Table of contents:
- Exercise = physical stress for the body
- Lowering depressant hormones in the body
- Upgrade self-efficacy
- What kind of exercise can reduce stress?
Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Stress has many bad effects on the health of the body, especially if left without treatment or 'treatment'. Stress is directly related to various body functions. If you experience stress, it is not impossible that you get sick easily because stress causes a decrease in the immune system, causes high blood pressure, digestive problems, and even stress can increase the risk of developing degenerative diseases.
Exercise = physical stress for the body
Exercise is actually a form of physical "stress" on the body. Simply put, as we get used to doing sports, our bodies learn to adapt and get used to dealing with physical "stress" well. With this adaptation, your body can easily adapt and withstand other stresses. Research shows that exercise such as regular aerobic exercise is associated with decreased sympathetic and neurological activity hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal. Sympathetic and nervous activity hyphothalamic-pituitary-adrenal is a body system that is responsible for responding to stress and causing changes in body functions due to stress.
Doing regular exercise is also the same as training the body to respond to stress better, including responding to changes in body function and physiology. As the heart rate accelerates, muscles tighten, and blood pressure increases, exercise can decrease and bring these changes back to normal. It has been mentioned earlier that stress is bad for bodily functions. Stress can cause physiological changes in the body such as a faster heart rate, insomnia, increased appetite, and so on. By doing regular exercise, the body functions that change due to stress can also be overcome.
Lowering depressant hormones in the body
When you are stressed, your body will automatically release the hormones cortisol and epinephrine. Both of these hormones are depressant hormones that can increase energy and blood pressure immediately when the body is under pressure. Cortisol is commonly referred to as a hormone fight-for-fight because it prepares the body to be under stress, as it prepares more energy by increasing blood sugar and preventing insulin from converting it to glycogen.
However, when cortisol and epineprine are continuously produced due to chronic stress, the body's physiological functions will be disturbed. As a response to withstand the pressure that comes, cortisol and epineprine will prepare more energy that can be used by the body, by raising blood sugar and stopping insulin from working. If this continues for a long time, people who experience stress are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and a decreased immune system.
Various studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce stress in a person. This happens because regular exercise can reduce the hormones cortisol and epineprine and increase the hormone norepineprine as an antidepressant. A study involving 49 women who were experiencing severe stress, who were then asked to do regular exercise for 8 consecutive weeks, showed a decrease in cortisol and epineprine levels in their urine. In addition, the results of psychological tests carried out on this group showed that their stress levels were reduced, even completely disappeared.
The results of this study also showed that there was an increase in the hormones serotonin and endorphins, which are commonly known as the happy hormone. With an increase in these hormones, it can make the body feel relaxed, calm, and happy.
Upgrade self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a form of belief or confidence in solving and dealing with existing problems. Self-efficacy can increase self-confidence, whereas people who are stressed usually have low levels of self-confidence and self-efficacy. Exercise can not only increase endurance and the body's ability to deal with stress, but it can also increase self-efficacy someone. Research says that doing sports such as self-defense is effective self-efficacy inside. When you have high self-confidence and self-efficacy, then you will be more confident that you can solve the existing problem and try to find a way out of the pressure.
What kind of exercise can reduce stress?
Various kinds of exercise can help reduce stress, so you don't have to do strenuous exercise to relax your body. You can do easy and simple sports, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, tai chi, and so on. However, the most important thing is to do it regularly and regularly, then the body will get used to it. Try doing sports that you enjoy. In addition to making you comfortable when doing it, your mood and emotions will be easier to control so that stress will decrease.
