Combating Stress #3 - Staying Active

Exercise helps relieve stress. Why? well when you exercise your body releases endorphins and these hormones make you feel happy. After finishing an exercise you feel productive, happy, a sense of accomplishment and ready to tackle work and problems that might be causing you stress.

Here are some of my favourite ways to exercise whilst de-stressing at the same time. I like all these activities as I can do them to my level and I find them all calming (well maybe not squash!).

Yoga

For yoga look to online videos or local yoga groups. Doing yoga comes with many benefits such as; improved muscular strength, better control and posture of your body, improved flexibility, stress management, relaxation, increased body awareness and better concentration. Yoga brings the mind and body together, so not only is it good exercise but it makes you happy, has many benefits and improves your mental health and the way you perceive your body and mind.

Pilates

Pilates is like yoga in the way that they both improve posture and muscular strength. However pilates different because it lengthens and strengthens all of the muscles in the body. It is more focused on exercise than yoga is with the mind. Pilates consists of a series of poses that require focus and concentration to have complete control and balance inn your body. Pilates was first invented as a way to help injured athletes improve their physical capabilities and ease back into sport. We can use pilates as an excellent form of exercise, because it requires us the focus on our body and we can forget about the things that are causing stress in our life, whilst stay active and fit.

An online resource is certified fitness instructor, pilates lover, creator of POP Pilates, author of a book and much, much more, Cassey Ho. Check out her website and YouTube channel for lots of inspiration and workout routines specialising in pilates:

http://www.blogilates.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIJwWYOfsCfz6PjxbONYXSg

Bike Riding 

One of my personal favourites is bike riding. There is something about getting out on your bike and having the freedom to go places at a cruise pace. I love exploring when bike riding. Don't be restricted to the gym or going around your block. I like to find bike trails in my area, and another personal fav is riding down to Parramatta river and catching a ferry to Newington Amory or Cockatoo island. 

Running

Like bike riding you can go exploring with a friend or jamming to some tunes. Check out my playlist for some great songs to exercise to. Running my not be the most fun or pleasing way to exercise but you can make it more fun by trying new places to run.

Squash & Rowing, Kayaking

Some different types of exercise that I have done before but I would like to do more often. I love kayaking I just need to find more time to get out onto the water. Kayaking is also great for building upper body strength, something I need to work on! Ever since I played squash at school I've been thinking of signing up to a squash facility. It is a fun, fast paced sport that well and truly wears you out, but you feel so good afterwards.

Now still not motivated to exercise? Well it is scientifically proved that if you have cute, appealing workout clothes you are much more likely to want to exercise. If you incorporate some exercise into your daily or weekly routine and keep it up, then it will become a habit and will help you reduce stress and stay fit.