{"id":21526,"date":"2020-10-19T20:45:33","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T20:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=21526"},"modified":"2020-10-19T22:04:05","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T22:04:05","slug":"how-does-exercise-reduce-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-does-exercise-reduce-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does Exercise Reduce Stress? Look at the Science"},"content":{"rendered":"<em><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Think the only reason to work out is to stay fit? Neuroscience researcher\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/author\/rita-hitching\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rita Hitching, MSc<\/a>, explains how e<\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">xercise is the gift that keeps on giving, especially when it comes to reducing stress.<\/span><\/em>\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s not a stretch to say that we&#8217;re living in stressful times. When things start to feel overwhelming, I know it\u2019s time to reassess how I go about managing the stress and demands in my life.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As a neuroscience researcher, I\u2019m all about the facts. And a search of the scientific literature on how to relieve stress provides an emphatic response: <\/span><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/acsm-healthfitness\/fulltext\/2013\/05000\/stress_relief__the_role_of_exercise_in_stress.6.aspx\">exercise<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">.<\/span>\r\n<h2>How does the body respond to stress?<\/h2>\r\nBefore learning how exercise reduces stress, let&#8217;s first look at how your body responds to stress.\r\n<h3>Fight or Flight Response<\/h3>\r\nWhen you&#8217;re stressed, your body is in a state known as fight or flight.\u00a0It prepares itself to literally fight for its life or run to safety. The process involves the body\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/1538563\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stress response system<\/a>, a beautifully tuned and finely evolved system that includes every organ in the body.\r\n\r\nThe race for survival starts the moment your brain senses or perceives a threat. At that moment, the hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland\u2014located deep in the base of your old reptilian brain\u2014to send out an emergency signal. That signal is received by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/adrenals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">adrenal gland<\/a>, situated above the kidneys.\r\n\r\nLocated in the inner part of the adrenal gland, the adrenal medulla releases a unique blend of hormones into the bloodstream. Together, they&#8217;re the equivalent of a warning bell ringing in every organ in the body. They include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/stress-awareness-day-boost-happiness-lower-cortisol\/\">cortisol<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li>epinephrine (adrenaline)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>norepinephrine (noradrenaline)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nFrom there, the message is simple: <em>Get ready to fight for your life.<\/em>\r\n\r\nIn tandem, blood starts to move away from the center of the body to the limbs, getting your legs ready to to run or your arms ready to punch. Additionally, this state of stress or arousal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-stress-affects-your-digestion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">affects the digestive system<\/a>, as there are cells in the gut that are sensitive to stress hormones. This perhaps explains why people who experience chronic stress often have digestive problems.\r\n\r\nThe amazing thing is that this all happens even before you&#8217;re fully aware of the danger.\r\n\r\n<img data-dominant-color=\"666360\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #666360;\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21588 aligncenter not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Sleep-and-Stress-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Woman stressed in bed to show how stress and sleep quality are related\" width=\"770\" height=\"514\" \/>\r\n<h3>Sleep + Stress<\/h3>\r\nThe most common telltale sign that someone&#8217;s under immense stress is disrupted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/mighty-night\/\">sleep<\/a>. This includes difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up tired. On top of perpetuating stress, negative changes to the quantity or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/the-sleep-doctor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quality of sleep<\/a> impact your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-the-immune-system-works\/\">immune system<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhile you sleep, your body is busy with cell and neuronal regeneration. Disrupted sleep due to stress impairs your body&#8217;s ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/types-of-rest\/\">rest<\/a> and recover. The result: a greater likelihood of getting sick.\r\n\r\nAn additional impact of poor sleep from stress is the impact on your mood. While you sleep, your brain does its housekeeping. Shortly after you fall asleep, the brain starts to <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24136970\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;wash&#8221; itself<\/a>. It does so by allowing more cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to flush out the day&#8217;s toxins (taking out the trash, so to speak). When the brain doesn&#8217;t get enough time to take out this &#8220;trash&#8221; from lack of sleep, your mood takes a nosedive. You wake up feeling groggy and lethargic.\r\n\r\nStress creates this vicious cycle by disrupting your sleep patterns\u2014a cycle that you can help <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s40279-018-1015-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">control and improve\u00a0with exercise<\/a>.\r\n<h2>How does exercise reduce stress?<\/h2>\r\nNow that you know how your body responds to stress, it&#8217;s time to learn how exercise helps stress.\r\n<h3>Exercise Releases Happy Hormones<\/h3>\r\nExercise leads to the <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/acsm-essr\/Fulltext\/2011\/07000\/Exercise,_Stress_Resistance,_and_Central.7.