Question:
I exercise pretty regularly and play sports. But I was wondering if exercise helped with
stress levels. I can get stressed a lot and sometimes exercise helps
but sometimes it makes me more tired?
Are there books that cover this topic? Are there exercises that help
releive stress levels more than others?
Answer:
If you are getting stressed then you need to look into it. I worked for 12
months without a day off - STUPID - and suddenly developed panic attacks
which is like the symptoms of a heart attack - numbness, heart racing,
breathlessness, feeling of fear, unable to breathe. I am now on the 5th week
of the next 3 months off work as a result.
I am sorry to hear about your panic attacks! From your
experience do you have any stress relieving exercises that are
helpful?
If you want to simply exercise to relieve stress then the first thing is to
mentally switch off. I tried exercising whilst my mind was still trying to
do work, expecting the 'phone to ring, worried about being X-somewhere by
X-time when what I need to do is to switch off mentally and allow time for
the exercise - this allows you mind and body to relax and benefit.
In terms of what exercises are best for stress, well, most stress websites
will tell you that swimming, rowing and cycling are the best three. Then
there is, of course, yoga and other forms of meditation. The waterrower
website is very good if you dig down on it for info on how exercise affects
the body and mind... but here are some urls that I also found handy.
