Stress Management & Regular Excercise

As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. All these may be triggers but stress is actually the body's reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-flight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones, and comprised of such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger.

The stress reaction is in us, not "out there." It provides us with the strength and energy to either fight or run away from danger and is therefore self-protective. There is only one problem: unlike a caveman being attacked by a wild animal or warring tribesman, fighting and running away are rarely appropriate responses to stressful situations in the modern world. The result is that our bodies go into a state of high energy but there is usually no place for that energy to go; therefore, our bodies can stay in a state of arousal for hours at a time.

However, regular exercise can drain off ongoing stress and keep things under control. Doctors recommend physical activity every day or two. At the very least, it is important to exercise three times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time. Aerobic activities like walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, racquet sports, skiing, aerobics classes and dancing are suitable. Choose things you like or they will feel like a chore and you will begin to avoid them. It is also beneficial to have a variety of exercise outlets. Nearly all people feel better with some form of regular exercise - and I know I could not exist without it. For chronic or acute stress, exercise is an essential ingredient in any stress reduction program.