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">release of endorphins<\/a>. To put it simply, endorphins make you feel good. Feeling good gives you the confidence to know you have what it takes to deal with your challenges. With this, you can see a clear link between exercise and stress relief.\r\n\r\nPlus, the brain\u2019s feel-good hormones, dopamine and serotonin, are the bounty of exercise and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2817271\/\">improve your well-being<\/a> and mood.\r\n<h3>Exercise REVERSEs OXIDATIVE STRESS<\/h3>\r\nStress creates a cytokine and <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21940629\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">glucocorticoids<\/a> (GCs) storm. This results in your entire body getting to a state of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/anti-inflammatory-lifestyle\/\">inflammation<\/a> and oxidative stress, causing it to age faster.\r\n\r\nFortunately, exercise has the benefit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/full\/10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.136622\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reducing oxidative stress<\/a>. It also reverses the aging effects of inflammation on cells and organs.\r\n\r\nA long walk, preferably in a green, open space is the best medicine. The fresh air will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/best-house-plants-for-air-quality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">boost your oxygen levels<\/a>, too. Your mood will lift, and your mind will be able to put the day\u2019s stressors in perspective.\r\n\r\n<img data-dominant-color=\"be5d1f\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #be5d1f;\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21593 aligncenter not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/How-does-exercise-help-reduce-stress-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Man serving for a tennis match on clay court, reducing stress through exercising with a friend\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" \/>\r\n<h3>EXERCISE Is a MEDITATION IN MOTION<\/h3>\r\nResearch shows the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/meditation-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">benefits of meditation<\/a> and mindfulness to relieve stress. Think of exercise as a type of mindfulness <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-to-start-meditating\/\">meditation<\/a> in motion. Mindful exercise encourages a calm, focused mindset. Better yet, it can stay with you throughout the day. If you&#8217;re not the sit-still type, it&#8217;s an excellent alternative to traditional meditation or mindfulness for stress relief.\r\n\r\nAny type of exercise that&#8217;s repetitive and methodical will do. If it involves having to do <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/chaturanga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">precise, flowing movements<\/a>, even better. For instance, think tai chi. It&#8217;s a form of exercise that encourages the mind to focus. It also provides an opportunity to stop worrying and just be.\r\n\r\nIf you want the same mindfulness meditation in motion, but prefer something more dynamic, consider a game of tennis. It has the added benefit of <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1023\/A:1011339025532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">being social<\/a> and requires the brain to focus and predict the activity of the other player. Such activities are excellent to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-to-exercise-your-brain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">keep your brain sharp<\/a>.\r\n\r\nIn sum, mindful exercise encourages optimism and energy. Thus, it&#8217;s a great antidote to stress.\r\n<h2>what exercises can help reduce stress?<\/h2>\r\nWe\u2019ve all got enough on our plates as it is. So here&#8217;s the good news: <em>Any kind of exercise acts as a form of stress relief.<\/em>\r\n\r\nYou read that right\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2953272\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">any type of exercise<\/a>. Take this fact as inspiration, even if you:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>don&#8217;t like running<\/li>\r\n \t<li>hate cardio<\/li>\r\n \t<li>haven\u2019t exercised all year<\/li>\r\n \t<li>think you\u2019re too out of shape<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWondering what the <a href=\"https:\/\/shapeamerica.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/02701367.1988.10605493#.X4nmAZNKjep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">most effective<\/a> kind of exercise for stress relief is? The answer is simple: any type of physical activity you enjoy and do on a regular basis. There&#8217;s limited research that says one type of exercise is better at reducing stress than another.\r\n\r\nWe&#8217;re all different. Some are more athletic. Others have injuries that prevent them from participating in certain types of exercise. Others don\u2019t have much extra time to devote to working out.\r\n\r\nHowever, we can all include some kind of physical activity into our daily lives and get relief from stress. It can be as simple as getting off the bus a couple of stops earlier. You can also perform <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3265094\/?tool=pubmed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gentle chair stretches<\/a> on a sunny balcony.\r\n\r\nIn sum, you don&#8217;t necessarily need to focus on the type of exercise. Just make sure you get moving.\r\n\r\n<img data-dominant-color=\"9e8c6f\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #9e8c6f;\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21589 aligncenter not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Exercise-and-Stress-Relief-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Woman doing yoga at home next to her dog, as one of the best exercises for stress relief\" width=\"770\" height=\"514\" \/>\r\n<h2>How often should I exercise?<\/h2>\r\nThe Department of Health and Human Services <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/fitness\/be-active\/physical-activity-guidelines-for-americans\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recommends<\/a> 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. For most of us, that averages to about 20 to 30 minutes per day.