Proper Exercise and a good diet help stress relief

Randal Hawkins, a diet and exercise junkie

Preventing Chronic Stress

Unfortunately, because we cannot curl up into a ball and live in a bubble, we must inevitably face both pain and stress during the courses of our lives. Change, challenges, fear and other factors presented to us in our daily routines require our adaptation and evolution, but they also produce stress. This can significantly disrupt our physical systems, leading to poor health.

Clearly, we have options in responding to the many stressors that we face, but we can also take preventative measures to keep the stress and pain from ever cropping up in the first place. Like with health care treatments in general, it’s typically best to initiatiate ‘treatment’ before the fact, to nip the problem in the bud and prevent long-term issues.

Many sufferers of chronic stress and pain already understand the importance of an effective prevention program. They have adapted to newer techniques like utilizing proper nutrition regimens and exercise in order to deter chronic stress symptoms from ever emerging. They’ve also honed in on these techniques (nutrition and exercise) as highly efficient, given the fact that they are relatively inexpensive and present very few side effects compared to more sophisticated (and considerably more expensive) techniques like pharmacological medications.

Proper Nutrition

The importance of a healthy diet is often (and sadly) underestimated, since it’s absolutely essential for maintaining optimal health, which prevents chronic stress and pain. An ideal diet consists of variety, including fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, lean proteins and non-fat or low-fat dairy products. By eating a wide variety of different source foods from each of these umbrella categories, you can be sure that you’ll receive the proper nutrients required to assist your body in performing at its absolute peak potential. Be sure to focus on acquiring whole, natural foods. Avoid anything processed, as those ‘food’ sources contain little or no nutritional value.

Poor diets only exacerbate stress and pain levels. Important elements found in proper diets (like antioxidants, vitamins and minerals) found naturally in healthy food options are unavailable to provide the body with necessary fuel sources for healthy living. Chronic stress is also caused by excessive intake of caffeine, alcohol and sugar-rich foods. Fried foods, processed foods with lots of preservatives and additives, and sugary treats also need to be added to the list of ‘foods’ to avoid. They’re bad for general health and will aggravate the symptoms of stress.

Pain symptoms can also be reduced by the anti-inflammatory properties found in vitamin-rich foods, like dark leafy green vegetables and blueberries, which improve our body’s performance by supplying it with the nutrients it needs for proper functioning. As an example, Vitamin C (found in a variety of fresh fruits like oranges) has been shown to reduce stress and inflammation levels without causing any of the nasty side effects that could be had from prescription medications taken for the same purpose.

Proper Exercise

Exercise is the second element stressed by proper stress reduction plans. Since our bodies were designed to move, it’s necessary that we keep that purpose in mind and apply it in our daily lives. Otherwise, we suffer from the potentially devastating effects of physical inactivity. Regular exercise has been touted as one of the key predictors of proper health for decades, though many people continue to ignore it, causing them to experience significant consequences.

Consistent exercise routines reduce stress while at the same time relieving pain symptoms, making them doubly important for attaining and preserving good health. The typical guideline for exercise is to engage in moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least two hours and thirty minutes per week. That activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes each, and spaced out throughout the week.

Exercise produces a variety of benefits, from the physical (looking good) to the chemical (feeling good – due to the release of endorphins, which elevate moods). Since there are so many exercises available to choose from (like running, Tai Chi, Yoga, swimming, hiking, cycling or dancing just to name a few), there’s truly something for everyone when it comes to personal preference.

Randal Hawkins is a diet and exercise junkie who loves sharing his passion for good health with others. He enjoys kayaking, fishing and jogging as well as good music and organic vegetarian cuisine.