Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping

by Robert M. Sapolsky

Exercise I start with exercise because this is the stress reduction approach I rely on frequently, and I’m deeply hoping that putting it first will mean that I’ll live to be very old and healthy. Exercise is great to counter stress for a number of reasons. First, it decreases your risk of various metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and therefore decreases the opportunity for stress to worsen those diseases. Next, exercise generally makes you feel good. There’s a confound in this, in that most people who do a lot of exercise, particularly in the form of competitive athletics, have unneurotic, extroverted, optimistic personalities to begin with (marathon runners are exceptions to this). However, do a properly controlled study, even with neurotic introverts, and exercise improves mood. This probably has something to do with exercise causing the secretion of beta-endorphin. In addition, there’s the sense of self-efficacy and achievement, that good stuff you try to recall when your thigh muscles are killing you in the middle of the aerobics class. And most of all, the stress-response is about preparing your body for a sudden explosion of muscular activity. You reduce tension if you actually turn on the stress-response for that purpose, instead of merely stewing in the middle of some time-wasting meeting. Finally, there’s some evidence that exercise makes for a smaller stress-response to various psychological stressors. That’s great. Now for some qualifiers: Exercise enhanc...