Playing sports is a healthy habit in every way. It allows us to improve our physical condition and our state of health, it is a way to stay active and it is also one more way to deal with stress and anxiety. Virtually any sport will help us to put aside that stress or anxiety that affects us so much, but some sports help us more than others. Each person is different, but in general, we can talk about the 5 most interesting sports to reduce stress or anxiety. Which one do you prefer?
What sports do we recommend to de-stress and relax?
Although it seems contradictory, sometimes sports practice itself can increase stress or anxiety if we see that we do not achieve the expected results or even if we are not going to train, so we will take it easy: it is one more help, it cannot be an obsession. Another thing that you should be clear about is that the best way to solve these problems is to do a sport that you like: if you hate running but you love the water, you can swim; If yoga doesn’t satisfy you, there are more active alternatives like HIIT that will help you overcome stress and anxiety.
That said, we offer you a list of what we consider the best sports to help you combat stress or anxiety:
1. Cardio sports: running, swimming, spinning,
Going for a run, going swimming, practicing any style of dance or cycling kilometers have something in common: they are aerobic sports, where blood circulation and cardiovascular capacity are improved. In addition, they help us to rest better, which also helps to reduce these problems. In addition, enjoying the bike in a natural environment or a swimming session that ends in a jacuzzi or sauna also helps us escape from reality and everyday life for a few hours, helping to relax and leave stress behind.
2. HIIT: short and intense sessions
Due to its characteristics, HIIT is the ideal training for those who have little time to do sports, which in itself can be a stressful factor. In just 20 minutes you can complete a good session, which you can lengthen both in the front with the warm-up exercises and in the back, adding a series of exercises to relax the muscles. It is a high-intensity workout, which also allows us to forget our worries for a long time.
3. Boxing, ideal to de-stress
In your gym, you will find countless ways to relieve stress, and one of them is the noble art of boxing. To enjoy this sport it is not necessary to hit the ring with another person, you can choose options such as boxing at the fitness level, sessions that help us take a load off our shoulders and feel calmer and more relaxed, or start kicking boxing if you want a more complete job that also includes the lower body. Putting on your gloves and unloading your stress against the punching bag is always an interesting option. Also, you can install it at home.
4. Yoga: control of body and mind
We couldn’t give up yoga, one of the most relaxing physical activities. We are talking about a sport that gives us total control over mind and body, allowing us to complete relaxation. The different yoga postures help us to stretch and relax the different muscle groups of the body, without forgetting the control of breathing. Both during the yoga session and after it, you will feel more relaxed.
5. Pilates: goodbye to anxiety
If yoga is too gentle for you, you can try Pilates. As in yoga, breathing plays an essential role in Pilates, which in itself helps us relax. However, in Pilates exercises are performed with greater muscle activation, which also contributes to that relaxation. Not only does it help us reduce stress and anxiety levels at the moment, each Pilates modality also contributes to greater control of our body, so that in the day to day it will be easier to control those stressful situations.
