Exercise

Today’s humans live predominantly sedentary lives. Despite this, we still experience “fight-or-flight” responses to stressful situations. Previously, this anxiety helped keep our species alive for thousands of years. Our ancestors would literally flee or fight whatever threat presented itself. This response got our hearts beating, pushing blood through our arteries and veins, and letting go of the stress hormones instead of letting them build up in our system.

We are generally in less danger day-to-day than our ancestors. Fighting or fleeing a stressful situation is typically not a necessary response. However, because the “fight-or-flight” response is still hardwired into our reactions, we experience this regardless of how big, small, real, or perceived the danger. This leads to our minds overreacting to smaller stressors with the same panicked response, as if our lives were truly endangered.

Chronic low-level stress contributes to health problems that lead to heart attacks, strokes, or weight gain, to name a few. A natural method to take control of the situation is to exercise.

Exercise has been proven to be as effective as antidepressants in depression and to helps minimize anxiety. When you exercise, your heart beats faster and your blood vessels are cleaned out. Additionally, stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine are released. Endorphins are received in the brain, which act as natural painkillers and produce euphoria similar to the effect of opioids. Altogether, this can lead to better sleep and a reduction of stress. Other benefits of exercise include increasing feelings of happiness, increasing self-confidence, and overall health and life longevity.

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