How To Use Exercise As A Stress-Relief Strategy

It’s not a secret that women in the pro cheer community are prone to experiencing high levels of stress. This is due to the multitude of responsibilities we handle in our daily lives. Some work full-time or part-time jobs, others are college students, and there are also those who take care of their children. It’s even more difficult for those who have it all.

Sometimes there are those who indulge in caffeine, alcohol, and whatnots as ways to cope with the stress. But all hope is not lost. There’s still one stress-relieving technique that’s even more effective, healthier, and perfect for those living the pro cheer life - exercise. Working out stimulates the release of hormones that fight everyday stress.

The question now is how can you use exercising as an effective way to combat stress I’ll explain below.

1. Engage in a light-intensity workout.

Light-intensity workouts include stationary biking, using a rowing machine, swimming laps in a pool, or walking up an inclined treadmill. They don’t cause you to feel very exhausted after a session and would still stimulate your brain’s oxytocin release. Oxytocin is a hormone that provides an anti-stress effect.

2. Take it outdoors!

The aforementioned light-intensity exercises can be taken outdoors to compound their stress-relieving benefits. Stationary biking can involve biking around your local area or the mountains. Using a rowing machine can be transformed into kayaking in a lake or beach.

Trekking up a hill is similar to walking up an inclined treadmill. You can also swim in a lake or sea if you’re bored of doing laps in a pool. By doing this, you’re able to enjoy the different views from urban and natural settings - guaranteed stress relievers according to a study.

3. Do it with a friend who loves getting fit.

They say the more the merrier. When it comes to working out, it’s also true. Because haven’t you noticed that if you exercise alone, you’re more prone to dislike the experience? But if you do it with someone who loves working out you’ll also learn to love it?

That’s why you should find a friend who’s a fitness junkie or someone who lives an active lifestyle. Then, ask them if it’s okay for you to be their gym partner. You can also learn a lot of fitness strategies such as dieting tips and workout programs for having a strong and sexy body.

4. Make sure that you're well-rested the night before.

Not following a healthy sleeping schedule and not getting the right amount of hours for sleeping every night is the number one cause of stress. That stress is even multiplied if you work out with bad sleeping habits.

If you plan to exercise, get 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep the night before. Avoid inhibitors and stimulants such as alcohol, cigarettes, and coffee 5 hours before going to bed. Sleep early especially if your workout session starts early in the morning. Make your bedroom conducive to sleeping.

5. Do yoga to put you in a state of flow.

Yoga is a good exercise that boosts and improves your mind’s ability to focus and concentrate. If used as a stress-relieving activity, you’re able to let go of your worries, fears, anger, and any kind of negativity through the different poses and breathing patterns.

6. Take a walk on your lunch break.

Some people experience reactive hypoglycemia on a daily basis. This is a condition where one’s blood sugar drops low after eating. Stress is a byproduct of that. If you suffer from this, you should walk after eating. This allows you to control your blood sugar levels and speeds up your digestion by increasing the movement of food from your stomach to your small intestines.

7. Avoid a prolonged workout. Keep it short!

Exercising is good but prolonging it can cause extreme fatigue. When you’re overwhelmed by exhaustion, your brain will stop releasing endorphins and high amounts of cortisol kick in. Cortisol is a hormone that causes stress.

You must keep your workouts short enough to give you a healthy duration of natural high. If you start to feel tired as you exercise, call it a day but don’t forget to do your cooldowns.

Knowing all the different stress-relieving techniques is useless if you don’t know that you’re already suffering from stress. You must keep a conscious effort to step back and breathe if you start to feel overwhelmed.

More articles about stress for you to read here!

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