Sports activities are good for morale. They provide a reduction in stress, depression, anxiety and improved self-esteem. The factors causing these virtues are linked to biological, social and physiological factors. During your sports sessions, your body secretes 4 types of hormones that will make you feel good: endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline (hormones associated with stress)
But what is stress?
Stress is a psychological and physiological reaction that will allow the body to adapt to external aggression. It can manifest itself in different ways: muscle tension, nausea, increased heart rate, etc. But stress manifests itself differently depending on the individual and the situations in which the individual finds himself.
Stress can be present when you surpass yourself but can very quickly turn into anxiety if it intensifies. There is a simple way to fight him: sports activities. Endurance sports are very effective in fighting it.
What impact will physical activity have on us? ?
From a physiological point of view, maintaining moderate physical activity strengthens the respiratory system, the circulatory system and vital organs, such as the heart. And in stressful situations, they will support the muscles involved, which will have a positive impact on their roles.
When you are physically active, your body secretes hormones such as endorphins, dopamines, adrenaline and norepinephrine.
- Endorphin, also known as the pleasure hormone, provides this gentle sensation that you feel during and after your workout. Endorphin is a group of neurotransmitters with a structure that closely resembles that of morphine. This hormone is released by the brain, it is directly related to the physical activity you will have. After about 30 minutes of effort at an average rate, the endorphin is released. The endorphin level will be significantly higher than normal at the end of your training. It provides a feeling of well-being and sometimes euphoria.
- Norepinephrine and adrenaline correspond to the two hormones presented as stress hormones. They allow you to get motivated and get started in all physical activities. The ultimate goal of norepinephrine is to produce an action on fat cells and give them the order to eliminate themselves. It will increase the intensity of your sessions in order to produce enough to have the expected result. By doing weight training, sprints, jumps or even crossfit, this hormone will be released.
At the psychological level, regular physical practice allows the body to generate an effect of will and a feeling of improvement that will make you feel more confident.
If you are not a sports enthusiast, opt for relaxation
If thinking about sport makes you lazy and not enchanted, relaxation is a good alternative. For example, yoga, which is based on a philosophy of well-being, can help to overcome the small problems of everyday life. Yoga works particularly on breathing, but also on the posture of our body allowing you to concentrate on the positive and thus, to repel the stress you may have. In addition to yoga you can try meditation or sophrology which are good activities to reduce stress.
Finding the right sport to fight stress is a question of character, of state of mind. Each individual needs to define what type of physical activity is right for them. Try several of them to find out which sports activities are best suited to you in order to relieve stress.