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Mental health professionals sometimes prescribe exercise as part of the treatment for specific mental illnesses. Stress or anxiety is one of the most often reason to prescribe exercise. Why? It works.
What Is Stress?
Stress is a healthy “alarm” reaction in your body. A primal instinct planted firmly in your brain signals the presence of internal or external threats and tells your brain it must react quickly. Within a few seconds, various stress hormones – adrenaline, insulin, cortisol, and norepinephrine – are released.
Your heart rate goes up and your muscles tense, while you start to breathe more quickly. Your cardiovascular system is running at top speed. For a large part of human history, it was vital for our ancestors to react to dangerous situations and challenges with fight or flight. That means that when your body is under stress, it’s on high alert and ready to give its all.
Stress Factor: Neither Fight Nor Flight
Today it’s rare that we have to fight with our fists or run for our lives. On the contrary, it’s usually the case that we don’t ever release this tension – the concentrated energy and stress hormones – and instead we don’t move enough, if at all, keeping our bodies in a loop of stress.
These contradictory behaviors result in a classic problem for today’s humans: Tension and energy aren’t released adequately and the stress hormones produced aren’t reduced.
In a stressful everyday life, your physical activity and nutrition plans can sometimes fall by the wayside. Take advantage of our free Body Check to get back on track, with nutritional advice and product recommendations tailored to your fitness level and goals.
Stress Release: Couch or Exercise?
If you’re looking to chill out after a turbulent day at work by flopping onto the couch and letting your favorite series wash over you, your body will relax, but you won’t get the benefits of exercise and stress relief.
Your heart rate, blood pressure, and your breathing will all decrease, but your muscles will still be tense and the stress hormones that were released earlier will continue to circulate in your body.
Exercise, on the other hand, relieves stress by producing more hormones (endorphins and serotonin) to neutralize those stress hormones.
If your body continuously produces stress hormones and is unable to release its inner tension through movement, your body will go into a permanent state of alarm.
When your stress hormones aren’t neutralized by other hormones like endorphins, they’ll suppress the production of other hormones necessary for your health.
If your body continuously produces stress hormones and is unable to release its inner tension through movement, it will go into a permanent state of alarm. The consequences can play out as physical and mental health problems such as concentration difficulties, sleep disorders, or digestive problems.
4 Reasons Why Working Out Is Better For Stress Relief Than The Couch
Movement reduces built-up tension and energy; we all know that. Here are four more reasons why exercise is key to stress relief!
1. Working Out Makes You Happy
Studies show that moderate aerobic exercise with a duration of 30 to 60 minutes releases mood-boosting endorphins1 and serotonin. They give you that relaxed feeling after an intense workout and lift your spirits. Who doesn’t like a natural shot of happiness hormones?
2. Natural Energy Boost for More Creativity at Work
Regular exercise stimulates the flow of oxygen to your brain, strengthening your “mental fitness,” and refreshing your gray matter. So, get off your office chair, get into your running shoes, and clear away the cobwebs in your brain to make way for new inspiration.
3. Exercise as a Distraction from Everyday Stress
No matter what was on your mind – work, conflicts with friends, or tension with co-workers – during your workout you’re only focusing on your body. Thinking about executing the exercise correctly makes for a great distraction.
4. Working Out Makes You More Resistant to Stress
Regular exercise regulates the stress levels in your body. Exercise activates your metabolism, which improves stress hormone regulation, making you more resistant to stress so you can cope with it in a more relaxed way.
Exercise That’s Perfect for Fighting Stress: The Manduu Difference
Manduu goes above-and-beyond to ensure you get the safest, cleanest and most effective workout possible, so you can have peace of mind while transforming your body.
We go beyond group fitness to provide you a semi-private training experience, which means there are far less people in our facilities at any given time—compared to a gym. Our certified personal trainers supervise your entire session, and you’ll spend considerably less time in a Manduu studio (under 30 minutes) to get a great workout.
Additionally, our equipment and surfaces are sanitized regularly, and each Manduu studio has state-of-the-art air purification that kills and prevents viruses and bacteria.
With Manduu, you can get in, get fit and get out.
Get started by booking your free first session today.
Feel the Pulse of Fitness in Naples Today!
(239) 631-5204 . manduu.com
