Stress and Exercising

Last semester I had an increased amount of stress and I was having a hard time dealing with it on a daily basis. It was causing a lot of problems such as neck pain, lack of sleep, struggles with organization etc. At the end of the semester I realized that I wasn't leaving enough time to exercise. Normally my body is used to exercising almost everyday especially during paddling season. Last semester I was so worried about trying to get all my work done that I felt like I couldn't do anything except for school and work. It was driving me crazy sitting at a computer day after day thinking about how I should go outside and run or go out and paddle. I wanted to so bad but wouldn't let myself. As I started this semester I knew that I needed to do something different. This time around I decided to set aside time to go to the gym. Setting aside this time has allowed me to not have to think about having to go exercise because I already knew it was in my schedule. Since I have changed my schedule I have noticed that I'm much more relaxed and I don't have nearly as much neck pain. Even though I added something else to my already full schedule I can actually manage my time better and I'm even more productive! I found this video on how exercising can change the chemicals in your brain. I really do believe exercising is important for your body and everyone needs it to release their stress. I always remind myself and others how important exercising is for your body and you need to make time for it no matter what!