According to the American Psychological Association, a whopping 75% of people feel stressed out. Almost half of them eat unhealthy because of it; 47% of them can’t sleep because of it. It seems then that chronic stress is the new normal.
Unfortunately stress messes with much more than your head; it actually messes with your waistline. When stressed out, your body increases production of the hormone cortisol; increased cortisol, in turn, appears to encourage the body to store additional abdominal fat.
Add to it the fact that a large percentage of us do not meet the minimum level of physical activity prescribed by health experts. This has been blamed for a range of common ailments – it is well known that a lack of regular exercise can contribute to chronic physical illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart conditions. What is less well known is the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on the mind. An expanding belly is just one side effect of a stressed-out life. Stress is associated with just about every chronic disease we know – Heart disease, diabetes, depression, and some cancers are the most notable examples. Research from the Yale School of Medicine indicates that stress may also be responsible for encouraging addictive behaviours and other unhealthy habits by disrupting the part of your brain responsible for self-control and decision making.
When stress affects the brain, with its many nerve connections, the rest of the body feels the impact as well. Similarly, if your body feels better, so does your mind. Exercise improves the ability to sleep, which, in turn, reduces stress.
Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilise mood and improve self-esteem. About five minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to stimulate anti-anxiety effects.
Good mental and physical health, then, go hand in hand. When one functions well, the other improves, too. Here is how exercise helps you cope with stress and improves both physical and mental wellbeing:
Exercise has a preventative effect on stress – People who exercise regularly are less susceptible to depression and anxiety than those who don’t. It has been shown to be an effective treatment for people who show signs of mild to moderate depression. There is scientific evidence that 16 weeks of regular exercise is as effective as prescription antidepressants in tackling depression.
It makes you feel good – Exercise has a positive effect on the balance of chemicals in the brain. During exercise, feel-good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins are released, and ‘fight or flight’ trigger adrenalin is expended rather than being allowed to find an outlet in anxiety and stress.
It diverts your mind positively – Exercise can block negative thoughts or distract people from the worrying thought for a while. The act of setting yourself a task, having something to focus on, and the physiological benefits of exercising, all reduce negative thinking and the impact of the negative thinking on your mood.
Behavioural benefits – There are behavioural benefits when you undertake a fitness regimen and see it through. This has got to do with goal-setting and a sense of achievement in mastering a particular task. According to American Psychological Association, exercise may boost a person’s outlook by helping him return to meaningful activity and providing a sense of accomplishment. A person’s responsiveness to stress is moderated by activity. Exercise may be a way of biologically toughening up the brain so stress has less of a central impact.
As per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (AADA), the benefits of exercise may well extend beyond stress relief to improving anxiety and related disorders. Psychologists studying how exercise relieves anxiety and depression suggest that a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute workout. Some studies show that exercise can work quickly to elevate depressed mood in many people. Although the effects may be temporary, they demonstrate that a brisk walk or other simple activity can deliver several hours of relief, similar to taking an aspirin for a headache.
Science has also provided some evidence that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary people. Exercise may improve mental health by helping the brain cope better with stress. In one study, researchers found that those who got regular vigorous exercise were 25% less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years. Of course, like all forms of therapy, the effects of exercise of a stressed out person may vary. Some may respond positively, quickly, while others might take a while. Nonetheless, researchers say that the fact that exercise can fight stress effectively is beyond debate, and people should be encouraged to stay physically active no matter their age.