I know, you’re busy. I’m busy, too. Everyone is. Busy, stressed and tired.

For most, their exercise routine is just another cause of stress- one more thing you have to fit into your schedule, one more thing fighting for your time, one more thing you are too exhausted to do, and one more thing that makes you feel guilty when you push it off in favor of some downtime.

These would all seem like good excuses to skip exercise, if any of them were true. Poor exercise, it gets such a bad rap. If this sounds like you, you need to switch your thinking. Exercise is your CURE for stress. A good workout stimulates your beta-endorphins (which are 30 times more powerful than morphine) giving you more energy and helps you burn off that extra tension and anxiety- the perfect mix to nix stress.

The best workouts for eliminating stress?

Boxing. Sure, you get to beat the crap out of something, but you also get a great cardio, upper body and core workout. Punch away.

Aerobic Exercise. Working in repetitive motion, clearing your mind while pushing your body as hard as it will go is better for lowering stress than any prescription out there.

Sports. Playing basketball or volleyball with a few friends is not only a great workout, it’s a great stress reliever. Fresh air, blasting fat and fun with friends- it doesn’t get much better than that.

Yoga. For a slower, calming (yet, still effective) mind clearing workout, give your body and mind a good stretch with a long yoga session.

Don’t stress about stress- use it to your advantage. Use your anxiety and pent up energy to push yourself further than you thought you ever could, and end up feeling better than ever afterward.