Physical activity of any kind — from taking daily walks to interval training — is amazing for our stress levels!
We’re all familiar with what Elle Woods laments in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people don’t shoot their husbands!” Research supports what she brought up in the courtroom in the early 2000s — working out is great for stress-relief.
Our connection to how we feel about training on any particular day will waiver so it’s important to fuel with quality products from Proven4! Follow along in today’s post and dive into the best fitness for different kinds of stress!
The Burnout Generation
Are you keen that millennials are also known as the Burnout Generation? Though exercise is wonderful, not all stress is created equal.
More and more stress is coming from the notion that busyness is equivalent to success — there is the side hustles, the over 40-hour work week, and the expectation that everything should come before you, and it’s making us very sick.
Despite all the stress, exercise is a mere remedy and we’ve rounded up the best training for every type of stress!
Train To Stress
It’s an interesting thought to our evolution that we’re catering specific workouts to the kind of stress we experience, but it is also highly effective and individualized — training that gets to the root of your stress!
For Chronic Stress…
Yoga and Mobility Work
If you’re reaching burnout — exercise is difficult and you’re just exhausted — being gentle with yourself is a must. Implement soft and mellow movements. If you typically like an all-out, go-to-your-dark-place workout, it’s important to recognize that this season won’t be forever, so listening to your body’s needs and adjusting the intensity is vital.
Start with restorative yoga. This type of yoga incorporates slow movements with long holds. Props are used to help you stay in these positions longer, and it is the perfect antidote to stress.
Try mobility work. Mobility training is all about aligning and positioning your body properly. If you’re an avid lifter, and even if you’re not, mobility work will lend a hand to your daily activity. Mobility helps you squat deeper and overhead press properly. Essentially, it balances the intricacies of your muscles and joints so you can exercise properly, prevent injuries, and avoid pain.
For Anger-Driven Stress…
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
There are many things that leave us angry and frustrated and having an outlet is crucial. Sometimes we just need to crank up some heavy metal, do a HIIT workout, and let it all out!
Matching your feelings to an external action can help balance and bring you into better alignment afterward. HIIT is a series of all-out, 100%, short bursts of exercise followed by a short recovery period.
If you’re triggered by an acute stressor, HIIT is a wonderful option, but if you’re dealing with chronic stress, limiting your HIIT workouts to one to two workouts a week gives your body the adequate amount of time to recover.
Beyond yoga, mobility, and HIIT, there are many different types of training to cater to your stress. We’ll explore more of these in part two!