If you’re like most people, you probably lead a pretty busy life. Between work, family, and social obligations, it can be hard to find time to relax. When you’re feeling stressed out, you might turn to exercise or therapy to help you unwind. But which is more effective?
Well, what good does it do for us?
There are a lot of different types of therapy, but they all have one goal in common: to help you feel better. Some therapies, like cognitive behavioural therapy, focus on changing the way you think about things that stress you out. Other therapies, like counselling, can help you to identify and understand the source of your stress which can be a helpful first step in learning how to manage and cope with stress. No matter what type of therapy you choose, there’s a good chance it will help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
Exercise is also a great way to relieve stress. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Exercise also helps to improve your sleep, which can further reduce stress levels. And like therapy, exercise can have lasting benefits; the more you exercise, the easier it becomes to manage stress in your day-to-day life.
With these points carefully laid out in detail, some claim that one is superior to the other. Here are their claims of better relief over one another:
The Case of Therapies over Exercise
When it comes to benefits, therapies have the upper hand. For starters, research has shown that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety and depression— two of the most common psychological disorders in the United States. CBT has also been shown to help treat other mental health conditions such as eating disorders, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you’re struggling with any of these issues, therapy may be a good option for you.
In addition to being an effective treatment for mental health conditions, therapy can also help you learn how to cope with stress in healthy ways. After all, one of the main goals of therapy is to teach you how to change negative thought patterns and unhealthy behaviours. This means that even if you don’t have a diagnosable mental health disorder, therapy can still be beneficial in teaching you how to better deal with stressors in your life.
The Case of Exercise over Therapies
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Endorphins are sometimes referred to as “nature’s happy pills” because they can create feelings of euphoria and well-being. On top of making you feel good, endorphins can also help to decrease pain perception.
For example, after an intense whole-body workout in a home gym, you might feel that short but sharp sensation of feeling good. With their better setup than commercial gyms, home gyms can give you that workout you need and promotes the release of endorphins which help to decrease stress levels. Endorphins are hormones that also act as natural painkillers, and they have been shown to decrease pain perception. That’s why you might notice that your stress level decreases after a good workout session.
In contrast, while therapies such as meditation and yoga can also help manage stress, they don’t have the same physiological effects as exercise does. This is because therapies depend on your mental state to be effective. If you’re not in the right frame of mind, it can be difficult to get the most out of these types of interventions. Exercise, on the other hand, works regardless of how you’re feeling mentally or emotionally.
While exercises don’t offer the same comprehensive or documented benefits as therapies, they can still help reduce stress levels. Exercise has also been shown to help improve sleep quality, which is often disrupted by stress. And last but not least, workouts can serve as a form of self-care, helping you focus on taking care of yourself both physically and mentally.
Conclusion
So which is better? Therapies or exercises? At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to managing stress—it’s different for everyone. Some people find that therapists provide them with the support and guidance they need to manage their stress effectively; others prefer exercises because they offer a more hands-on approach. There’s no right or wrong answer—it all depends on what works best for you.
If you’re not sure where to start, why not try both? Attend a few sessions of therapy and see how it goes; then supplement your therapist’s advice with some relaxation techniques learned from a yoga class or a session at the gym with your close friends. By exploring both options, you’re sure to find the perfect solution for YOU.
