Best Activities to Remove Stress from Body
Exercise is an important stress relief technique. However, not many exercises are helpful and you will waste your time doing exercises that don’t help as much or if at all. Most noteworthy, it is best to use fun stress relieving activities to remove stress from the body. Some of these fun stress relieving activities are described here.
Fun Stress Relieving Activities
Most noteworthy, activities that you truly have fun doing will help you in reducing your stress. For example, laughter is a fun stress relieving activity. So, if you have a video of a comedian that truly brings out the laughter in you, plug it in and watch yourself laughing and relieving stress. Another could be taking your dog out on a stroll - but only if it is fun for you.
Furthermore, exercise is another one of those fun stress relieving activities. Also, exercise is considered vital for maintaining mental fitness, and it reduces stress. In addition, studies show it is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration. Also, exercise is especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy and ability to concentrate.
And, exercise produces endorphins which acts as natural painkillers. Furthermore, the endorphins improve your ability to sleep thereby reducing your stress. Especially relevant, aerobic exercise is known to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. Also, about five minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to stimulate anti-anxiety effects.
Exercise as a Fun Stress Relieving Activity
Exercise duration and intensity guidelines from the CDC are provided elsewhere.
When to Exercise
A 2015 study has shown that morning exercise increases rapid eye movement (REM) sleep at night by 10%. Also, REM sleep plays a role in learning to let go of fearful memories.
And, if you exercise late in the evening, the melatonin you produce is less than if you had exercised in the morning. Furthermore, melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland. And, the pineal gland can be found just above the middle of your brain. In addition, it helps your body know when it’s time to sleep and wake up.
Finally, melatonin production affects your circadian rhythm. And, changes to the circadian rhythm contributes to stress-induced depression and affect reward pathways. Also, the circadian rhythm interacts with your gut bacteria. Furthermore, an imbalance in gut bacteria is associated with stress, anxiety and even insulin resistance. So, restoring healthy gut bacteria helps with stress.
In conclusion, exercise in the morning is more beneficial than exercising late in the evening.
How to Stay Engaged
Here are some ways to stay engaged with the fun stress relieving activities.
Also, the most important criteria is that it should be convenient to participate in the fun stress relieving activity. And the most convenient activities are those you can do when you are home. Furthermore, you can do them when you find time. These fun stress relieving activities include walking, jogging, running and, bicycling.
In addition, if you normally have to drive to work, you can stop at a health club and use their facilities for classes and/or equipment. And, the most inconvenient are those activities where you have to drive for more than 15 minutes to perform the activity.
Finally, if where your fun stress relieving activity occurs, is inconvenient, you might stay with it for a time. But it will become difficult to stick with it over the long haul.
Stress Relief Exercises
First of all, there are many kinds of fun stress relieving activities to choose from. And, some popular exercises to help with stress are described below. Furthermore, these exercises will only work, if you are able to use them on a regular basis.
Yoga as a Fun Stress Relieving Activity
Most noteworthy, studies show that yoga significantly reduces anxiety, depression, anger and neurotic symptoms. Also, flexibility exercises like yoga shrink the right basolateral amygdala gray matter density. This is shown by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain. Furthermore, the right basolateral amygdala is a deep-brain structure that is strongly implicated in processing stress, fear and anxiety.
Finally, you will have to learn yoga. That means going to classes and learning the techniques. However, if you practice three times a week you will see improvements in about eight weeks. And, practicing at home will help get you the most benefits.
Yoga For Anxiety and Stress. Awaken The Force! Move from the darkness into the light! Yoga has your back! In this practice video, Adriene guides you through breath and body practices that serve you when you feel bad. Learn breathing techniques and spinal work that will assist you in moments of stress.
More yoga to manage stress.
Jogging as a Fun Stress Relieving Activity
Jogging releases neurotransmitters endorphins, serotonin, and norepinephrine. And, these natural feel-good chemicals in your brain give you feelings of euphoria. Also, studies show jogging is just as effective as psychotherapy in alleviating symptoms of depression. However, jogging does not work for everyone. Most of all, if you live in a neighborhood where jogging outdoors is not possible, you have the following options: a) drive to a place where you can jog outdoors, b) use the treadmills at your health club or, c) purchase a treadmill so you can jog at home.
Jogging is not only good for losing weight and cardiovascular health. Jogging has a powerful impact on your psychological state.
Brisk Walk as a Fun Stress Relieving Activity
Taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed not only deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tension. Also, if you are physically unable to jog (because of the jarring impact on your knees, ankles, hips, etc.) brisk walking is a good substitute. Also, if you live in a neighborhood where walking outdoors is not possible, you have available the same options discussed previously in the section on jogging.
Morning walk, a healthy and good way to start your day, offers many benefits. Start your day with a brisk walk for 30-40 minutes to live a healthy and active life.
If neither jogging nor walking work for you, use elliptical trainers or exercise bikes to get your aerobic exercise. And, elliptical trainers put the least stress on your knees, ankles, hips. Also, recumbent bikes, upright bikes or indoor cycles are good options. Furthermore, use them at home or use the ones at the health club.
Dancing
In addition, studies show dancing reduces anxiety. Also, dancing strengthens the connection between mind and body. However, dancing will work for some people and not for others. And, as the video shows, dancing is a fun stress relieving activity which is also a good aerobic exercise that causes you to sweat a little. However, you might go dancing once a week. Therefore, you may have to mix dancing with other aerobic activities.
Strength Training
A study found that strength training reduces symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Also, strength training improves mood, self-esteem, regulates sleep, and reduces stress. And, strength training is available at your local health club. Or, strength training can be done at home. Finally, it’s better to use the local health club, because they have more equipment to keep you interested.
Fitness tutorials, workouts, and exercises that will help you on your road to healthy living, weight loss, and stress relief are illustrated in this video.
Tai Chi
Studies show that people who practiced tai chi showed improvement in areas of depression, anxiety, and general stress management. Furthermore, Tai Chi involve mental concentration, physical balance, muscle relaxation, and relaxed breathing. Tai Chi classes are usually 30 minutes long and you could do them anywhere from one to three times a week. It is easier on your body and helps reduce stress. See this video to familiarize yourself with Tai Chi.
Conclusion
Physical exercise is one of the most important fun stress relieving activity. So, next time you are stressed, use this fun stress relieving activity.