Improving Stress Management
Now that you are aware about how detrimental chronic stress can be to your whole body, it’s time to focus on improving how you manage that stress. The great news is that there are some simple things you can do!
Regular exercise is the #1 way to manage stress! It is healthy, it is inexpensive, and there are a multitude of physical benefits!! And studies have shown that as little as 5 minutes has anti-anxiety benefits. The body was made to move, so sitting in an office, at a computer or in a wheelchair for prolonged periods of time is not natural for us. Let’s talk about how exercise helps the same systems that were being impacted by stress.
By using the muscles to do a task, the tension held in those static muscles will relax. This will allow for more blood flow and more oxygen. Also, by exercising, you will be counteracting the muscle imbalances that develop from sitting too much, which often lead to pain. Here is a very common example: because we spend so much time sitting, our hip flexors, the muscles on the front of the thighs, get short and tight. They attach to the lower spine, which is the area of least resistance when we move. So these tight muscles pull on the lumbar spine and can cause back pain. Exercise will help to stretch out those tight muscles, as well as strengthen the core muscles that support the spine.
Exercise help those rib cages expand and get more air into our lungs! It also helps get blood flowing faster through our vessels, and in turn lowers our cholesterol and our blood pressure. Our hearts pump oxygen-rich blood to all of our limbs, our organs, our brains, everywhere! It’s bring all those nutrients to keep everything healthy! And it bringing back all the deoxygenated blood and all the waste that needs to leave the body.
When we’re at rest, our hearts are pumping about one gallon of blood per minute… when we exercise, that goes up to about 4 gallons per minute!! So you can see how much more vital oxygen is getting to our nerves and our muscles! And most importantly – our brains! All that increased blowflow helps keep our memories sharp, and our processing speed quick. Did you know that the brain uses 20% of all the oxygen coming into our bodies??
Exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals that naturally improve our mood. So these will help to limit perceptions of stress, as well as give you a clearer view of what needs to be prioritized. It will also ward off feelings of anxiety and/or depression.
Another benefit is that exercise helps improve our sleep – both our ability to fall asleep as well as get a deeper sleep, so we feel more rested when we wake up. And as I mentioned before, when we’re rested, we have lower perceptions of our pain, and of our stress!
What is the BEST exercise to help with stress management? Whatever you enjoy!! An exercise regimen only works if you do it, and if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick with it… so try different activities and see what you enjoy.
Next time, we talk about how nutritional choices can help our stress management.