Ways to Reduce Stress With Fitness

Stress is an inevitable part of life. We are busy, things don’t go to plan, and (unfortunately), bad things happen. While we can’t stop these things from happening, we are in control of how we react to these situations. And finding ways to reduce stress with fitness is one of my favourite ways to cope.

Fitness reduces stress in so many ways: it takes your mind off things, and can actually be meditative, it releases endorphins, and it makes our bodies healthier so we are better equipped to deal with stressful situations. Read on for my favourite ways to work out when I need a mental health break. 

5 Ways to Reduce Stress with Fitness

1. Working Out To Music. If listening to music can help reduce stress, imagine what working out to music can do for you! There is something about moving along with the beat that helps you find a good exercise groove, making the movements move smoothly. Barre, Indoor Cycling, Aerobics, Zumba, and even some HIIT classes are designed to get you moving to the beat of the music. Not coordinated enough to try a step class or Zumba? Indoor cycling just might be your thing.  

2. Cycling. There is something so freeing about riding a bike, and maybe even nostalgic. I remember very clearly getting my first “big girl” bike when I was five years old, and I’ve loved to ride ever since. My dad would take us for family bike rides, and as I got older, I’d ride alone when I needed space to think. 

A few years ago, I got a road bike, and started riding long distances. As I trained for the Whistler Granfondo (122km from Stanley Park to Whistler), I remembered how much I loved to ride. You can travel so much further than with running, and the sights can be amazing. Taking a long bike ride is a great way to calm your mind while benefiting from the endorphins from exercise. 

3. Trail Running. You already know that I love to run, but running through nature on trails is therapeutic. Out in the fresh air, surrounded by nature, and not worrying about traffic, you feel a bit freer. In addition, your mind has to focus on trail running in a way that it doesn’t when you run on the road.

I recently did a trail run on a very rainy day. As I ran downhill on the technical trail, I realized that I was so focused on each step that there was nothing else running through my head. With so many potential hazards and terrain changes, you have to be much more careful; your mind doesn’t wander because it doesn’t have the chance to. It is just you and the trail. So refreshing!

4. Strength Training. Strength training is a common way to reduce stress with fitness. By staying focused on the movements and your muscles, you get to take a break from the stress of everyday. And sometimes when life gets you down, you just want to feel STRONG – and strength training does that. 

When I strength train, I like to have a pre-planned program designed for my needs and goals. Having a plan keeps me focused on my workout, rather than figuring out what to do. And by repeating the plan over several workouts, I can better see the improvements that I am making. 

Curious about strength training? I offer private & duo personal training classes. 

5. Pilates. When I first started doing Pilates, I found it to be quite relaxing and “stretchy”. But as I expanded my knowledge and practiced with different instructors, I realized how hard Pilates could be. That is because of the deep focus it takes to control the smallest muscles in your body, to achieve balance and control. It is this focus that makes Pilates an amazing way to reduce stress. 

Learn More About How Pilates Helps With Stress

In the beginning, I was so busy focused on learning the choreography, the order of the exercises, and how to use the apparatus, that I couldn’t “escape” into the movement. Now, I’m to a point that I can be sweating in the first five minutes because I am so focused on moving my foot from my hips instead of my ankle or trying to keep my weight evenly distributed between both of my feet… My practice has become very deep, and an hour-long workout flies by. 

Exercise Clears Your Mind

Even if it is just for an hour, focusing on something other than your daily routine, aches, or worries can clear your mind. Exercise is a moving meditation that helps clear your mind to better deal with those things. After a good workout, you might be shocked at how much calmer, optimistic and energetic you feel for the rest of the day. 

When you start something new, like when I started Pilates, it might take you some time to feel that “clear mind” from fitness. But once you find the right activity for you and find your groove, it will all come together with consistency and practice.