Do you lift weights to burn calories? Fight fat? Whittle away at your waist? Yes, Yes, and Yes for me. Do you use strength training as a stress buster, though? Not sure I tackle lifting as a means to stress reduction but I must say it's a definite side effect. And if keep at my weighty endeavors, I might teach my body to regularly recover better from stress.

People with decent muscle mass have an easier time recovering from mental stress, says RealAge. Use dumbbells, resistance bands, or your own body weight to build muscle and you'll be one step closer to mastering stress reduction. Why? Because lean body mass (more muscle, less fat), helps the body normalize blood pressure more quickly after a stressful event. A fit body does a better job of ridding itself of sodium, you see, and that takes a big load off your heart and arteries when stress starts to surface.

Time to lift, my friends -- lift your body healthy and lift away your stress.