In addition to helping you to control weight and be more physically fit exercise is also a very good stress reliever.

Exercise is an emotional outlet: When life’s problems, both large and small start to add up you can feel stressed or even angry.  Exercises which require a lot of energy such as jogging, biking or martial arts can provide an effective release of these negative emotions.

Control and release of hormones: Exercise will decrease hormones related to increased stress such as cortisol and increase endorphins, which among other things is responsible for the natural high runners feel after jogging long distances.

 

Distraction: Physical activity itself can take your mind off of your problems and help you to focus on exactly what you are doing in the moment.  Also if you are exercising outdoors, simply breathing the fresh air and being “in nature” are wonderful mood enhancers.

Social Support: Having others work out with you can make you feel better, as well as help motivate you to push harder to get a better workout. Sometimes the tendency is to isolate yourself while a little camaraderie could be just what you need.

Increased Health: Stress causes illness, illness causes stress. Improving your health with exercise can save you a great deal of stress.

In short you can seldom go wrong with exercise.  As my mother always says, “get the body moving and the mind will follow.”