The President does it.  CEOs of Fortune 500 companies do it.  Make money?  Yes, but even more impressively, they exercise regularly to combat stress.  For these individuals, stress comes with the territory, and therefore they have learned not only to manage their stress, but to clear their minds to allow effective and productive decision making in spite of stress.  You may not have a million dollars at stake with every decision you make, but I’m guessing that you nurses also have situations that cause you stress on most days!

Any form of exercise can counteract your body’s response to stress.  Here are some other ways exercise can reduce stress.

• Exercise releases endorphins or hormones that make you feel calm and happy.
• Exercise enables the clearing of stress-related compounds in the body.
• Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, allowing for clearer thinking.
• Exercise relieves muscular tension by fatiguing the tense muscle.
• Exercise temporarily takes your mind off of your troubles, which allows you to have new perspective.
• Exercise improves sleep.
• Exercise prevents disease, which can be another major cause of stress.

 Before you begin exercising…

• Check with your doctor.  If you are not exercising regularly it may be appropriate to ask for medical advice before starting an exercise program. 
• Start out slowly.  After the age of 40 we forget that we are not as athletic as we were in our twenties.  Be honest.  It may have taken you 10 or 20 years to get out shape.  If you try to get back into shape in 20 days, you could injure yourself.
• Stop thinking you don’t have time for exercise.  Be honest with yourself about your excuses, and look for strategies to counter them.
• Look for opportunities.  Every day living situations can be great opportunities to stay fit such as parking farther away, carrying a grocery basket instead of pushing a shopping cart, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Be innovative.  For example, some people have meetings while they walk outside, or do yoga at their desk for breaks throughout the day.
• Make it fun.  You won’t stay with an exercise activity if you don’t like it.
• Before you begin, measure your stress level on a scale of 1 to 10.  When you complete your activity immediately measure it again.  Measure it after 2 hours and at the end of the day.  You will see a decrease in your stress level, guaranteed.
• Try to exercise first thing in the morning.  Exercise tends to be most consistent when it is performed before breakfast and can prevent stress from building up throughout the day.  If you can’t exercise early, just remember that any time is better than no time.  Even short 10-minute bouts of exercise throughout the day are effective for reducing stress

Try this six-week walking plan to get back into shape and combat stress.

The Stress-Buster Walking Workout

Walk at a brisk pace to improve your cardiovascular function while you also strengthen your bones and muscles. 

• Week One:  Walk for 20 minutes at a brisk pace as if you were late for an appointment.  You may be slightly out of breath but still able to carry on a conversation.
• Week Two and Three:  Increase your walking duration to 30 minutes, five days a week.
• Week Four:  Increase your intensity for 5 to 10 minutes during the 30 minute walk.  You should find it difficult to have a conversation during the higher-intensity interval.
• Week Five:  Add 2 or 3 higher-intensity intervals throughout your walk.
• Week Six and Beyond:  Slowly increase your total walking time, adding more higher-intensity intervals.  After 15 minutes of warm-up walking, pick up the pace to high intensity for 1 minute, then walk briskly for 1 minute.  Pick up the pace again for 2 minutes, then walk briskly for 2 minutes.  Pick up the pace for 3 minutes, then walk briskly for 3 minutes.  Pick up the pace for 2 minutes, then walk briskly for 2 minutes.  Pick up the pace for 1 minute, then walk briskly for 1 minute.  Cool down for 10 to 15 minutes.

Be consistent with this program for best mental and physical results and you will notice a definite decrease in your stress level, guaranteed!

About the Author: Alice Burron, MS, Personal Trainer, Exercise Physiologist, writer and motivational speaker.  Alice has spent over 15 years inspiring and motivating adults and kids to live their healthy lives possible.    

Click here to read more on Alice Burron.

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