It has been well accepted, that exercise is a good way to help relieve stress and help with overall mental health, however the exact mechanism by which that works in the body is not completely understood. We all agree that when we feel stressed or anxious or upset that it is good to just go for a walk, lace up the running shoes and go for a run, or hop on the bike, or do some laps in the pool. But how exactly does that help?
In a recent article from the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists may be getting more insight.
They found a direct correlation between “stress resilience”, or an improved ability to deal with stressful situations, and regular aerobic exercise (like walking, running, biking, swimming). Moreover, the study found that “exercise probably needs to be routine”; meaning you want to exercise a few times per week in order for it to be most effective. They stated that doing a “HIIT workout or long run right before a stressful event” is OK, but not as good as regular cardio vascular exercise. Specifically, the study found that regular exercise “strengthens the brain’s resilience to stress” through increased levels of the neuropeptide galanin.
To sum it all up, you can de-stress immediately before or after a stressful event by doing your favorite cardiovascular exercise. However, to have more “stress resilience”, or a better experience after stress exposure, it is best to do cardiovascular exercise on a regular, consistent basis.
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