Exercise to reduce stress

It's a fact of life. Most people experience stress -- going to work, caring for children, keeping up with the bills.

Evidence shows that stress damages your health. It can weaken your immune system, increase your risk of heart trouble, raise cholesterol, keep your blood sugar too high, cause weight and skin problems. The list goes on.

Regular exercise not only strengthens physical health; it can help you handle stress by...

• relaxing tense muscles
  
• helping you sleep better
  
• releasing endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamines -- chemicals that give you a sense of well-being

What activities best treat stress?

The main thing is to find things you like and commit to doing them regularly.

• For many, repeating the same motion for a period of time has a relaxing effect similar to meditation. Rhythmic exercises that can provide this effect include swimming laps, walking, running and cycling.
  
• Some people enjoy exercises that focus on breathing and fluid movement, such as yoga and tai chi.
  
• Others prefer exercising in pairs, for instance, by playing tennis or dancing the tango.

Ideas to explore

These ideas can help you explore ways to reduce stress through exercise:

• Think of exercise as "recess." Children need play time, and so do adults. We need to stretch our muscles, get our hearts pumping, breathe fresh air and take a break from our responsibilities.
  
• Separate yourself from work. To get a stress-reducing benefit from exercise, choose an activity that's separate from the work you do all day long. Chasing after children, using the stairs at work, running the vacuum cleaner and mowing the lawn are good ways to burn calories. But they may not do much to reduce stress. Find activities that take your mind away from the daily grind.
  
• Keep it varied. Many people get bored doing the same activity, then feel like quitting. So mix it up. For example, take a yoga class once a week, go for a walk a few times per week, then play racquetball with a friend.
  
• Remember activities you enjoyed as a child. Chances are, you'll still like them. Was ballet a lot of fun? Take dance lessons. Did you love to go skating? Adults can do that too. Did you enjoy competitive sports? Look into group activities at the local community center, health club or similar organization.
  
• Schedule it in and keep it regular. If your days already seem too crowded without exercise, you probably need to let something go. That could mean spending less time watching television, trying to cut back on working late, or going to the gym instead of happy hour. If you have children, see if you can swap childcare with other parents to give yourself some time on your own. Also, many health clubs offer free childcare while you exercise.

Related Links

Fitness: Health benefits & remedies

Stress

Allina Behavioral Health Services

First published: 02/06/2002
Last updated: 04/17/2006

Reviewed by: Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Allina.com