A hormone known as Adrenocorticotrophic (ACTH) is released into your bloodstream when you become stressed. This hormone gives the body a boost of energy and prepares the body for exercise and pain. This is known as the fight or flight mechanism that serves mankind well in many situations where these types of responses are vital. For example, somebody involved in a car accident might be in terrible pain but the ACTH will give them the energy and presence of mind to get out of the car in case it sets on fire.

In times gone, there was more use for this type of response. There were more incidents where somebody may have had to run or fight. However many of the situations that cause ACTH to be released into the body can't be resolved by running or fighting in modern society. Stress at work for example can't be resolved through the fight or flight response (or shouldn't be anyhow). Thus the long term consequence of this is that ACTH stays in the body. This is not good for the individual involved.

To illustrate the effect that ACTH can have on you, imagine drinking ten cups of coffee straight after each other. How much can you relax after drinking ten cups of coffee? You would be a ball of anxious energy. Long term exposure to ACTH can cause serious health issues including high blood pressure, ulcers and heart problems.

Exercise is one of the best ways to work ACTH out of your system. It is, in effect, simulating a fight or flight situation. In fact, there is a trend by health practitioners in many developed countries to prescribe exercise as a means to reduce stress rather than resorting to drugs.

Through exercise you can help the ACTH to leave your system and avoid the negative effects it produces. As you may have seen in the public service advertisements on TV and radio, thirty minutes of exercise a day is a good figure to aim for. The type of exercise you do is entirely up to your own imagination. For instance, the housework is a form of exercise (not very exciting though but it has to be done.)

You don't have to go to the gym to do exercise, although many people do this. Most gyms give excellent orientation tours and try to cater for all types of exercise goals. They will have aerobic classes, kick boxing/boxercise classes, circuit training, saunas and swimming pool exercises. If you are determined to make a commitment to exercise, a gym subscription may be right for you.

If the gym is not for you, then some form of team sport is a good way to exercise and socialize at the same time. If you don't like team sports then games like squash or tennis are other forms of vigorous exercise that can help to reduce stress. Golf is another way to get stress reduction exercises. Along with the act of hitting the ball, golf also provides a good deal of walking.

Walking is an excellent way to relax and exercise with or without golf clubs. It is also relatively low impact and can be a very pleasant social activity.

If you are lead a busy life, try to fit exercise into your daily commute to work.

It is important that you take some exercise, what you do is not important. Exercise will help to reduce stress levels. Stress management exercises will ultimately help to prevent numerous illnesses like heart disease from affecting your life.