Do you have stress, anxiety, depression, a case of the blues? What about all of the above? As terrible as it sounds, more people live with a combination of these things on a daily basis. Our society tends to focus on popping pills, taking drugs or using other “quick fixes” as a temporary cure. Instead, take a healthy approach to negativitity, stress and feelings of sadness – exercise! Even if you are healthy and happy, exercising is a great pro active approach to keeping yourself in good spirits. Here are three exercises that will leave you feeling great:

1.Yoga. Although exercise can feel like a chore at times, many people find that they will actually start looking forward to their fitness classes. Yoga is a perfect exercise for relaxation and meditation and may be the only quiet time you get to spend with yourself. Although class intensities vary, there are a number of different types of yoga and surely you can find one that works for you. Yoga is great for increasing flexibility and strength in many areas of the body while giving you an outlet to examine your mental state.

2.Running. Running is the perfect stress relief b use it is one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can do. Cardio gets your heart pumping and has been proven to fight depression, anxiety and stress. It releases feel good endorphines that will cheer you up hours after you finish working out. If you aren’t a fan of running try the elliptacle machine, swimming, aerobics, or anything else that increases your heart rate.

3.Team sports. You are never too old to play team sports. There are adult volleyball leagues, baseball teams, drop-in hockey games, soccer leagues, and tons more. Not only will you get your share of exercise, but you will likely make new friends and bond with people which has been shown to decrease stress levels.

What many people do not realize is that negativity due to stress or other mental health problems can be decreased dramatically by exercising. Leading a balanced life by eating the right foods and treating your body right can go a long way.

Stress seems to come hand in hand with life. It seems as though no matter what you do to avoid it, it is inevitable that stress will enter your day at some point or another and it can have both positive and negative ramifications. For example it may take a little fire under your seat to make you study for an exam or finish an important work project. On the other hand, what stress can do to our bodies is amazing. The extent to which stress affects the body internally is largely still unknown but there are a few factors which researchers have discovered may accompany large levels of stress. Here three ways that stress can affect the body:

1. Heart Disease and Stroke. There is no doubt that stress can make us sick and can even kill us. A link has been shown between acute stress, heart disease, and stroke. The way in which we biologically react to stressful situations puts strain on the heart and even the circulatory system, increasing heart rate and restricting the arteries. Even though these affects may only be temporary, if you are stressed out again and again for long periods of time it can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

2. Weight Gain. Stress can cause weight gain in a few different ways. Women tend to eat more when they are stressed out and report feeling hungry more often than if they are relaxed. Stress also causes the body to release a hormone called cortisol which causes an increase in abdominal fat.

3. Headaches, colds and sicknesses. Stress takes many forms in your body and more times than not it manifests itself in the form of an ailment such as a headache, cold, or other sickness. Stress actually taxes the immune system, making is weak and not as good at fighting off the common cold.

To minimize the stress in your life try to take some time out for yourself every day. Exercise has also been proven to relieve stress so try some cardio exercise or yoga.

Stress seems to come hand in hand with life. It seems as though no matter what you do to avoid it, it is inevitable that stress will enter your day at some point or another and it can have both positive and negative ramifications. For example it may take a little fire under your seat to make you study for an exam or finish an important work project. On the other hand, what stress can do to our bodies is amazing. The extent to which stress affects the body internally is largely still unknown but there are a few factors which researchers have discovered may accompany large levels of stress. Here three ways that stress can affect the body:

1. Heart Disease and Stroke. There is no doubt that stress can make us sick and can even kill us. A link has been shown between acute stress, heart disease, and stroke. The way in which we biologically react to stressful situations puts strain on the heart and even the circulatory system, increasing heart rate and restricting the arteries. Even though these affects may only be temporary, if you are stressed out again and again for long periods of time it can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

2. Weight Gain. Stress can cause weight gain in a few different ways. Women tend to eat more when they are stressed out and report feeling hungry more often than if they are relaxed. Stress also causes the body to release a hormone called cortisol which causes an increase in abdominal fat.

3. Headaches, colds and sicknesses. Stress takes many forms in your body and more times than not it manifests itself in the form of an ailment such as a headache, cold, or other sickness. Stress actually taxes the immune system, making is weak and not as good at fighting off the common cold.

To minimize the stress in your life try to take some time out for yourself every day. Exercise has also been proven to relieve stress so try some cardio exercise or yoga.