\r\n\r\nIf you think you can&#8217;t find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-often-should-you-exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">30 minutes<\/a> in your day, remember that any incidental exercise counts.\r\n<h2>When is the best time of day to exercise?<\/h2>\r\nIn terms of what time of day you should exercise, the evidence is contradictory. Some studies suggest exercising <a href=\"https:\/\/physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1113\/JP276943\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first thing in the morning<\/a>, before the demands of the day start.\r\n\r\nHowever, there&#8217;s plenty of research on the benefits of exercising in the middle of the day. It can be an excellent way to break up the day and mitigate the stresses or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/what-is-burnout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">demands of work<\/a>, especially if you sit at a desk all day. Consider going to a lunchtime <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/types-of-yoga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">yoga class<\/a> or taking quick power walk around the block. Both are great ways to reset and get ready for your afternoon tasks.\r\n\r\nFinally, note that vigorous exercise late in the day isn&#8217;t typically recommended. Alternatively, stretching or mindful exercise before bedtime can be a great way to wind down before sleep.\r\n\r\nAll things considered, the time of day you exercise is less important than making sure you exercise to begin with. Find a time that suits you and your lifestyle. Add it to your calendar, and stick to it.\r\n\r\n<img data-dominant-color=\"c29982\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c29982;\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-21590 size-full not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/When-is-the-best-time-of-day-to-exercise-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Man tying sneakers outdoors before a morning exercise\" width=\"770\" height=\"514\" \/>\r\n<h2><span style=\"color: inherit; font-family: 'NeutraFace Display', sans-serif; font-size: 1.333rem; letter-spacing: 0.024rem; text-transform: uppercase;\">The Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\r\nIf you&#8217;re dealing with stress, follow the science and get moving. As a reminder, when you work out, you get both healthy exercise and stress relief. It&#8217;s a win-win.\r\n\r\nDo whatever physical activity you enjoy. Dance to your favorite music. Go for power walks or do some gentle stretching. One of my personal favorites is walking my dog. Exercise at whatever time of day works for you, and stick with it to promote lasting relief from stress.\n<div  class=\"products-block -mx-4 md:mx-0 my-10\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/product\/5\/big-chill\" class=\"text-xs text-dark hover:!text-dark flex items-center border border-light rounded p-4 group !no-underline mb-4 relative pb-16 sm:pb-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shrink-0 mr-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.humnutrition.com\/assets\/f4518220-7edd-11f0-a056-b3bdb0090cfd.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" class=\"object-cover transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-80 !mb-0\" alt=\"Big Chill\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grow pr-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mb-2 flex flex-col sm:flex-row sm:items-center divide-x-0 sm:divide-x divide-light text-sm\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"pt-1 pr-2 flex\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex mr-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m8.713 3 1.54 3.61 3.46.58L11.207 10l.588 4-3.082-1.878zm4.555 7.253 3.157-3.193c.288-.269.354-.663.288-1.06-.164-.324-.467-.587-.828-.64l-4.353-.663L9.584.562A.965.965 0 0 0 8.713 0a.965.965 0 0 0-.871.562L5.89 4.697l-4.35.663c-.363.053-.665.316-.827.64-.067.397 0 .791.287 1.06l3.157 3.193-.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 0 .388.978c.3.188.697.25 1.024.072l3.889-2.14 3.888 2.14c.324.178.721.116 1.021-.072a1.01 1.01 0 0 0 .391-.978z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4.6\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"pt-1 sm:pl-2 text-medium\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t367 Reviews\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text-base font-semibold mb-1 group-hover:text-primary\">Big Chill<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mb-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\treduces stress symptoms, improves focus, + aids burnout recovery\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"absolute bottom-4 left-4 right-4 sm:bottom-0 sm:left-0 sm:right-0 sm:relative inline-flex justify-center bg-primary group-hover:bg-primary-light text-white rounded py-3 px-12 leading-none text-center\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"pr-1.5 border-r border-primary-lightest\">$21<\/span><span class=\"pl-1.5\">SHOP NOW<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"self-start\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Think the only reason to work out is to stay fit? Neuroscience researcher\u00a0Rita Hitching, MSc, explains how exercise is the gift that keeps on giving, especially when it comes to reducing stress. It\u2019s not a stretch to say that we&#8217;re living in stressful times. When things start to feel overwhelming, I know it\u2019s time to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":21587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_toc_level":"h2","_toc_min":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[825,826],"tags":[213,543,697,642],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-21526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mind","category-stress","tag-exercise","tag-hormones","tag-inflammation","tag-meditation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Does Exercise Reduce Stress? Look at the Science | HUM Nutrition Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Curious how exercise reduces stress? A neuroscience researcher shares the science behind and benefits of exercise and stress relief.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-does-exercise-reduce-stress\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Does Exercise Reduce Stress? Look at the Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Curious how exercise reduces stress? 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