Stress

Stress impacts everyone in one way or another, often times in more ways than one. There are many ways to deal with stress, some good, and some that aren't good (eating, not getting enough sleep). For a lot of people exercise can be a great outlet for stress, whether hitting the weights as a release, or doing cardiovascular activities At the same time, stress can also hinder an athletes performance in training and racing. I read a study once about stress and cardiovascular activities - when using both the right side of your body and the left it helps create a calming equilibrium in the brain and makes thinking more clear and creates a calming effect. (The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body). For me personally, running, biking, and swimming helps me alleviate stress by helping me think more clearly, "escape" for a while, and re-energize my mind and body. Do you use exercise to deal with stress? What kind of impact does stress have on your workouts?