De-Stress Month: Exercise
By Tim Lochhead
Well you had to see this coming from the trainer.
Exercise is a great way to combat stress and boost energy. Yes exercise is a form of stress; however, using appropriate duration/frequency/volume you can mitigate harmful effects of overtraining.
Because of its many benefits, exercise is really a positive source of stress.
From the stress management perspective, training is an adaptation to a stressor. Exercise and training help teach your body to respond and adapt to stress in general.
Thus, when you encounter stress outside of the gym, field, court, pool or anywhere else you might train, you are better able to handle it!
Win Trivia Night with BDNF
Bonus info!
Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and facilitates the production of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). BDNF can help support memory and learning helping us keep engaged with the world around us. Low BDNF is linked to a variety of mood disorders.
According to John Ratey, MD, Harvard Medical School professor, without BDNF “the brain closes itself off to the world.”
Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, notes that BDNF “provides a buffer so the stress of daily life doesn’t wear you down.”
Want to increase BDNF and handle stress better? EXERCISE!