Stress Will Kill Us All. Don't Give It A Hand

Our ability to provide our body with the right type and amount of stress is key to our happiness and longevity.

Stress can be a good thing. Our body needs a certain amount of stress every day. We require a specific amount of stimulus to function and be happy. Stress involves everything from waking up in the AM, to staying alert on the drive to work, to performing feats of strength in a scary and vulnerable situation. Our body and mind will also develop stress if we have a physically non threatening interaction with someone where fear of harm isn't actually real or there. That includes a physiological response which goes on to influence everything from our mood, body, ability to burn fat, go to sleep, and focus on a task that requires our undivided attention. Because of this, it's important for us to decide, personally, what stress we should allow, which we should try and mitigate when possible, and which we should put ourselves through voluntarily.

We tend to be chronically stressed already. So acute changes seem to happen more easily for a lot of us. Physical activity has always been my way of dealing with this stress. There is a big movement today for "suffering" among some of the extreme influencers. If you choose to suffer and make it voluntary, the rest will be easy. A very simplified and crass solution that is, in fact, a legitimate way of dealing with chronic stress for so many people. The idea is similar to being in pain. Take away the immediate pain and now you're in a much more comfortable place than you were with the pain causing stimulus. That could be a broken bone or running.

Using the stress of exercise can be a means to develop a better sense of self, ability to handle varying degrees of difficult situations, and increase your physical capability. It is a great way to benefit most aspects of your life. Working out regularly is not just something you do to look better and maybe feel better from your dump of endorphins. It can serve as a way for your body to have the appropriate physiological response more often. That boost in immune function, cognitive ability, and increased physicality is always welcomed.

There are metrics for the intensity and duration we should aim for to induce the positive qualities of regular exercise. But if you're currently not engaging in anything physical, outside of your day to day activities, the only metric you need to be concerned about is actually engaging in exercise and physical activity, no matter the amount. You can never start too small. Because if you build continually moving forward, progress is inevitable.

As we age, the stress of time is unavoidable by us all. And while modern medicine now claims the first person to live to be 150 is alive today, all of us could benefit from regular exercise and a decrease in bad stress. Start today, ask for help if needed, and enjoy the benefits of routine exercise and physical activity.