How To Beat Stress With Exercise |
Are you mentally fatigued?
Work. Stress. Kids. Maybe just life in general?
Unfortunately that has a major carry over to all aspects of life, including physical performance.
A study just recently published showed how mental fatigue (read: tired and stressed) can affect physical performance (read: trying to get in the best shape of your life).
Participants performed a mentally fatiguing task prior to a difficult exercise test -- and when they did, they reached exhaustion more quickly than when they did the same exercise when mentally rested.
Interestingly, though, the study also found that mental fatigue did not cause the heart or muscles to perform any differently. Instead, our "perceived effort" determines when we reach exhaustion.
In English -- when we're mentally fatigued, or maybe not quite "in the game" because of extra noise in our heads, we can't perform at our best in a workout, game, practice, etc. And our perceived effort determines our true outcome.
What does that mean?
Well, if this happens on a regular basis, our half hearted efforts and just going through the motions leads to a lack of results.
That can be a downward spiral, however, because then a person thinks they're exercising regularly, yet their not seeing whatever results they want to see - the scale, body fat, clothes fitting differently, etc. - can be discouraging.
What’s in it for me?
Exercise is great for relieving stress. And, of course, there will surely be times when other things are on the mind.
This is one reason we encourage exercise first thing in the morning – and why we’re opening a 2nd location on March 30th – to make it that much easier for women in Louisville to participate. This next camp is at Blairwood Tennis and Swim Center in the East End. We’re eliminating any “distance excuses” that often come up.
Mohr Results Boot Camp for Women
So aside from exercise, here are 5 strategies to help slash stress in your life.
5 Stress Busting Strategies
