Exercise Reduces Stress
It’s not shocking to say that every person has experienced high levels of stress at some point in their life. You know the kind…when all you want to do is change into cozy PJs and crawl into bed after a crazy day.
We know that stress is just a normal part of life. How we handle those stressful periods of our lives is what matters.
One great way to handle stress is to make time to exercise. Yup…you knew I was going to say it :)
Many studies find correlations between greater levels of physical activity and lower rates of depression and anxiety. One important study from 2019 took a deep dive into answering the big question—does physical activity actually reduce the risk of depression or does depression lead to reduced physical activity?
Cool finding! The study demonstrated that doing more physical activity protects against developing depression (Choi et al., 2019). From the findings, it seems any activity appears to be better than none. Calculations of the data collected suggest that replacing sitting with 15 minutes of a heart-pumping activity like running, or with an hour of moderately vigorous activity, is enough to lower depression risk (Choi et al., 2019).
Research discovered that bodies release feel-good endorphins during exercise which physically boosts our mood. Plus, exercise increases self confidence and self-efficacy, which gives us a boost mentally.
What’s my favourite moderate intensity exercise? A flowing Pilates apparatus class, of course! I also love jogging with my dog on a pretty outdoor trail.
Since having my construction permit approved by the Township of Langley in early January (YAY, finally!), its been full steam ahead organizing the build out of the new larger studio. While it’s super exciting and I can’t wait to share the space with you and all my amazing clients, this experience has also been super stressful. My husband and I are organizing trades, dealing with engineers and designers, and making important decisions regarding…everything! The decisions alone keep me up at night!
On Friday night, after a full day of completing stressful errands for the build out and my university course homework due that night looming, the last thing I wanted to do was exercise. But I could tell my body needed to move. So what is a stressed out gal to do? I cranked up my music and did a Pilates+Cardio workout, all the while singing along to the tunes at the top of my lungs. I felt fantastic after! Definitely energized to stay up late and finish my assignment. At that moment, I knew that I had to write a newsletter article, just in case you too are experiencing a stressful phase in your life.
Next time you are feeling super stressed try picking one of your favourite ways to move. It could be a 15 minute power walk or run, a quick HITT routine, or a 30 minute Pilates mat routine. Or come by the studio for 55 minutes working out on the Pilates apparatus lead by one of your favourite instructors ;)
I can guarantee you will feel amazing after.
Resources:
Choi, K. W., Chen, C.-Y., Stein, M. B., Klimentidis, Y. C., Wang, M.-J., Koenen, K. C., Smoller, J. W., & Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. (2019). Assessment of Bidirectional Relationships Between Physical Activity and Depression Among Adults: A 2-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study. JAMA Psychiatry, 76(4), 399. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4175
Massachusetts General Hospital. "Physical activity as a preventive strategy against depression: Genetic data suggests physical activity can protect against the risk of depression." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 January 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190123112333.htm>.
