Can 30 Seconds of Exercise Relieve Stress?

You’re sitting at your desk with too many things to do, as usual. When you feel overwhelmed, it makes you less productive, but there’s a simple way to “reboot” your brain and reduce anxiety when stress levels start to rise. Do some high-intensity exercise. According to a study carried out at the University of Essex in England, short periods of high-intensity exercise, as little as 30 seconds, reduces stress and helps you think better – so you can get back to work and be more productive.

Feeling Stressed? Take a 30-Second High-Intensity Exercise Break

University of Essex researchers found that men who did a 30-second all-out sprint on a cycling ergometer experienced less stress and anger and had more mental clarity after a brief, high-intensity workout – and the benefits lasted for a full 75 minutes after they finished. Why was such a brief workout so effective? Short bursts of high-intensity exercise boost levels of endorphins, feel-good hormones that help to relieve tension and stress, and noradrenaline, a hormone and neurotransmitter that makes you feel more alert. According to this study, even brief periods of high-intensity exercise have the power to lift and stabilize your mood, reduce stress and increase your ability to focus on tasks.

Exercise and Stress: Is High-Intensity Exercise Better?

This isn’t the first study to show that high-intensity exercise relieves stress. A study carried out at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2003 involving females of all ages showed that high-intensity exercise was superior to low-intensity or moderate-intensity exercise for relieving stress and anxiety, although all three exercise intensities had some degree of benefit.

When you’re stressed out, levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that depresses the immune system, cannibalizes muscle tissue and makes it harder to control body fat, goes up. Endorphins released during exercise block the effects of cortisol. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Endorphins also have natural “feel good” properties. This is beneficial for your waistline and belly since high cortisol levels are linked with visceral abdominal fat, the most dangerous kind of tummy fat.

Clear Your Head in 30 Seconds with High-Intensity Exercise

Next time you feel your stress level rising, take a 30-second high-intensity, all-out exercise break. Run up a flight of stairs, do squat jumps in your office, sprint across the parking lot or do a series of push-ups as fast as you can. You’ll clear your head, get your heart pumping, boost your energy level and give your metabolism a boost. Recent studies show that sitting for prolonged periods of time increases the risk of premature death, so a little heart-pumping exercise at intervals during the day is a good thing.

If you can’t do high-intensity exercise, take a 5-minute walk or simply get up and move around. Exercise is good not only from a physical standpoint but a mental one as well. Look for opportunities to move more during the day, and when you feel your stress level rising, get moving – if only for 30 seconds.

References:

Science Daily. “High-Intensity Exercise Best Way to Reduce Anxiety, University Of Missouri Study Finds”
Men’s Total Fitness Guide 2009. Rodale Inc.

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