Trouble sleeping, constant fatigue, junk food cravings, drinking more alcohol than usual, road rage, restless legs, biting your nails? Do these sound familiar to you? If yes, it might be a sign that you’re experiencing high levels of stress. While different people respond to stress in different ways, we all can agree on one thing: regular physical activity can keep stress and its harmful effects out of our lives. No matter if you’re in a pretty good shape or a notorious couch potato, it’s time to improve your fitness and give your body a healthy way to de-stress.

Here are some great fitness and wellness tips to get you started.

Try walking

If you haven’t seen the gym in years or haven’t run more than 50 yards to catch a bus since high school, it’s best to start your fitness regime slowly. Sure, you might be excited to start working out to finally get rid of all that stress but remember that starting strong can end with an injury which will give you yet another source of stress. If you’re a healthy but out-of-shape adult, it’s best to start with some moderate aerobic activity like brisk walking. As your fitness improves, you can start jogging or try to combine your walks and jogs.  150 minutes a week of this sort of regime will provide you with great stress relief and get you ready for something more demanding.

Get a workout buddy

Exercise can be a great way to unwind and get some alone-time that will allow you to reflect and clear your head. However, some people prefer company and a friendly face to share the pains of working out. If you’re one of the social butterflies, make sure to find a workout buddy. Working out with a friend is a great way to see people outside of work or any other stressful environment. Also, exercising is not always smooth, so having someone to laugh with you or help you with some demanding moves can be a great way to reduce exercise-connected anxiety. And when you have someone waiting for you at the gym or on the track, it’s less likely you’ll bail and stay at home to feed your stress.

Eat better

Regulating your diet is an important way of stress relief. Luckily, exercising almost always encourages us to control our diet and eat better. There are plenty of foods you can introduce into your daily menu that will do wonders for your anxiety and stress. Nuts, fatty fish, eggs, yoghurt and chamomile products always help. And dark chocolate! This tasty treat is great for boosting the production of serotonin which will make you feel amazing.

Also, in order to improve your performance at the gym, you might even be tempted to look into supplements. And don’t think supplementation is reserved only for buff gym bros. You can easily get your hands on women pre workout supplements and add them to your diet to improve recovery, boost endurance and prevent dehydration. Mix the powder with some water and you’ll get a tasty drink that will increase your performance and make you feel better than ever after working out. That amazing feeling of success is the key to stress and anxiety relief!

Try interval training

If your biggest source of stress is your tight schedule and lack of time, it’s normal that you can’t set aside 90 minutes per day for long gym sessions. Don’t stress about it, though. Even 10 minutes of exercise will get your blood flowing and boost the production of happiness hormones. But, if you’re looking for a quick way to really improve your health and fitness, try HIIT method of exercise. High-intensity interval training usually takes less than 20 minutes, but it will push you to your limits. More importantly, it won’t take up your entire afternoon and you will quickly make this physical activity a part of your de-stress routine.

Get a massage

Most people think massages are only good for pampering and relaxation. While they are certainly great for relieving tension, they are also great when combined with exercising. When your muscles work overtime due to your new fitness routine, light massage of your entire body can help prevent injury and boost recovery. Plus, you will definitely feel more relaxed and encouraged to live a positive lifestyle after a good rub-down.

Don’t forget to stretch

Stretching is an important part of any fitness routine, but it can also do you a lot of good if you’re looking for more ways to relieve stress. In order to prevent injury and have a more enjoyable workout, make sure to stretch both before and after any physical activity. If you’re unsure what to do by yourself, you can always hire a personal trainer who will take you through proper stretching methods and show you how to prep your muscles for a safe and stress-free workout.

As you can see, exercise is not only amazing for your weight control and cardiovascular health. It can also do wonders for your mental health and stress control. So, if you feel like stress is getting too much to handle, turn to exercise and you’ll feel like a new, stress-free person! 

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