As a matter of survival, we evolved to be able to spring into action and to defend ourselves in an instant, with the threat of tigers and other dangerous animals nearby.
Stress activates a naturally occurring hormone to be released into your body. It increases your breathing rate; your heart rate and ready’s your muscles to respond.
But in 2025, when did you last need this? Unless you’re on safari or a Zookeeper, escaping the jaws of a tiger is an extremely rare occasion. A debate in your business meeting or intense discussion with your partner shouldn’t require the fight or flight response. The effects of stress tend to linger in your body unnecessarily with the potential to lead to, irritability, anxiety, depression, frustration, headaches and even sleeplessness.
Anxiety itself is ‘future based’. It’s a form of stress brought on by worrying about what might happen, and of how you would deal with an event if it happened. Researchers found that 91% of what we worry about never comes true. And yet we have allowed this non-existent thing to monopolize our lives and to rob us and our family of peace.
Fortunately for you and me, stress and anxiety can be managed and alleviated without alcohol, drugs or pills. This is yet another of the miraculous benefits of regular exercise. As you will know, exercise blesses you with the feel-good hormone, Oxytocin. And while ALL exercise benefits you mentally, after 50 plus years of enjoying daily planned gym-workouts, and having lived through many extreme stress-inducing situations, I’ve discovered this; Weight-training is ‘the most effective’ method in reducing stress and anxiety. This is followed by cardio exercise and then mind-body classes like YOGA and PILATES.
I briefly discuss the reason here:
And next time you’re anxious say to yourself, “THERE IS NO TIGER!”
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