How To Beat Stress With Exercise

     

        Stress is the natural reaction of our body to harmful situations. Faced with a "fight or flight" situation, the adrenal glands release cortisol, a hormone that increases our blood pressure and floods our muscles with glucose.  The purpose of cortisol is to prepare our body to react to potential threats. The problem is that the body releases cortisol even if the threats are imagined  !

         Excess cortisol consumes muscle proteins, decreases testosterone levels, slows down metabolism and affects sleep patterns. This is why you will notice that stressed people often look tired and haggard.




         There are many reasons why doctors prescribe exercise as the main drug against the dangers of stress :

1. Release endorphins :

          Endorphins are neurotransmitters that improve your mood and make you feel good. These are the chemicals that are produced in the brain and are released to compensate for the effects of stress and pain. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins to accommodate the constraints of physical activity.

2. It is a great way to clear the mind :

         Do you know why Apple's Tim Cook is on the treadmill at 5 am or why does Google's Sergey Brin arrive in his hands in his office ? This is because exercise helps to clear the mind. When you are stressed, your body becomes tight. Exercise helps to relax to improve blood circulation.

3. Increase confidence :

         If you want to lose weight, gain muscle mass or run your first marathon exercise you want to set goals. When you achieve these goals, you increase your confidence in your ability to overcome challenges. Exercise conditions your mind to approach potentially dangerous situations with more strategy and purpose; just as he did when he was working to achieve his goals.

4. Improves sleep quality :

         Is your dream occasionally interrupted by "voices" in your head? These are called "white noise". Exercise erases your thoughts and puts your mind in the best conditions to present solutions to urgent problems. When you find the resolution, you close the white noise and you sleep better.

5. Strengthens the immune system of the body :

         Exercise improves blood circulation and ensures efficient transport of valuable nutrients to different organs and systems.



         It is very important that your immune system remains strong and healthy as it is the first line of defense against viruses and bacteria.