Busy schedules, to-do lists a mile long, traffic jams, work deadlines…
Stressful situations are all around us. Knowing how to reduce stress and anxiety with strength training and other exercise is imperative.
Not only does too much stress leave us wanting to veg out on the couch or grab that bag of cookies for comfort, stress can have detrimental impacts to our overall health.
In this post, I’ll share what we can do to reduce stress through exercise, specifically strength training.
How our bodies react to too much stress
Too much stress and our body sends out the signal… bring on the stress hormones!
This is part of the “fight or flight response”.
You may notice you to start to breathe more rapidly, your heart rate increases, and your muscles tighten – all in preparation for the fight or flight.
When in real danger this is good. When this becomes a daily occurance, it can have serious consequences to your health.
Chronic stress can cause:
- insomnia
- weight gain
- increased risk of heart disease
- impairs the immune system
- irritability
- headaches
Too busy translates to time to exercise
#1 reason women do not exercise on a regular basis… Being too busy
#1 stressor… Being too busy
#1 way to reduce stress… Exercise
So, it makes perfect sense that instead of thinking “I’m too busy to exercise” we should think “I’m so busy I need to exercise”.
What if being too busy was a signal to exercise?
Once we’ve exercised, we are now we’re more relaxed and can get more done without feeling stressed.
Strength Training to reduce stress and anxiety
Strength training is one of my favorite methods for reducing stress. When you are lifting weights, you are focused on lifting the weights, having perfect form, hitting a goal of one more rep, etc. Your mind is forced to let go of the stress and focus on the workout. This lets you “forget” the event that is causing your stress, at least for a while.
Physcial exercise also releases endorphins, which are known for making us feel good.
Who doesn’t want that?
Not sure what exercises to do? Grab one or both of my sample workout plans.
Includes a 3-day per week and a 4-day per week option. Approx 30-minutes per day.
For more information on strength training, check out these other articles:
HIIT to reduce stress and anxiety
Another great form of exercise to reduce stress and anxiety is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT workouts consist of short bouts of intense exercise following by a period of rest or lower intensity.
HIIT can consist of all cardio or a mixture of cardio and strength training. There are numerous ways to turn any workout into a HIIT workout.
I’ll discuss a couple of my favorites.
Remember to always warm up with a few minutes of walking, march in place or exercise with very light or no weights to prepare your body for a more strenuous workout.
Turn strength training into a HIIT workout
It’s super easy to turn a strength training workout into a HIIT workout. There is no right or wrong way to do this. One suggestion is…
Example:
- 10 -12 reps Shoulder lateral raise
- 10 – 12 reps Shoulder press
- 30 seconds of marching in place, jumping jacks etc.
- Rest 1 minute. Repeat.
Cardio HIIT workout
Any type of cardio can be turned into a HIIT workout. Here’s one example:
- 2 – 3 minutes of brisk walk
- 30 seconds of speed walking
- 1 minute slow walk
- Repeat.
Yoga to reduce stress and anxiety
With a focus on controlled breathing, stretching and mindful movements, yoga is another excellent form of exercise to reduce stress and anxiety.
Pulling it all together
Whether it’s the traffic tie up, work deadlines, or trying to do IT ALL, stress is everywhere. How we deal with stress becomes super important.
Exercise of any type can help reduce stress. Pick the form of exercise you enjoy and stick with it.
Personally, I like a variety of workouts that include HIIT, strength training and yoga/stretching.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s your favorite form of exercise for reducing stress?
Before you go…
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