Exercise Can Help Control Stress

People who exercise regularly will tell you they feel better. Some will say it's because chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are produced in the brain, are stimulated during exercise. Since it's believed that neurotransmitters mediate people's moods and emotions, they can make you feel better and less stressed.

While there's no scientific evidence to con­clusively support the neurotransmitter theory, there is plenty  to show that exercise provides stress-relieving benefits.

There are four ways in which exercise controls stress:

• Exercise can help:you fee/less anxious­ Exercise is being prescribed  in clinical settings to help treat nervous tension. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed  muscles. People are often less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.
• Exercise can relax you- One exercise ses­sion generates 90 to 120 minutes of relax­ation response. Some people call this post­ exercise euphoria or endorphin response. Many neurotransmitters,  not just endor­phins, are involved.The important thing, though, is not what they're called, but what they do: They improve your mood and leave you relaxed.
• Exercise can make you feel better about yourself-Think about those times when you've  been  physically active. Haven't you felt better about yourself? That feeling of self-worth contributes to stress relief.
• Exercise can make you eat better-People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food. And it's no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

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