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Exercise and Play: What Do We Learn?
Quite often, when our children return from afternoon play, they look exhausted, and ready for a nap. That is the most accurate description, and quite the truth. Play is hard work. It is exhausting to the mind and body of the young person, and...

Exercises For Mom And Baby
Most women will benefit from exercising with their baby. Not only does this help keep baby calm and content, you have the added benefit of carrying around a few extra pounds of weight which will improve your muscle endurance. Baby Lifts This...

Is Exercise a Natural Sleep Aid for Seniors?
There are a number of reasons why exercise, particularly if performed at the right time of day, is considered the most positive sleep aid for seniors. None, however, are more significant than the fact that exercise is a completely natural form...

Penis enlargement pills and exercises
What are penis enlargement pills and exercises? Do they work and which of the two works better? These questions have been bugging men for quite some time now. Throughout the centuries, men have wanted to enlarge their penis. In ancient times, the...

What Are The 3 Critical Exercise Routine Success Factors?
Copyright 2005 Jeremy Markum The 'Rule Of 3' Meets Pareto's '80/20'--And You Get Fit Faster As A Result! Everybody likes simple lists. Everybody likes Rules Of Thumb. And as far as I can tell, everyone wants tighter abs and more energy. So,...

 
Stress & Exercise: How do I make it Work for Me?

Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXERCISE & STRESS

Everyone knows that exercise reduces stress levels. Doesn’t it?

Actually, some of the research is a little conflicting. For a start, vigorous exercise is actually stressor itself. On a physical level, exercise causes the tiny muscle fibres to actually tear, and then grow back stronger as they heal. Not exactly relaxing for the muscles in question! Quite apart from this, one study showed anxiety levels increase in the first 5-10 minutes of exercise as adrenaline – one of the key stress hormones – kicks in. So how can it be that exercise reduces our stress and anxiety levels over time?

The quick answer is that while exercise is a short-term stressor, lack of exercise is a long-term one. As we mentioned in last week’s stress newsletter, our bodies are built for movement. When we’re sedentary day after day, all the systems that have evolved to service a body-in-motion start to break down, which causes waste-products to build up.

Our stress response originally allowed us to either fight a potential threat get as far away from it as possible. These are both fairly physical activities. All the biochemical changes – the stress hormones released – are based around this response. They allow us to get into action – and quickly! It’s no surprise, then, that unless we do what our bodies expect and get moving, those hormones have nothing to do but hang around in our bloodstream, making us feel jumpy, irritable and just plain stressed. As soon as we start moving though, the hormones have done their job. Our body as a whole can return to normal, and relaxation can ensue.

There’s more to the de-stressing effect, though, than just clearing hormones from your bloodstream. First there’s the well-documented release of endorphins– nature’s opiates – into your bloodstream. These act to both deaden pain and make you feel wonderful. On top of this, regular exercise actually strengthens your body – improving your sleep, boosting your circulatory and immune systems. Since these are the very things that the stress response attacks, regular exercise becomes a form of preventative maintenance.

Then there are psychological buffers that exercise offers against stress. As we set ourselves exercise plans and goals, and stick to them, we start believing in ourselves more. This can translate directly into the way we deal with the stressors in our life. If we feel more in control of them, the


stressors become less powerful.



USING EXERCISE TO MANAGE STRESS

So what do the experts recommend when it comes to controlling stress with exercise?

First and foremost, don’t overdo it. Too much exercise, or exercise sessions without enough rest time between them, lead to overtraining, and overtraining is as dangerous a stressor as anything the work world can throw at you. The current ACSM guideline for a healthy lifestyle is 30-45 minutes, 3-5 times a week. If you haven’t exercised for some time, check with your doctor first, and then start small. Even 10 minutes three times a week is better than nothing. If you want to do more than this, feel free, but if you start waking up tired, getting injury prone, or losing ground instead of gaining it, you need to cut back, or you’ll just increase your stress.

Secondly, make sure you enjoy what you do. Exercise performed because you have to is not going to keep you motivated to do it, and the resentment you feel won’t help with your stress levels. There’s a wealth of exercise options – from walking, swimming and cycling, through to aerobics, martial arts and team sports.

