step 3: keep fit, keep calm
by Gladeana McMahon
Whether you prefer karate or a gentle swim, kickboxing or a brisk walk in the park, we all feel better after some exercise. Apart from the obvious part exercise plays in helping maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight management, exercise and physical fitness can also help to manage stress.
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Research suggests that regular exercise helps people stay healthy when stressed. In 2001, the Stanford University School of Medicine, in the US, set up a study looking at how exercise might benefit female caregivers. These were women who suffered from stress caused by being the sole carer for either a spouse or elderly relative. At the end of the programme, which included brisk walking for five hours a week, the group who used exercise as a stress management technique showed significant improvements in lowering blood pressure, elevating mood and in improving the quality of sleep.
fitness facts
Regular exercise helps
- manage stress
- lower blood pressure
- improve sleep quality
why does exercise help?
Exercise helps eliminate stress hormones, such as adrenaline, from the body while encouraging the production of 'feel good' hormones such as endorphins. While we exercise we increase our oxygen intake to all parts of the body, including the brain.
Exercise also helps us to fight illness, which may be stress-related. Regular exercise can help to improve the immune system, which is often at a low ebb when under stress. White blood cells – which help in fighting illness – increase for a period of time after exercise. In one recent study, researchers at the University of Miami found that taking exercise regularly had beneficial effects in strengthening the immune system of men infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
moderation is the key
Light exercise can be just as effective as a vigorous workout in controlling anxiety.
controlling anxiety
Anxiety is perhaps one of the most common emotions experienced when a person is stressed. Several studies have shown that regular exercise has a calming influence that helps to decrease anxiety.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the US, have found that light exercise, such as walking or swimming, can decrease anxiety just as effectively as vigorous jogging. Playing golf or tennis or cycling have also been shown to help people relax.
defeating depression
Depression is another common emotion that people experience when stressed. Researchers in Germany have studied the effects of aerobic exercise on people with depression. Participants in the survey were asked to walk fast on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day over a 10-day period. At the end of the experiment, there was a drop in depression scores. Several participants even asked to continue the training programme after the study ended.
what exercise works best?
It is probably unimportant what kind of exercise you do, so long as you choose an exercise that works best for you. You are more likely to continue to exercise if you choose an activity that gives you some pleasure. Many people make the mistake of starting a rigorous exercise programme they find no enjoyment in. Gyms up and down the country have benefited from those who have paid their membership fee only to stop going a short time after.
Many people find competitive sports, like squash, tennis or football, are good stress relievers. But there is some evidence that if winning becomes all important you could up your stress rates instead of lowering them. The Nemours Foundation, a specialist paediatric and research facility in America, has found that believing you have to win at all costs can make you totally stressed out.
Relaxation therapies like tai chi and yoga are also effective stressbusters.
You don't need a vigorous workout or hard-fought game to combat stress. Gentler, non-competitive, activities such as yoga and tai chi, have been shown in some studies to be helpful in managing stress. Not only do they exercise the body but they can also help you develop a meditative stance on life.
One study, which compared the relaxation benefits of tai chi with brisk walking, meditation and reading, found tai chi as effective as fast walking. The study, published in 1992 in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, found that levels of cortisol – the hormone produced in stress – reduced significantly in the tai chi users. You can find out more about the benefits of tai chi in our we test the therapy section.
Similarly, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, has carried out a controlled clinical trial on the benefits of yoga. The yoga group in the study showed improved exercise capacity and a decrease in body weight together with a lower heartbeat rate.
For some people, it is inability to exercise which creates stress. Someone who engages in rigorous exercise on a daily basis may become depressed or anxious if they cannot continue with their exercise programme due to an injury. This is particularly true for those who engage in sporting activities and have a compulsive need to win.
making exercise part of your life
It is crucial that exercise is done on a regular basis if it is to be truly effective. To make a difference, you need to exercise for 20 minutes at least three times a week. Ideally you should consult your doctor to make sure that it is safe for you to start an exercise programme. It is helpful to choose an activity you not only enjoy but can easily fit into your lifestyle on a regular basis.
Exercise can become part of anyone's daily routine. In addition to formal exercise, it is also possible to increase our day-to-day activity levels without too much effort. For example, you could walk up one or two flights of stairs throughout the day, or park the car a mile away from the office and take a brisk walk to and from work. Try to take every opportunity to move around the office, even walking across the room to talk to a colleague rather than e-mailing, or going upstairs to see someone face-to-face instead of telephoning, can help.
You might like to join with other people at work or in your neighbourhood in taking up some regular exercise. Find a class or swimming pool you can visit at lunchtime, after work or in the evening. Or you could suggest to your employer they invite someone to provide yoga, exercise classes or another activity in the workplace. You may find it easier to keep your exercise regime going if you join up with a friend and make it a social event.
Apart from the physical benefits of exercise on stress, many people find that exercise also acts as a source of distraction from day-to-day problems.
Taking a half-hour walk, three times a week throughout the year offers you the opportunity of watching the seasons change. This in itself can help put the problems of everyday life into perspective. Joining an exercise class offers the opportunity of meeting other people and having some fun. This can help in countering feelings of isolation. Over a period of time you may also experience a sense of achievement as your fitness levels improve and you cope with the daily physical demands being placed on you more easily.
help and info
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.
For information on anxiety and other mental health issues, check out the mind section.
Want to find out more about stress management? Take a look at our feature on stress management.
organisations
Do you think a stress management counsellor might help you? You can find names of stress management advisors in your local area via the International Stress Management Association website www.isma.org.uk. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy also has details of practitioners which can be accessed via its website on www.counselling.co.uk. The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies is another organisation that provides details of therapists which can also be accessed via its website www.babcp.com.
Keep Fit Association
Astra House
Arklow Road
London SE14 6EB
Tel: 020 8692 9566
E-mail: kfa@keepfit.org.uk
Website: www.keepfit.org.uk
Teaches safe and effective movement, exercise and dance classes for people of all ages and abilities.
The Stress, Anxiety, Depression Confidential Helpline
Helpline: 01622 717656 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
E-mail: stressadvisor@lycos.com
A confidential helpline for those in need of support, backed up by the Exercise and Dealing With Stress and Anxiety websites below.
websites
BUPA – Stressed out? The work out!
www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/under_pressure/stress/stress7.html
BUPA factsheet detailing the medical benefits of exercise and the vital role that it plays in combating stress.
Exercise
http://stresshelp.tripod.com/
Confidential stress, anxiety and depression helpline website. Has a section on exercise that discusses the benefits and best types of exercise.
Dealing with Stress and Anxiety
http://stresscourse.tripod.com
An online self-help course designed for those who have been diagnosed with stress by a health professional.
The Fit Map
www.thefitmap.com
UK health, fitness and exercise portal with articles about healthy living, interactive tools, and details of health clubs and gyms throughout the UK.
Fitness Industry Association
www.fia.org.uk
The trade organisation for the entire health and fitness sector.
Healthy Living
www.healthyliving.gov.uk/physicalactivity/index.cfm?contentid=1343
Advice on the benefits of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and how to achieve the recommended level of exercise for good health.
Sport England (UK)
www.sportengland.org
Aims to get more people involved in sport, provide more places to play sport and encourage higher standards of performance. Features a sports gateway database of local sporting contacts and sports facilities.
reading
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Confidence Works: Learn to be your own life coach by Gladeana McMahon (Sheldon Press, 2001) |
Mind Guide to Physical Activity by Trudi Grant (Mind, 2001) |
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Stress, Health and Your Lifestyle by John D Adams (Mercury Business Books, 1993) |
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(updated December 2002, resources updated June 2005)
