Make Exercise Your #1 Stress Management Strategy

      Exercise and physical activity are  ranked among the top stress management strategies. Why?  Because being physically active has two major benefits: first, it helps to alleviate stres, and second,   It helps with your physical health overall. 

Exercise As  A Stress Management Strategy

Your body uses blood and oxygen to nourish and repair all its cells.  But blood performs another vital function.  It cleanses the systems as well which means that dead cells and other toxins and impurities are carried away as the blood makes its way through the body.

How does any of this relate to exercise as a stress management strategy?  As the blood circulates through your system when you exercise,  it carries those healing and cleansing properties with it.  But there is more.  Increased blood circulation also means that muscles relax more easily.  When you are physically active your muscles become loose and move easier. That means they are less cramped on a regular basis as a result of stress and tension. 

But you already knew that exercising is good for you. The problem is : how do you work physical activity and exercise into your daily routine in a way that is convenient and enjoyable for you.

Start by realizing that exercise and physical activity can mean a lot more than spending hours at the  gym or on a treadmill.   It’s hard to find “extra time” in your busy do to schedule an hour at the gym after working all day in the office.  And if you have any energy left at the end of a hectic day, who wants to spend it on a treadmill?  That’s not only boring and monotonous, but it also gets very old very quick.

Where to Start?

If you  need help coming  up with convenient ways you can be active or some physical activities that you'll enjoy and can engage in regularly, here are some ideas to get your going:

•  Go bike riding with a friend, with your kids, or by  yourself
•  Join a sport group or start one for  -  bowling, basketball, softball, etc.
•   Play badminton with some friends.
•  Take your dog for a walk every day
•   Explore swimming as an option
•   Try hiking and explore your area
•   Go dancing with your significant other or just with some friends.
•   Play a sport with others - volleyball, racquetball, tennis, badminton, or handball.
•  Toss a Frisbee around with your  kids or friends or even the dog.
•   Bounce on a trampoline

This is just to get your thoughts going.  Feel free to come up with some of your own ideas for being physically active.  You don’t need any expensive equipment and it also doesn't need to take more than twenty to thirty minutes of your time.  A little physical activity done on a consistent and regular basis can go a long way.

  

Time For Action

Ask yourself: “How can I include physical activity in my daily routine as an effective stress management strategy”.   You don’t have to do it alone.  Why not involve your family, the kids, your pet, or your best friend?

If you give it some serious thought you may come up with more ways  to be active than you can imagine!  Work them into your lifestyle and daily routine and put exercise to work for you as your top stress management strategy.