Exercise has so many health benefits that it’s one of the best things you could ever do for your own well-being. And it’s no surprise that, coupled with the physical benefits that exercise offers, it also has emotional and psychological benefits as well. Did you know that exercise has been found to be effective at reducing stress? Read on for some basic guidelines for reducing stress through exercise.

• Get moving! Experts say that, in the face of challenges, our bodies are designed to either “run or fight” – or do activities which involve intense movement. That’s why if you are feeling stressed out at work, doing some exercises will help you expend the adrenaline through a healthy channel. Exercising will burn off the stress chemicals produced by tension and anxiety.

Another way that exercise could help relieve stress is through the release of endorphins or “happy hormones”. Exercise naturally stimulates the production and release of endorphins, which will effectively cause your mood to lighten and the stress to ease out of your system.

• Build up your stamina and immune system. A combination of aerobic and strength exercises will help build up your stamina and your immune system, which will help you better face the challenges that life has to offer. Exercise will just simply make you healthier – and in turn will make you feel better. To benefit from both aerobic and strength training exercises, experts recommend that you combine a minimum of 2.5 hours of aerobic exercises with 2 strength training sessions every week. These strength training sessions should have eight to ten different exercises. You could engage in aerobic exercises through activities such as jogging, biking, jumping rope and brisk walking. Strength training on the other hand is best done with equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands and fitness balls.
• Be conscious of your breathing during exercise. One of the common mistakes that people do during exercise is holding their breath. Remember, improper breathing during exercise could cause even greater fatigue and may reduce the effectiveness of your workout. A guideline to remember in order to breathe properly is to exhale during the effort phase of the exercise (for example, during the lifting part). You should also make sure that you make deep abdominal breaths. Concentrating on doing proper breathing during exercise will not just increase the rate of weight loss that you will experience, it will also help you be more focused, and thus help keep your mind off the sources of your stress.
• Exert your muscles. Remember that there’s a fine line between overexertion to the point that you will do your muscles harm, and healthy exertion which will lead you to actually feeling more relaxed and uplifted. The point here is to listen to your body so that you don’t push it beyond what it is realistically capable of. A rule of thumb to remember is that, when exercising, you should still be able to carry on a conversation, but not be able to sing (this means that you should push yourself a little harder). It’s important that you tire out your muscles a little, because tired muscles equal to relaxed and less-stressed muscles.

Exercise has so many proven benefits, and all the effort, time and energy you will exert towards getting your body moving is all worth it. Good luck, and hope this helped!