Welcome to the Get Fit Guys quick and dirty tips to slim down and shape up.

My name is Ben Greenfield and I'm the Get Fit Guy.

You've probably experienced this feeling.

You're headed home after a stressful day of work and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym.

Or you're tired, you're hungry, your brain feels worn out,

and you just feel like grabbing a glass of wine and hitting the couch with the TV remote,

not working out. Or maybe you set your alarm clock with fantastic intentions to squeeze in a

morning exercise session, but by the time you've made coffee, checked your email, used the bathroom,

then hopped onto Facebook and Twitter,

you realize that there's just no time left to fit in that workout.

Well, whether it's evening stress or morning business that's keeping you from exercising

and achieving your body transformation goals, this episode will tell you exactly what to do

when you're too stressed to exercise. and this can be especially useful during this holiday

season. First, let's look at how exercise decreases stress. In his book, Spark, the revolutionary

new science of exercise and the brain, which is actually a great book that I'll link to in the show

notes. John Rady describes in great detail how exercise grows brain

cells, improves functioning, allows her better focus, and reduces stress. A few highlights from

his book include exercising women lower their risk of dementia by 50%. Exercise can be as effective as

antidepressant drugs. Kids who exercise before school versus those who exercise in the middle of the

day have better test scores. Exercise has been shown in multiple studies to reduce stress and anxiety.

Now, one of the reasons exercise has such a powerful effect on stress is due to its effect on something

called neurotransmitters, which are the signaling molecules that your body

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