight and increase muscle tone. When people exercise regularly, they tend to feel better about their appearance and themselves in general which is an important part of effective natural stress relief.
It's Social
Exercise is a great opportunity to satisfy our primal need for social interaction. You can work out with a partner or on the running trail or join a group sport where you'll meet and interact with lots of people on a regular basis. Even the gym is a valuable venue for interacting with people with similar fitness goals. Make a difference for yourself and others by participating in a charitable sports event like a community fun run for breast cancer awareness. Using exercise as a social outlet is an awesome way to achieve natural stress relief.
Exercise is one of the most important natural stress relievers available because it's great for both body and mind. It doesn't have to cost anything and it doesn't have to take much time. Just find an activity that you like and can incorporate into your life on a regular basis and notice how much better you deal with life. Exercise is a natural stress relief superstar!

Jennifer Purcell is a stress management expert. After suffering for many years with unmanageable stress and anxiety, she stopped being a victim and found a way out. After research and testing, she has brought together some of the best stress remedies she used to transform her life. By incorporating a few techniques into your daily routine as she has, you can transform your life as well.
Jennifer now helps others avoid the pitfalls of stress and reclaim their lives with a website that educates readers about effective and natural alternatives to medication for reducing stress.