46 . Stress Authors

Stress can be defined as a state of increased psychological, physiological and behaviourial preparedness. A stress reaction is a normal reaction that is considered necessary rather than harmful. Physical activity is generally deemed a stress factor that activates our physiological stress systems in the same way as exposure to psychological stress. The following chapter describes acute stress reactions and the effect that physical activity has on our well-being, control and stress management. It is impossible to describe stress in relation to an individual diagnosis. Accordingly, only the general effects of physical activity are covered here. For a more in-depth discussion on the prescription of physical activity, please refer to the related chapters on pain and depression.