Managing Stress With Movement

Nov 03, 2024 12:47 am

Happy Saturday, !

What if you could literally train your body to THRIVE under stress?

When we’re stressed, most of us try to:

Think our way through it
Numb out with distractions
Or let it take over our day

But, if there’s one thing you can do to start moving through stressful situations quicker and with more resilience…

It’s to move your body on a regular basis.

Why? Because exercise actually trains your body to handle stress by mimicking fight-or-flight, so you get better at dealing with it.

In other words, exercise is a way for your body to “practice” stress so it knows what to do when it strikes!

As an added bonus, the endorphins can give your mood a boost…

So a quick walk or workout can help take the edge off as stress occurs.

This is so important when it comes to transforming your body” “building healthier habits” “improving your gut health” etc.] because cortisol — your body’s stress hormone – can make it harder to manage your appetite, sleep well, or even have the energy to choose healthier habits.

A regular workout routine is ideal…

But if you want some simpler ways to “move” through stress, you might consider:

Breaking up your day with 15- to 30-second stretches when you start feeling overwhelmed
Doing light Qigong, Yoga or ELDOA before bed to blow off steam and wind down for sleep
Or even taking a short walk during your lunch break to clear your mind and stretch your legs!

The bottom line is that stress management is a key part of “building the body you want” “protecting your brain health” “making healthier choices”.