If you’re feeling burnt out, stretched thin or stressed to the max, you’re not alone.
A whopping 27% say they encounter so much stress that they can’t function normally.
Then get your beginner-friendly walking plan to help you step up your stress-fighting routine.
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(Although that’s a nice bonus!)
What Is Stress?
First things first: not all stress is “bad.”
This is essentially the chemical opposite of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin.
Fascinatingly, one of those eustress-creators, exercise, can also be one of the best remedies for stress.
How Walking Impacts Stress Levels
“All forms of exercise can have a stress-reducing effect.
Dancing, cycling, boot camp class; you’re free to’t go wrong.)
Gagliardi says you’ll amplify the stress-relieving benefits of exercise if you take it outside.
“Green exercise can add to the normal benefits of walking.
If walking indoors is all that’s available to you, no sweat.
It’s a seesaw effect: “Visualize a ‘stress meter’ and ‘walking meter.’
As your stress meter fills up, the negative consequences of stress begin to appear and accumulate.
But you’ll notice the difference soon after you take the first step.
You certainly don’t want to introduce more stress into your life by pushing too hard.
Try 10 minutes in the morning, 10 after lunch and 10 in the evening.
The single-walk duration is not as important as the accumulated time.”
“I suggest that my clients focus on SMART goals to help make a new routine stick.
Ideally, targets should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.
Be flexible with yourself and allow yourself to find success in a way that is meaningful to you.”
Exercise isn’t the only thing to consider regarding your overall stress strat plan.
For instance, fruits and veggies provide nutrients that help you lower stress.
Even more so, activities like deep breathing and tidying up help relieve stress in 10 minutes or less.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you feel out of sorts.
The resource provides confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year assistance.
