OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH
Manage Stress and Anxiety

Exercise, a Positive and Healthy Way to Help Manage Stress and Anxiety
by Robyn Lonto, PT

Exercise is well known to help manage and prevent many chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis, just to name a few. Exercise also helps you look and feel better, gives you more energy, and even helps you live longer. Researchers are now showing that exercise can also help manage stress, anxiety and even depression! Have you ever noticed that after a good work out you feel calm, relaxed and ready to take on the world?

Well, there is actually evidence that suggests exercise positively affects certain neurotransmitters in the brain. For example, exercise may help balance or synchronize the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, which can play a role in depression and how we react to daily events. Exercise may also increase endorphin levels, which can elevate your mood, provide for “natural” pain relief and help you relax.

Exercise helps you manage stress by releasing tension in your muscles, reduce levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), and increase body temperature all of which help promote relaxation. Exercise is also known to help you sleep better which is an important ingredient for good mental and physical health. Moderate exercise can help you relax and get a better night sleep as long as long as you are not exercising right before bedtime.

Exercise is not magic and it is not a pill. It is an active and positive way to help manage the symptoms of stress and anxiety, increase self-esteem and build self-confidence. Unfortunately stress and anxiety can leave you feeling drained or fatigued and it may initially take some extra effort to get started with an exercise program. But the benefits are well worth the effort!

So, what do you need to do to in terms of exercise?

• First get clearance/approval from your doctor/health care practitioner.
  
  
• Next decide what types of exercise you enjoy doing and what time of day do you have the most energy.
  
  
• Make sure you do some aerobic exercise (walking, swimming, biking) and stretching daily, and strengthening 2-3 times a week.
  
  
• Start slowly, set reasonable realistic goals, and progress slowly. For example, start with 10 or 15 minutes initially, progressing 5 minutes a week. Work toward achieving 30 plus minutes of aerobic exercise.
  
  
• Always remember to warm up and cool down.

Additionally, good breathing techniques (belly breathing) promote relaxation, and mind body exercises (yoga, tai-chi) include all the components of exercise and are a great form of relaxation.

References: mayoclinic.com

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for “advice only”, and not meant to provide specific medical recommendations or replace the medical advice of your health care practitioner.

—April 2007

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