Most people who want to be healthy and change their lifestyle also find that their decisions may come with a lot of pressure and stress. At times, it’s challenging to change your lifestyle to be healthier due to time constraints, doubts about your ability to improve your health, and general anxiety caused by juggling several responsibilities. However, some creative fitness exercises can help lower your stress levels and avoid exposing you to the gym. Here’s our list of workouts that are fun, stress-free, and will guarantee to get you moving.
Dancing: Incorporating dance classes as part of your fitness routine, like Zumba, ballet, hip-hop, modern, or contemporary, can be great for your stress levels because, in class, you’re usually focused only on the exercise while listening to music, allowing you to stay committed to your practice, releasing feelings of anxiety. When dancing, you can let your hair down, take a deep breath, and have fun in class. Also, a recent study found that dancing 150 minutes weekly can reduce stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety.
Pilates: In addition to improving your posture, Pilates can also strengthen your core, deepen your flexibility, and help you work up a sweat! However, if you’re doing Pilates on the mat or even the reformer machine, the exercise allows you to focus on your breathing to ensure you’re present throughout each session. Additionally, the practice encourages you to improve your focus and concentration, as it promotes mindfulness and body awareness. According to recent studies, the sympathetic nervous system activity may decrease in Pilates activities, while parasympathetic nervous system activity may increase. These physiological changes have caused many positive physical and mental effects.
Walking: You can power walk outdoors, in the gym, or in the privacy of your home (hello, cozy cardio!) to get a great workout! Although walking is low maintenance, it certainly has its benefits: weight loss, increased sleep, improved mood, and enhanced mental health. It’s also easy to do! Grab your girlfriend or dog and head out outside to see how much your stress levels improve.
Yoga: Although yoga can be challenging for some people, it does have health benefits, like improving controlled breathing, which helps manage stress and anxiety. The exercise can also help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, a window to rest, relaxation, and recovery.
Swimming: Being in the water is often a natural stress reliever, as water is usually calming and therapeutic. Swimming also offers a good full-body workout and can be fun! The practice also releases neurochemicals in the brain that can be pleasing to the body.
Hiking: Hiking can relieve stress, as the great outdoors is usually considered calming and restful, as you’re soaking in the outside elements and environments. Also, if you’re doing a nature hike, you may be on a steady incline, allowing you to get your heart rate up and to receive a good sweat. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the benefits of hiking are it reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, combats diabetes, and reduces anxiety and depression.