Vote in This Week's Poll: What type of exercise helps you deal with stress?
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The other day, my computer (which is prone to fits of rage), went into a sudden convulsive seizure that effectively ended any hope of finishing my work. I got so stressed out that I smashed it into little tiny pieces, set them on fire and did a ritual victory dance. Man, I love that fantasy.
Stress is a fact of life, of course, but there are times when it becomes so pervasive that it feels impossible to get rid of. We may attempt to deal with it with the usual recommendations - deep breathing, meditation, listening to soothing flutey music - but sometimes, the usual tricks just don't work. When that happens, it's tempting to go to the dark side to deal with it - alcohol, drugs, road rage or violent acts against inanimate electronics.
We've all heard that exercise can help relieve stress but, for many of us, not just any exercise will do. When I'm fantasizing about destroying my computer, a slow, breathy yoga session just isn't going to cut it. A high intensity kickboxing session (where my imaginary opponent looks a lot like my computer) is often a better choice.
I'm curious about you. Do you use exercise to deal with stress and, if so, what's your favorite workout? Does yoga help you calm down or do you prefer a more vigorous workout? Vote in this week's poll and tell us what type of exercise helps you reduce stress.
Vote in This Week's Poll: What type of exercise helps you deal with stress? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 07:00:56.