There are many ways to handle stress and mental blocks, but it turns out that exercising is one thing definitely worth considering.
Stress from work is said to not only have the potential to disturb mental health but also physical health as it can raise heart disease risks, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Fortunately, according to the Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise journal, being fit significantly helps decrease stress levels, kompas.com reported.
(Read also: Before stress leads to suicide, here's how you can help)
Published in November, the research studied 200 Swedish workers to find out the relation between being fit and its ability in decreasing stress levels. Among the measured points were the participants' cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index and stress level.
Based on the study, researchers found that the most stressed subjects were also the most prone to cardiovascular disease risk. Unfit subjects reportedly also showed a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol when experiencing a high level of stress, while the more fit, in shape subjects did not.
“Above all, these findings are significant because it is precisely when people are stressed that they tend to engage in physical activity less often," Markus Gerber, the journal's author and professor at the University of Basel in Switzerland, pointed out in an official statement. (mas/kes)
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