With the pressure and demands being placed on us in modern day life, including family, friends, work and other activities, we often fail to pay enough attention to our own wellbeing. This negligence can impact everything from our physical health to our performance in work, and even our personal relationships.
How exercise reduces stress
Exercise produces endorphins - chemicals in the brain that make us feel-good and reduce stress. As such, regular exercise is essential to manage and reduce the stress and anxiety you experience.
Exercising for stress relief
Feeling stressed? Go for a walk outside.
As a rule of thumb, seek to do 30 minutes of exercise, 3-4 times each week. However, if you are not currently exercising, consult your doctor before doing so to ensure you are not putting your health at risk and you receive advice appropriate to your particular situation
Walking is excellent for achieving stress relief and suitable if you have not been physically active for a while. Walking outdoors is typically better than on a treadmill - serotonin, a brain chemical that improves our mood, increases with exposure to bright light and lowers with decreased sun exposure.
Yoga is also an excellent form of exercise for stress relief - we covered this in a separate blog post.
Stuck at the office with no time to exercise?
On days you are stuck at the office and don't have time to exercise, a stress ball can help lower your stress.
How stress balls provide stress relief
When you squeeze a stress ball, the muscles in your hand tighten. Upon releasing / reducing your squeeze, your muscles relax, in turn releasing tension – repeating this pattern of squeezing and releasing tension will help you relieve stress.
The movement of the ball in your hands will also stimulate nerves in your hands, which are connected to your brain – this stimulation can release endorphins, which improve your mood.
Also available in Green, Red & Purple
Having a stress ball in your hand can also divert your attention and can help to stop thinking about the source(s) of your stress. It can also help you avoid any nervous habits you do when feeling stressed or anxious, like biting your nails or frantically moving your legs / feet.
Recommended
Of course, we recommend our own Koh Fit Premium Stress Ball (pictured), which also works effectively as a Hand Therapy Exercise Ball.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Just post them below. Please share this post if you like it too! Thanks for reading.