Riding = Stress Relief

A recent conversation with a close friend in the medical profession lead me to today's article. He was venting about an extremely stressful week working in the ER at a busy hospital and just couldn't shake the anxiety from the week. I half jokingly replied "sounds like a tough workout or a session boxing against a heavy bag is in order" but upon further reflection and some research it turns out that reducing stress through exercise is no joke. This is all the more reason to add exercise and cycling to the list of must do activities for your livelihood. 

• This Mayo clinic article explores how exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries

• Here the Anxiety and Depression association of America confirms when stress affects the brain, with its many nerve connections, the rest of the body feels the impact as well. So it stands to reason that if your body feels better, so does your mind.

• An article from the American Psychological Association explores how exercise may improve mental health by helping the brain cope better with stress, according to research into the effect of exercise on neurochemicals involved in the body's stress response.