What is cardio exercise and how it helps to cope with stress
'19.07.2017'
Source: MyDomaine
Modern life is subject to stress at every turn. And most often, a person does not notice the first symptoms of stress, but begins to understand that something is wrong with the body only after feelings of a deadlock or a broken spirit appear.
If you are currently experiencing stress, or if you expect this to happen to you in the future, then this article from MyDomaine helps you learn how cardio helps to deal with this disorder.
There are many different practices that help to find balance, for example, yoga. It has a calming effect. But, according to researchers, the best cure for stress is cardio training.
Cardio training is synonymous with aerobic training. This type of exercise involves making muscle movements due to the energy that is produced during the oxidation of glucose molecules with oxygen. In biochemistry, this process is called aerobic glycolysis. This cardio is different from strength training, where energy is extracted by the body in an anoxic or anaerobic way. In the course of cardiovascular exercises, not only the muscles, but also the cardiovascular system itself is trained: its efficiency and endurance increases.
Typical examples of aerobic exercise are running, cycling, team active games, walking, swimming. A characteristic feature of these classes is their duration. The duration of cardio is from 20 minutes to an hour, not counting the warm-up. Exercises are performed dynamically and intensively.
How does cardio help us relieve stress?
1. Cardio boosts hormone levels that are responsible for your well-being.
Performing any kind of cardiac exercise creates tension in our body. And this, in turn, stimulates the production of endorphin, serotonin and norepinephrine in our brain.
"These hormones tell our opioid receptors to make us feel more comfortable under stress - they are very similar in structure to morphine and are natural pain relievers," says sports psychologist Kip Matthews.
The study, which was published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review, shows that the optimal level of cardiovascular exercise to relieve stress is what you are used to. In addition, regular aerobic exercise increases resistance to feelings of anxiety.
2. Cardio stops negative thoughts
Almost every one of us dreamed of a “turn off” button in the brain. Anxiety is dangerous because often we cannot stop the thoughts in our head. And in this situation, doing any cardio exercise can help focus. And negative thoughts disappear.
In the book The Joy of Running, Monte Davis writes: “It’s hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time.”
In addition, this state persists for several hours after exercise.
3. Cardio reduces muscle tension
Our main mistake is that we do not perceive stress as something ephemeral and purely psychological phenomenon, but in fact stress is in our body. Feeling anxious makes our muscles tense, and this pressure can make our body even more tense. Cardio exercises actually fill our body with oxygen, which completely relieves or relieves stress. If you can calm your body, you can calm your mind.
4. Cardio changes the composition of our brain
According to a study conducted by scientists from Princeton, it is cardio exercises that help produce more neurons in the brain, especially those that are responsible for quiet and calm activity.
For research, a team of scientists took a group of adult mice. Half allowed to run in the wheel, and the rest restrained from activity. The number of new brain cells increased in both groups of mice, but the active ones had more neurons that produce gamma-aminobutyric acid. GABA is a neurotransmitter that distracts attention from anxiety and signals that cause us to worry and get upset.
