Exercise and Stress
R E L A X A T I O N
Stress can follow us anywhere, and is frequently found in our daily lives. Luckily, exercise and physical activity is a great way to reduce the stress that our burdens from school, work, or life in general.
Studies show increasing evidence that participating in relaxation aerobic exercises, such as yoga or Tai Chi, can reduce the mental disturbances we have known as stress (Sundland & Norlander, 2000).
Taking an exercise break can provide us with the peace and calm we need to power through stressful events, such as studying.
Studies show, through self-reported questionnaires, that taking exercise breaks ​in between studying has reduced stress and provided a "calming effect" over the studiers. This effect was not reported in the questionnaires of those who did not take the study breaks.
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Self-efficacy and Exercise's connection to Stress
Studies show that having high self-efficacy can result in lower levels of anxiety and stress (Petruzello et. al, 2012). Results show that exercise increases self-efficacy when individuals deal with successfully complete a difficult exercise routine. In fact, as fitness within a person increases, their self-efficacy also increases. Basically, the more sure and more confident we are of ourselves, the more we are able to keep down the negative stress and anxieties that we carry.