There is no denying that we live in a very stressful period at the moment. Between juggling family life and work commitments, there is a lot to handle. This is why it is important to make a dedicated effort to lower stress levels. Low-impact workouts can help you do this. Below, we will explain the benefits in further detail and give you a better understanding of how to reduce stress with physical activity.

What are the benefits of exercise?

There are many different benefits that are associated with exercising. Of course, the obvious advantage is that you will be able to control your weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. However, the benefits go a lot further than this. With that being said, let’s take a look at them in further detail:

• Help keep your judgment, learning, and thinking skills as sharp as possible

• Improve your mood and mental health

• Exercise can help in terms of quitting smoking

• Help to manage your insulin and blood sugar levels 

• Lower your risk of heart disease

• Control your weight

• Increase your chances of living a long life

• Improve your sexual health

• Enhance the quality of your sleep

• Lower your risk of falls

• Reduce your risk of cancer

• Strengthen your muscles and bones

How does exercise reduce stress?

One of the main benefits associated with exercise is that it can help to lower your stress levels. There are a number of different ways that this can be achieved. So, let’s take a look:

• Exercise helps to pump up your endorphins - Physical activity can be beneficial in terms of increasing the feel-good neurotransmitters in your brain, which are known as endorphins. Despite the fact that this function is typically called a runner’s high, any sort of exercise can create the same feeling.

• Exercise will improve your mood - Regular exercise can also be beneficial in terms of lowering symptoms of mild anxiety and depression, helping you to relax, improving your mood, and boosting your self-confidence. Exercise is also beneficial in terms of enhancing your sleep, which is often disrupted as a consequence of anxiety, depression, and stress.

• It is meditation in motion - Once you have done a good workout session, you may find that you have forgotten about the day’s irritations! Exercise helps to relieve the tension that you are experiencing.

What are the best low-impact cardio workouts?

There are a number of different low-impact cardio workouts to consider if you want to enjoy a stress-free life without putting any sort of stress on your joints. Some of the best options to consider include the following:

• Yoga

• Rowing

• Elliptical

• Swimming

• Cycling

• Walking

What is the link between exercise and depression?

There have been a number of different studies that have shown that exercise can aid depression. While you are depressed, though, you can feel very low in terms of energy, and this can stop you from being more active. Exercising on a regular basis can help to increase your mood if you have depression, and it is particularly useful for someone who has mild to moderate depression.

You may be wondering how often you should exercise per week in order to feel the benefits of it. To stay healthy, it is recommended that every adult should do around two and a half hours of exercise per week. So, if you can schedule 30 minutes of exercise five days per week, this can really help you to clear your mind and feel happier.

We know that it can be difficult to start exercising again once you have fallen off track and you are feeling down. It is a bit of a vicious cycle. However, as soon as you break this and start exercising again, you will feel a lot better about it. It can be particularly difficult to start exercising if you are recovering from an orthopedic injury. It’s best to consult with your doctor or physical therapist for guidance after an injury.

How to avoid injury while working out

One thing you do need to be mindful of when working out more often is injuries. When someone suffers from an injury, it can prevent them from achieving their goals. It can cause them to become even more depressed and stressed, as they now feel anxious about the injury they have. This is why it is important for you to take the steps to reduce your chance of avoiding injury.

So, what sort of things can you do to avoid injury while you work out?

• Make sure you warm up and cool down effectively. The importance of this is stressed a lot, but it is something that a lot of people do not take seriously enough. If you do not ease your muscles into exercise, you can end up causing damage to them.

• Listen to your body. If your body is tired and needs a rest, give it a rest.

• Switch up your workout routines. If you put too much strain on a certain part of your body, it can end up causing injury and damage.

• Learn good form. Learning good form is also important in terms of avoiding injury. If you adopt the wrong posture when you are doing a certain exercise, you could end up damaging one of your muscles or bones.

• Finally, you need to make sure you use the right equipment to reduce your chances of experiencing any sort of injury.

Final words on how to reduce stress and depression with exercise

After you learn about the benefits of exercising in terms of mental health, as well as some of the best approaches when it comes to working out, you can take steps to change your routine. We hope that this information will help you to lead a more peaceful and anxiety-free life.

If you are searching for physical therapy or sports medicine doctors in Northern Virginia, Maryland, or D.C. area to treat your arthritis, please contact us.