What Kind of Exercise Relieves Stress?

It's well-documented -- when you move your body, your mind relaxes. Exercise of any kind increases the body's production of endorphins, the neurotransmitters that make you feel good. The Mayo Clinic says exercise can also have a meditative effect on the brain, causing it to forget about what's causing it stress, and physical activity even has mood-enhancing qualities that can last long after your heart rate slows down. In fact, exercise can help people with insomnia to relax and fall asleep better at night.

Aerobic Exercise

• Any movement that increases your heart rate for several minutes – a fast, 10-minute walk even counts – is considered aerobic exercise, according to the U.S. Center's for Disease Control. "This can be especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy or ability to concentrate," states the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. "Psychologists studying how exercise relieves anxiety and depression suggest that a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute workout." However, to get the best, most lasting stress-reduction benefits of aerobic exercise, aim for more than one 10-minute stint a week. Daily aerobic exercise -- whether it's running, walking, using a cardio machine or some other activity -- is ideal for reducing stress. And while short bursts are better than none, 20 to 30 minutes at a time is still considered optimal.

Strength Training

• Similar to the way punching pillows can help you blow off steam, lifting weights can be a great outlet for relieving pent-up stress and negative emotions. It's also a way to shift the mind away from stressful thoughts and to the task at hand -- while gaining muscle. Weightlifting forces your brain to concentrate and focus when you're challenging your own strength. Plus, studies show weightlifting can also raise the heart rate and provide the same stress-busting benefits as cardiovascular exercise. Researchers from Appalachian State University found that using the kind of strength-training equipment typically found in fitness centers three days a week, with moderate intensity, can lead to heart benefits. When your heart benefits, so does your mind.

Yoga

• Yoga is a mind-body exercise that incorporates breathing techniques and specific movements (postures) -- and it can do wonders for reducing stress, increasing feelings of relaxation and enhancing mood. According the Mayo Clinic, the breathing aspect of yoga practice is especially beneficial for reducing stress because of its quieting effect on the mind. Focusing on the breath helps individuals to focus on the now or the present moment, rather than the past or future, which tend to be the culprits of stress. A study cited by the National Institutes of Health shows that when practiced consistently, yoga minimizes stress, which can substantially decrease the body’s inflammatory responses during stressful encounters. Inflammation in the body has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases.

Solo or Group Exercise?

• If you’re seeking more calm in your life, consider taking a pal with you the next time you exercise. Studies show exercising with another person or group reduces stress better than exercising alone, likely because of the social support received during the experience. Most human beings enjoy the company of others. “Social exercise improved the stress-reducing benefits of exercise, specifically by increasing calmness after exercising with someone compared with exercising alone,” said researchers in a study published in the “International Journal of Stress Management.” Also, they said positive benefits were the same whether the exercisers engaged in chit-chat or not. “Whether or not participants were allowed to talk or not did not affect our results; merely being with another person produced similar results.”