by Jennie Hanba

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Stress. It is an inevitable part of life. No matter how organized you are or how balanced you try to keep your life, you will experience stress.

The physical effects of stress can range from a mere headache to more severe problems such as ulcers or a heart attack. The mental effects can vary from irritability, loss of concentration and even depression. You can see how important managing your stress is.

So, what can you do to help relieve your stress? One simple way is walking. Exercise has been proven to be an effective way to reduce stress. And what easier exercise is there than walking?

Walking helps your body fight the long term effects of stress. When you experience stress, your body releases neurochemicals and hormones (such as adrenaline). Walking regularly helps to turn down the production of these. Research suggests that regular physical activity can help your body adapt and react to stress more efficiently.

Walking also helps to relieve the more immediate effects of stress. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are like a natural opiate that can produce a pain relieving effect and a sense of well being (a "runner's high"). This is sure to give you a natural boost and help to ease the irritability associated with stress.

Walking, because it involves a repetitive motion, can act as meditation in motion. When concentrating on the movement of your body and your breathing, you can focus only on what your body is doing and let other worries and anxieties (if only for a brief period of time) slip away. By allowing yourself this, it will help you to concentrate better when you are dealing with stressful tasks and situations.

Walking first thing in the morning will keep you going throughout the day, and you won't have to worry about finding time for it in later on (and we all know, the less worries, the better)! A morning walk will give you an endorphin rush that will help keep your mood stabilized throughout the day. It will also give you a sense of control and self-confidence, which is never a bad thing!

Another great time to exercise is during your lunch break at work. Even if you exercised in the morning, sometimes taking a brisk walk at mid-day will help calm your nerves and help you to re-focus.

Whenever you choose to walk, just make sure that you do. Even if you can't do it daily, walking on a regular basis helps build up immunity to the effects of stress on your body. Besides that, it just feels good!

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