A lot of times the accelerated pace of life, pressure at work, daily activities and even couple relationships have lead us at some point of our life to face stressful situations that greatly affect our health and wellbeing. However, there are different activities that may help us fight stress to release us from the tension that it produces in our organism.
Well, there’s nothing better than a little movement to fight the overwhelming discomfort generated by stress, which is why physical exercise will always be an excellent choice. According to the Spanish Foundation for the Heart (FEC), it’s advisable to regularly practice some kind of moderate intensity physical activity, because it reduces the levels of anxiety and controls emotional stress; exercising favors the improvement of the self-image and the production of hormones such as endorphin, that “facilitates the control of stress and gives a feeling of pleasure and wellbeing”, ensures the foundation.
A sports activity that you can do is go out for a walk, without a doubt is one of the easiest because there’s no need for a great physical preparation to do it; a 30 minutes’ walk at a not too accelerated pace guarantees positive effects for relieving stress, since it allows us to oxygenate our body, enjoy the landscape and definitively relax, if done daily, you will notice change in short term.
Another option about exercising to relieve stress is going out for a run or ride a bike; doing any of these activities will make us feel with recharged energies, more satisfied with ourselves through release of endorphins, and undoubtedly, it will help us release stress. It’s advisable that these activities are done daily or every other day for about 20 to 30 minutes; this will be enough time and frecuency to achieve excellent anti-stress benefits.
Likewise, among the alternatives to help us release stress, one of the most popular ones is Yoga; because its relaxing power. Even though it isn’t a demanding activity from the aerobic physical exercise point of view, it demands flexibility and focus of the body to achieve the postures, this helps to release tension, recharge energies and relax the muscles, three essential elements to set stress aside and enjoy tranquility and calmness.
It’s important to mention that, according to the FEC, the physical exercises done to fight stress shouldn’t be “competitive” ones, because these may generate the opposite effect, bringing more emotional, mental and physical stress, which is why it’s advised to avoid these types of sports. Either way, it’s important that the sports activities are done regularly and continuously, because doing them in long term will increase the benefits, improving the wellbeing, reducing anxiety and the risk of depression. Don’t wait any longer, Get moving and kick stress out of your life.
ALFA