In fact, you don’t actually need to ‘exercise’ to exercise. All you need to do is get active – so if walking the dog, digging in your garden, or playing with your kids appeals to you more, they’re just as valid. And if you need a little help making the commitment, consider the services of a personal trainer.

Lastly, be aware that whatever is causing the stress, simple activity is not going to magically deal with it. If you’re not sure where your stress is coming from, you might benefit from one-to-one coaching with a stress management expert. If you know the root cause, however, getting active will put you in a far better frame of mind, body and spirit, to manage it yourself. And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the true miracle of exercise.

About the author:

Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Stress Management Coach and Personal Trainer whose articles on holistic health, relaxation and spirituality have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. For more information please visit check out http://optimumlife.co.nz,or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz.



 

Exercise at About.com
Offers fitness and exercise related links, articles, information, and discussions.
exercise.about.com
 
American Council On Exercise
Fitness Certification and Education: The American Council on Exercise (ACE), a non-profit organization, promotes active lifestyles by setting certification ...
www.acefitness.org
 
Physical exercise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or ... Frequent and regular physical exercise is an important component in the ...
en.wikipedia.org
 
Why Exercise Is Cool
Tells why exercise is important and explores the many benefits of physical activity.
www.kidshealth.org
 
Kids and Exercise
When most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym on a treadmill or lifting weights. But for children, exercise means playing and ...
www.kidshealth.org
 
Fitness Fundamentals
It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise and eating practices. ... How often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of ...
www.hoptechno.com
 
MedlinePlus: Exercise and Physical Fitness
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases The primary NIH organization for research on Exercise and Physical Fitness is the ...
www.nlm.nih.gov
 
MedlinePlus: Exercise for Seniors
Pictures/Diagrams; Slide Show: Balance Exercises Improve Stability, Help Prevent Falls (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) ...
www.nlm.nih.gov
 
Exercise: A Healthy Habit to Start and Keep -- familydoctor.org
Information about exercise from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
familydoctor.org
 
Welcome to ::-:: Exercise, Fitness and Leisure
Information on various aspects of exercise and fitness and providers of sporting, exercise and leisure equipment.
www.exercise.co.uk
 
ExRx (Exercise Prescription) on the Net
Fitness and exercise information including diet, nutrition, exercise, sports and weight training. Includes a muscle directory.
www.exrx.net
 
Weight Training, Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology
Weight training and kinesiology reference with many animated weight training exercises, stretches, plyometric movements, and illustrated muscles.
www.exrx.net
 
Exercise & Fitness
Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking or any of dozens of other activities can help your heart. Whether it is a structured exercise ...
www.americanheart.org
 
Howstuffworks "How Exercise Works"
Exercise creates a set of responses in your body, whether you work out regularly or not. Find out how these responses can be enhanced by training.
www.howstuffworks.com
 
Exercise and Diabetes - American Diabetes Association
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Exercise works the same way. Taking that first step can be hard, especially if you've been ...
www.diabetes.org
 
NIHSeniorHealth: Exercise for Older Adults - Table of contents
See the Exercise Stories. Exercise for Older Adults Table of Contents. Benefits of Exercise · Safety First · Exercises to Try · Charting Progress ...
nihseniorhealth.gov
 
Exercise to Improve Your Body and Your Brain
My comprehensive exercise guide. ... The key to obtaining the benefits of exercise is to find a program and stick to it. Of course, it is useful to have a ...
www.mercola.com
 
FitnessOnline.com - Exercise Health Nutrition Advice Weight Loss
FitnessOnline.com - expert advice on exercise programs, diets, weight loss, muscle gain, vitamins, supplements & strength training.
www.fitnessonline.com
 
Table of Contents
Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging ... Chapter 2: Is It Safe for Me to Exercise? ... Chapter 4: Examples of Exercises to Do at Home ...
weboflife.nasa.gov
 
Exercise Physiology Page for the MAPP
Aging, Exercise and Short Term Power · Principles of Training- Revisited · The Time Course of Training Adaptations · Understanding Interval Training ...
home.hia.no
 
 

 

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