Six exercises to help relieve stress

Last week Gareth Southgate was asked how he copes with the pressure of leading the national football team.

Does he get help from the team psychologist? Is it some kind of medication, or miracle potion?

No, he uses exercise to help de-stress and cope with the pressures of his job.

He said, “Pippa (the team psychologist) is around the hotel all the time if we need to speak, but, for me, normally exercise is the most important thing”.

So, how does exercise help relieve stress, and how can you use it to your advantage? to high intensity exercise increase the release of endorphins, which is why you’ll often feel a lift in your spirits after a workout leaving you less likely to feel stressed.

Fight or flight is your natural, pre-programmed reaction to any stressful situation.

The problem, however, is that much of today’s stress doesn’t require either physical fighting or running, but your body still provides the chemicals for it.

This can leave you feel antsy and stressed out.

The best and most logical way to relieve this feeling is to actually do some exercise.

Sprint it out, lift weights or go for a long bike ride.

It’s how your body was meant to respond. cycling or lifting, lets you get into a rhythm.

That rhythmic flow of a repeating action relaxes your mind. It can help clear your head after a stressful day. Not everyone chooses to exercise solo.

Attending a spin class, joining a boot camp or going on a group run not only helps you get your daily exercise in but also lets you interact with others who are probably experiencing the similar stress of modern-day life.

This human interaction will help you release some of the negativity that is associated with stress and will make you feel less alone in your problems.

Feeling stressed and not being able to sleep can be a vicious cycle.

Lack of sleep can increase your stress and making it even harder to catch up on sleep the next night.

Exercise not only helps break that cycle by better enabling you to handle stress in the first place, it also helps you feel tired at night so you can fall into a deep sleep without all the tossing and turning.

Stress can be brought on by a lack of organization and planning, whether it’s in your work life or home life.

Following a workout plan, where you set regular, weekly goals and ultimately have a sense of achievement, will help you transfer those skills to other areas.

And If your stress isn’t caused by scheduling, just knowing that you have a stress-busting workout on your calendar a few times a week will help put your mind at ease.

Next time you’re feeling stressed, don’t reach for alcohol or comfort food, give exercise a try instead.

It may just be what you need to unwind, relax and clear your head!