European University of Lefke (EUL) Faculty of Health Sciences Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department Lecturer Dr. Aydın Meriç made explanations on Exercise and Stress and relayed information.

Meriç claimed that “Nowadays, the aspects that affect individuals’ psychological states negatively are increasing. Especially having high workload, people being in a race, individuals failing to have private or social relationships with each other, financial problems, family problems, diseases, wars, natural dramatic events, technological developments, fast and corrosive effects of life make people individuals who are unhappy, out of energy, depressed and are lack of self-love.When the pandemic situation is added to these the condition gets worse”.

Meriç stated that “Different expectations, purposes, concerns, what life brings make individuals stressed and depressed. Stress is a word that is frequently used and talked about, and is a condition everyone goes through in different life periods. It is seen as the situation where one feels uncomfortable, incompatible, distressed in professional and private life.Nowadays due to technological developments, industrialization, scientific developments, fast and easy communication, expectation of being successful in our daily and professional life, fast consumption of love and respect in  private life, having no more endurance left between people pushes individuals’ all kinds of limits and people make a great effort to cope with this situation.”

Meriç mentioned that there are many sources of stress and listed them as general life events, death and births, economic condition, relationship between people, friends and communication with social environment, competition in professional life, excessive or less work load, family conflicts, not being happy with life standards. 

Meriç classified different phases of stress;

Alarm phase;In alarm phase the body shows fight or run away reaction to the situation. As a result of changes happened in the body during fight or run away reaction, individual becomes ready to face with or run away from the source of stress. Headache, muscle strain, chest pains, digestion difficulty, heart palpitations, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, stomach ulcer, intestinal disruption and high cholesterol can be observed.

Resistance Phase;Stress is continuous. In this phase there is some kind of a accommodation to stressed environment. The body seems like functioning under normal conditions. In this condition the body is actually losing its current resistance.

Extinction Phase;The body is losing its resistance against stress. There is an extinction and fatigue condition. The body’s adaptation and accommodation energy is weak.The body, which has finished all its resources, enters the extinction state and becomes more open to all kinds of diseases.

Stress that is Good: The stress which is seen good creates an impulsive force for person. Encourages to fight fort the best. This kind of stress can also be called stimulant.

  Stress that isBad:The stress which is seen bad is the one that individuals are object to environmental pressure, where pressure increases and becomes a situation one can not cope with. In such conditions people use “ I’m under stress” phrase frequently. 

Meriç: one of the most important elements of coping with stress is exercise and physical activity 

Meriç stated that if individuals can not cope with stress and solve negativities they can face many undesirable situations as psychological or physical diseases, and their bodies may react physically, psychologically or mentally. He also underlined that “the most observable physical reactions are: aches and pains around neck, back of the neck, and waist, muscle and joint strains or spasms, heart palpitations, stomach and intestinal disorders or disruptions and digestion difficulties. In addition, shortness of breath, headache, shakings on hands, high sensitivity to noise and sound, cold or heat strokes, insomnia (oversleeping or irregular sleeping), fatigue or stomach spasms can also be observed.”

Meriç stated that one of the most important things that people should do if they are exposed to stress is to keep control of their own lives, to plan exercise or physical activity as a way of life, according to our age, gender and opportunities. “We shouldn’t neglect to stay away from stress,” he said.

“Physical activity and exercise have natural anti-depressant features. Meriç said that one of the most important elements of getting rid of the stressful and depressed state is to exercise or increase the number of physical activities. ”Meriç pointed out that physical activity and exercise will enable people to be active, energetic, positive, lively, happy, active, lively.
Meriç stated that exercise and physical activities enable people to develop mentally balanced, regular and harmonious, they have the opportunity to express their feelings through exercise and physical activities performed at different levels, and that regular exercises or physical activities divert people from negative situations.

Finally, Meriç stated that exercise or physical activity will reduce the stress state, increase the feeling of well-being of individuals and provide better control of anger of individuals who exercise regularly, they will be more successful in their professional and private lives by not giving up quickly when they face difficulties.