The benefits of exercise go far beyond health and fitness, it’s also therapeutic.

As we’re presented with many challenges in life, we will inevitably experience stress – that’s a physical, mental and emotional reaction to the changes happening around us.

It often occurs as a racing heartbeat, fast breathing, tension in your muscles, or a lack of sleep. The symptoms vary from person to person but how we respond to trying times can have a huge impact on our health. It’s unavoidable, but completely manageable if you know how to do it.

Some would argue that short-term stress can be beneficial to your health and overall performance, while long-term stress can contribute to health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

There are different types of stress and it can be caused by almost anything from waiting for important results and planning a trip, to work and family problems.

People who experience stress could become irritable, forgetful, restless and even angry, among other emotional responses, while behavioural responses could include food cravings or a loss of appetite, frequent crying, or even social withdrawal.

Managing stress

Studies show that exercise can positively impact one’s mental and physical state. There is a range of effective self-help solutions to combating stress, but exercise has the most powerful overall benefits.

As you train, your body produces endorphins to ease your pain and lift your spirit. You also reduce the levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in your body with moderate exercise.

Consistent BODYTEC training affords you just the right amount of exercise to alleviate harmful hormones and equip your body to respond to stress differently.

Read more about what BODYTEC members think of our training, here.