Bye to stress and hi to excercise

Exercise is an important part of any weight loss plan.  Doctors are now recognizing that there is a connection between stress and exercise.  Exercise can help you get rid of stress in your life.  Too much stress can actually make you feel less like exercising.  How do you combat the stress in your life?  Getting on a regular exercise plan and sticking to it can help you relieve stress and help you lose weight.

There is a very real connection between stress and exercise.  Stress causes the body to produce excess hormones and adrenaline.  Exercising can actually help to decrease our adrenaline and help us feel more relaxed and in balance. 

Stress can be acute but can also accumulate or build up in the body.  You may have noticed that sometimes little stresses build up until suddenly just one more small stress puts us over the edge.  This buildup of stress is normal but we can help to reduce and eliminate stress by exercising.

Many people find that they like to use exercise as a transition in their lives.  When transitioning between home and work or home and school it can be helpful to cushion the transition with some exercise.  Even a small amount of exercise, say 15 minutes, can help us effectively cope with stress. 

Exercising in the morning can be helpful to assist in gearing up for the day.  Getting the oxygen moving better in the body will help us think as we go to wrok or school.  Exercise can bring on a euphoric feeling that makes us feel exhilarated.  This feeling can last for several hours making the day much more bearable.  The best exercises to do in the morning are those that have aerobic qualities.  However doing any type of exercise will improve your outlook for the day.

It can be helpful to do some exercises in the evening. Exercising after a long workday can help relieve the stress while at the same time calm and relax the mind.  Don't do strenuous exercises too close to bedtime; however, since they are likely to make you feel more wide awake.  Instead try some calming yoga or stretching exercises that will help you relax before bed.

Experiment with exercise routines and times.  You'll soon find the time that works best for you.  Once you find a good exercise routine and time try to stick with it.  Research shows that you're much more likely to exercise more and reduce stress when you maintain a regular schedule.  Vary your exercise routine based on the type of activity you like to do at a particular time of day.  For instance if you enjoy running in the mornings you can substitute other aerobic activities like bicycling to create a more interesting mix. 

The main thing to remember is to exercise regularly.  30 minutes of daily exercise will help you best reduce stress and feel better.  If you can't fit that into your schedule try two 15-minute sessions.  When daily exercise is not possible try to fit in exercise at least 3 days of the week.  You'll be much happier and will reap the benefits of weight loss as well.