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When you're stressed, the last thing you think about is getting out and exercising. But that's the time you need it most. Fitness isn't frivolous in these times of tension. Stepping up your physical activity releases feel-better chemicals in the brain that decrease stress.

People who are used to physical activity instinctively know they need it more, not less, when times get tense. I admit that I anticipated that my line dance attendance would drop as people chose to cocoon and watch news of war. Yet I found the opposite: Attendance surged to all-time highs. Whether they thought about it or not, people felt the need to connect with others and to dance the stress out of their bodies and minds. I noticed my dancers coming into class with shoulders hunched and mouths grim -- and leaving relaxed and smiling.

What kind of exercise do you need to relieve tension? It doesn't really matter, as long as you enjoy it. Use these tips to get moving today to decrease stress:

1. Connect with Nature. Walk briskly in a scenic spot -- along a creek, in the woods, or at the beach, for example. For best de-stressing, walk fast enough to increase breathing, or alternate running and walking, or climb hills.

2. Connect with Others. Engage in physical activity that is social -- go dancing, take an aerobics or step class, go on a family bike ride or nature hike, or play a recreational sport with friends.

3. Connect with Your Personal Power. Choose a form of exercise that makes you feel strong and centered -- lift weights, practice yoga or tai chi, or take a martial arts class, for example.

Research has shown the lasting mental health benefits of 20 minutes of exercise a day in reducing anxiety and depression. But even a few minutes of movement will start to elevate mood and release stress. Even a minute or two of pushups or jumping jacks will help.

Joan Price (www.joanprice.com) is the author of five books, including The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book: 300+ Quick and Easy Exercises You Can Do Whenever You Want (Adams Media, May 2003). She teaches line dancing in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, California.

For permission to reprint this article, please contact joan@joanprice.com.

NOTE: All of the content on this web site is copyrighted, original work by © Joan Price. Unauthorized reproduction of any content presented here through any medium is in violation of federal and international copyright laws. None of this content may be copied, distributed, or published through any medium without permission from Joan Price.

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