Healthy Living
Stress Part 2: Taking it to the street
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Stressed? Over worked? Frustrated? Anxious? Take it to the street. A brisk walk or a light jog has been scientifically proven to reduce stress in a number of ways. Taking it to the street helps reduce stress by taking us away from the initial stressor, engages the ‘calm response’ from our nervous system and exercising reduces stress and increases growth of new neurons in the brain.
Reduce stress by getting away from it. By removing yourself from the stressor and taking a brisk walk around the block or out to your car and back will help clear your head, allow the brain to release stress reducing signals and give your heart a work out. You will find that distracting your mind with new surroundings and getting the blood pumping will help your mind re-organize stressors, priorities and function with more clarity.
Not only does getting out in nature calm our minds by distracting our thoughts, it calms us down by engaging nerve cells in the brain that trigger the relax command. You will find that by taking a little break and getting your body natural responses involved will increase happy endorphins. Scientists have found that exercises reduces anxiety and encourages growth of new neurons in the hippocampus of the brain. When you take a walk, get the blood flowing and the brain releasing stress reduces commands, you start training your brain to go to respond faster and you will find stress relief even quicker.
Exercise – the cheapest medicine! Simple movement, like walking, creates a huge chain reaction in our bodies:
Our heart rate goes up; forcing our heart to become more efficient in pumping oxygen rich blood around the body.
That oxygen rich blood fuels our muscles, our other systems and, most importantly for stress relief, our brains! The blood flow to the brain aids in allowing our brain to refocus, engages more neurons in the brain so thoughts may be clearer and you may find that you are quicker at understanding problems or reading.
Blood brings nutrients to the muscles, allowing the muscles to become stronger and more reactive. As the muscles begin to demand more blood for movement; the heart must keep up with the demand. This creates a fitness cycle which the brain reaps many of those benefits.
Once the heart rate no longer goes up during your walk, then it is time to walk a little faster or walk a little further or a little bit of both. The heart rate needs to go up to continue the fitness cycle. However, for stress reduction, the focus is just to get moving to get the brain full of happy endorphins responding to your stress.
The next time work is getting the best of you or perhaps another person is driving you nuts; take a ‘break’ and go for a brisk walk, breath and let the body help you reduce your stress.
Tiffany Wilkerson is a health, wellness and fitness expert born and raised in Lovell who has recently returned to Lovell. Being an Air Force wife, provided Tiffany with the opportunity to live all over the country and work with a variety of clients, expanding her knowledge and experience. With her education and 20-plus years of experience she enjoys sharing her passion for movement and providing functional wellness advice for everyday life.
Please contact Tif at [email protected]; Tiffany Wilkerson CrZyFit on FB & http://www.crzyfit.com.
