These days, stress is a real problem for a lot of people. Our busy lifestyles have us running around more than ever, with even less time to relax. You may find yourself flying into town, taking the taxi to the downtown financial core for a meeting, spending the afternoon in consultation, then jumping back into a taxi for a trip to the next big city.
We're all working harder for more money today, and many find there is just not enough time to wind down. What good is recognition by an executive firm out of New York or Miami if you suffer heart problems due to stress at an early age?
While we might live in a busier era, scientific progress has also meant it is a potentially healthier era as well. Many studies have focused on stress and stress reduction, commissioned by businesses concerned about those under their employment. Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and other university cities have had dozens of these studies carried out.
One overwhelming conclusion that all of these studies have drawn is that exercise leads to a reduction in stress levels. People who are jumping through all the hoops required to get a mortgage have demonstrably less anxiety and depression when they partake in a regular exercise routine.
While many studies have proven this to be true, there still is no definitive answer why. Now, you may have heard the stress reduction popularly attributed to things called endorphins, but like the end of the world in 2012, this exaggeration is the result of too much expansion on too little information. Learn more about endorphins here.
Studies currently being carried out suggest that stress is not greatly reduced by a rush of endorphins released by exercise. Instead, researchers suggest that the hormone norepinephrine may be more active during exercise. This hormone acts as a modulator which may help reduce the impact of stress.
Other researchers suggest that a reduction in the symptoms linked to stress might actually come about as the body communicates with itself better thanks to exercise. An Etobicoke real estate agent who takes 45 minutes a day for a jog has a body which works more efficiently than a sedentary peer. That efficiency may work for stress the same way it works on wounds or fighting off illnesses; the fitter you are, the more effective your body is in fighting off undesirable affects.
Whatever the reason, it is clear that exercise reduces stress and stress symptoms. So what are you waiting for? Take a little bit of time out and go for a run today!
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