Stress haunts us every day. It’s especially noticeable in large cities, when the pace of life dictates its own conditions, and achieving harmony isn’t always possible. You can find advice on meditation from many “gurus,” but often, such pills don’t work because the first thing you need to do is to clear your mind and body.
And how can the body be cleansed if the tension accumulated during the day cannot find its way out?
Sport will help. Today we will find out how!
Why Body Hormones Are Important
One of the main stress hormones is cortisol. Its main period of secretion is in the morning, and it decreases in the evening. However, cortisol secretion is increasingly disturbed because more and more negative factors are acting on a person.
The main sources of stress are:
- Financial difficulties.
- Search for additional income.
- Failures at work or in the family and others.
Historically, cortisol has been produced in humans under conditions of stress, such as lack of food. Fortunately, this isn’t the most common cause these days, although sometimes an empty fridge can also trigger a nervous breakdown.
The task of cortisol is to optimize the body’s energy expenditure. However, its excessive presence in the blood disrupts the normal functioning of the body and leads to serious changes, such as obesity.
The antagonist of cortisol is endorphin, also known as the “happiness hormone.” However, its purpose isn’t only for a happy smile and good mood. Endorphin serves as one of the main regulators of stress and is produced by the body in response to external irritation. It reduces pain and stimulates the body’s resources. Euphoria and happiness, on the other hand, are more likely to be triggered by dopamine.
One of the main ways to enrich the blood with endorphins is physical activity. Beta-endorphin, which is actively produced during exercise, is responsible for good mood in the body. This is why “runner’s euphoria” occurs in runners. Due to high doses of dopamine, athletes have high self-esteem and a good attitude towards themselves.
Cardio Workouts
The body’s need for physical activity varies greatly with age.
For example, adults need between 150 and 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. At first, even walking for 15 minutes seems hard, but after a week or two, you will get used to it and such an activity will be as pleasant as playing at an online casino or listening to your favorite music.
It’s also recommended to alternate such exercise with high- and medium-intensity physical activity. Simply put, strength training.
The WHO recommendations are definitely worth considering. However, remember that you shouldn’t work to exhaustion and try to cover a week’s worth of work in one day.
It’s better to spread the exercises evenly over 3-4 days.
This way you will feel much better because there will be enough time for rest, and the desire to drop everything and go to lie under the blanket will not arise.
Strength Workouts
The same WHO experts recommend training the main muscle groups (body, arms, and legs) at least 2 times a week. This doesn’t mean you should only train two days! You can, for example, devote Monday to your arms, Wednesday to your legs, and Saturday to your back.
The main thing is regularity and systematicity.
When choosing a load, you should be guided by the weight that you can handle. You should soberly assess your capabilities. Don’t overdo it, it’s fraught with injuries! Take a small weight, train with it, and when you feel progress, gradually increase the load.
Already after the first approach you will feel a surge of strength and improved mood. After all, endorphins, which we talked about a little earlier, will come into play.
Yoga as a Separate Art Form
Many people for some reason associate yoga with standing on their heads and twisting themselves into a knot. It isn’t. Of course, especially advanced masters develop such agility, stamina, and flexibility that they can perform incredible exercises without much difficulty.
The main purpose of yoga is a comprehensive warm-up and workout of almost the entire body.
With its emphasis on breathing and muscle tension without the use of equipment, yoga is perfect for relieving stress and normalizing blood pressure.
Boxing
Evolutionarily embedded in us, our behavioral algorithms included the ability to release accumulated tension. Most often it was provoked either by the search for food or by danger. “Hit or run” is a rule that is still relevant today.
It’s unlikely that you will be able to pounce with fists on the offender. The same evolutionary mechanisms will make themselves known, but you will be able to trick your own brain.
The feeling of being the winner will quickly boost your mood and energize you.
Many large companies that can afford a gym most often have a punching bag. Some employees even hang it alone in a small room, glue a “boss” sign on top, and can pound it with lust for a couple minutes.
