Exercises to Reduce Stress and Anxiety: Your Overall Well-being

It is scientifically proven that any regular physical activity that helps improve your physical condition also has a direct effect on reducing stress and anxiety levels. 

While there are specific practices recommended to reduce stress and anxiety, such as meditation, hydrotherapy, saunas, massages, or music, physical activity is an excellent alternative.

JP Osorio Fit, a fitness coach, recommends an active lifestyle, exercise, and personalized training to reduce stress and anxiety, prioritizing your overall well-being.

Which Exercise to Choose to Reduce Stress and Anxiety?

In this case, it’s all about choosing an exercise that you enjoy, one that helps you distance yourself from daily worries. 

It could be walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, practicing fitness, and more.

Stress can be defined as a state of mental worry or tension caused by challenging situations in our daily lives. 

One of the most common types of stress is work-related stress, often due to workloads or the level of responsibility we have. 

We can also experience stress due to financial, emotional, health, and other concerns. These circumstances can even lead to physical consequences and more intense conditions like depression.

The good news is that we have the alternative of physical exercise to manage stress. Any type of routine that engages your body can help.

Even dancing or simply walking and enjoying the scenery increases endorphin levels in the body. 

Endorphins are chemicals produced by the brain that create feelings of pleasure and well-being. 

Engaging in physical activity that helps boost self-esteem and keeps you occupied is an excellent way to achieve this.

You don’t need to be a high-performance athlete to feel good through exercise. You might not be in shape at the beginning, but those initial routines that gradually become habits will be very helpful in helping you feel at ease.

Exercise Mindfulness

However, it’s essential not to take anything to extremes. Excessive exercise can also lead to stress, and setting overly ambitious goals for competition can trigger anxiety.

These are matters that should be left to professionals, and in some cases, excessive competitiveness can be counterproductive. 

For our purposes, it’s about dedicating yourself to an activity that brings pleasure and doesn’t require extreme efforts.

Exercise undoubtedly helps improve the body’s overall condition. As you progress, you’ll feel and look better, which will help counterbalance stressful situations with positive thoughts.

In fact, many people incorporate exercise routines into their daily plans. Those who start their day with exercise and then head to work can perform their tasks more diligently than sedentary individuals. 

Physical activity has direct effects on your body, leading to improvements in your immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems, helping you feel better and radiate more energy throughout the day.

Specific Exercises to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

The neck is one of the first parts of the body to show physical signs of stress. Relaxing it with up-and-down, side-to-side, and circular movements is a good way to combat stress.

Relieving shoulder tension caused by stress is also a valuable experience. Circular movements and light weight lifting at the gym are excellent ways to relax the shoulders.

The back, arms, spine, and legs can also tense up and cause pain due to anxiety. A regular stretching routine can help address this issue.

Including wet areas such as pools, saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs is also a potent relaxation method for cases of stress. 

Swimming or simply floating in a pool can provide a significant level of relaxation.

Finally, we often overlook our eyes, but they are one of the body parts most affected by stress. 

Quickly opening and closing them or giving the eye area a gentle massage can provide the well-being you seek.