It is no secret that these days stress is a part of life. However, it does not have to be. There are numerous ways to combat stress. One very natural way to reduce stress is simply through getting enough sleep. It is common knowledge that six hours of sleep is an acceptable norm. However, some people can function well enough in just five hours while others need at least eight hours. Adequate sleep is also known to reduce cortisol, which is the stress hormone that our body produces in response to stress. Adequate sleep reduces cortisol and increases serotonin, which is our feel-good hormone.
In the world of medical knowledge, it is a well-known fact that stress increases cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that initiates a vicious cycle of fat gain because it increases the production of glucose, which in turn increases the production of insulin. Insulin is a fat-making hormone. In fact, both insulin and cortisol are fat-making hormones. That is not good news for someone over 40 who is trying to shed a few pounds of fat. While a 20-something can easily shed fat through eating less and exercising more, a person who is 40 or more has to, unfortunately, also take hormones into account. In this instance, hormone replacement therapy may become a viable consideration.
However, other than getting an adequate amount of sleep, there are other ways to reduce stress and that is through exercise. According to the YouTube sensation, Dr. Berg, walking itself can greatly reduce stress. In fact, Dr. Berg recommends walking as a go-to form of exercise for people who do not sleep well at night.
According to the realbuzz website, some forms of exercise that aid in reducing stress are yoga, boxing, boot camp, dancing and weightlifting. The website realbuzz objectively lists these types of exercise as stress-busting without favoring one as better than the other.
First, yoga can be a stress-reducing activity. Yoga can be defined as a combination of simultaneous breathing and poses that are designed to reduce stress. Doing it oneself can be done but attending local classes is much better, especially if one lacks motivation. Boxing is also a stress-reducing exercise. Boxing is so stress-relieving because it helps an individual vent stress in a positive and healthy way. Next, boot camp is also a go-to form of exercise for those who wish to engage in group exercise and don’t mind limiting themselves to just doing bodyweight exercises. Next, dancing is also a stress-relieving workout because it helps one escape reality for a brief moment in time. And, last but not least, weightlifting is also very stress-relieving. One good aspect of weightlifting is that it helps an individual improve their body composition and thus gain some self-confidence.
