"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger"Joe Paterno
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Diet and Exercise Evolution: Adaptation (part II) -- Examples and Practical Advice
Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous article, Adaptation I) will give you the tools to evaluate your diet and daily routine. If you have any question about whether something is good for you, always examine both the immediate effects and ...
Personal Alchemy: Three Steps To Positive Transformation
Lately, I've become intrigued by the idea or process of "alchemy." Funk & Wagnall tells me alchemy is a transformation, "a change in nature, form or quality." So how to take charge of your own personal alchemy? For me, it's about changes and ...
Walking is the Best Exercise
REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author information (Resource Box) ...
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Are you swamped at work? Do you always feel one step behind trying to catch up on all the chores on your "to-do" list each day? Do you toss and turn in bed at night thinking about all the things you should have accomplished that day, but didn't? All of us have experienced a hectic set of circumstances in our lives at one point or another. Maybe you experience stress every day of your life. This stress can lead to sickness, depression, and make you feel overwhelmed. Therefore, how can you combat this nagging daily stress? One answer is exercise.
Stress comes in both physical and mental forms. The severity of stress placed upon your body depends on your job, family, and life obligations. Exercise will benefit nearly everyone from a mother of five to a single on-the-go professional. You can find a form of exercise to suit your needs whether you have just ten minutes of free time a day or can hit the gym regularly. Exercise has the potential to be a highly effective stress reducer. Following are common questions, excuses, and solutions regarding exercise in our daily lives.
How does exercise affect the body? Won't it make me feel tired? On the contrary, exercise has been shown to increase "endorphins". Endorphins are the "feel good" chemicals that are linked to an elevation in mood. This endorphin kick can be akin to eating a chocolate bar. Chocolate has caffeine and hits the pleasure center in our brain. Exercise is similar in that blood pumps faster in our bodies increasing the oxygen supply to our brain. This endorphin rush is why many exercisers become addicted to exercise.
Exercise has long been an antidote to stress. Exercise takes your mind away from the stresses of daily life while you run, lift weights, or engage in any activity that raises your heart rate. An added benefit to exercise is that it will help you sleep better at night. For many people stress wreaks havoc on their lives by causing insomnia. Make sure, however, that you don't exercise too close to bed time. The rise in activity and heart rate that exercise brings should be completed at least three hours before bed time. Each person reacts differently to exercise so test out different exercise times and see which time works best for you.
How am I supposed to find time to exercise when my day is already filled to the brim with chores, kids, work, etc.? Before you brush off exercise time, take a closer examination of your day. Do you have down time? Do you spend time watching television? Many people watch television during the course of the day. This television time could be exercise time instead. Record your favorite TV shows and watch them later after you have exercised. Time exists for exercise; it is just a matter of making time and placing value on your exercise program and overall health.
What type of exercise should I do to relieve stress? I don't want to be a gym rat and purchase an expensive health club membership. Good news. You don't need to sign an expensive gym contract to get your exercise in for the day. You can exercise from the comfort of your own living room or head outside and enjoy the fresh air.
For example, break a sweat with exercise videos/DVDs. There are a bevy of exercise videos/DVDs available for home use that range for calming Yoga to boot camp kick boxing. Some videos/DVDs come with extras such as free weights, aerobic steps, exercise balls, and strengthening bands. It is like you have a personal mini-gym all to yourself. You can create your own exercise video library and rotate the different workouts to keep your exercise program varied and interesting.
Strap on your walking shoes and head outside to enjoy the sights of your neighborhood. Walking is a low impact form of exercise. It is fun to walk with your spouse, children, and friends. Many neighborhoods have jumped on the walking bandwagon by starting walking clubs. They meet twice a week in the morning for an hour long walk. It is a great way to get to know your neighbors and exercising with a partner will help you to keep on track. This accountability is a great defense against skipping your workout.
Many people want to get away from the stress of others. They want to walk and exercise by themselves. If this applies to you then you can listen to a tape or CD on your walk. It is a great way to catch up on books you have been meaning to read by listen to the audio version. Or you can listen to soothing music. Either way you can reduce stress from your daily life by placing your focus on other things besides all the errands you need to get done that day.
Reduce your stress with exercise. It is a natural way to energize your body and calm your mind. Make exercise an integral part of your daily living. You will be glad you did as you enjoy each day, stress free.
About the Author
Louise is a successful writer and mum of 2.5 children and loves to write helpful stress reduction articles. She provides helpful tips and hints on various relaxation methods. Learn 101 tips to de-stress your life and get free weekly tips and advise by visiting http://www.stress-reduction-4u.com/free-report.html
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 Aerobics classes offered in East Fishkill - Poughkeepsie Journal
HOPEWELL JUNCTION - The East Fishkill Recreation Department will offer two co-ed aerobics classes at the community center. On Mondays at 6 p.m., from Jan. 5 to March 9, cardio and kick-box aerobics classes will be held. The noncontact workout uses ...
Fitness calendar - Asheville Citizen-Times
AQUARIAN SADHANA: Early morning mantras and meditation, 4-6:30 a.m. Jan. 10, Black Mountain Yoga, 2 E. Market St. By donation. No registration required. Call 669-2939 for more. CHAKRA WORKSHOP: Explore the chakra system through yoga practices of ...
Food trends for the New Year - HamptonRoads.com
2009 is all about change. As a dietitian, one change I am thrilled about is that there appear to be no fad diets on the horizon, and the old ones (e.g., the low-carb craze) seem to be vanishing into the sunset. That's not to say we've lost our quest ...
MedCentral Fitness Center Offers Programming For All Ages - WMFD
The Fitness Center has state-of-the-art equipment and experts on hand to help members. With so many people making New Year's resolutions to get fit, the MedCentral Health and Fitness Center in Ontario hosted an open house to show off the facility and ...
Community Calendar - El Defensor Chieftain
Sun/Jan. 4 Epiphany Episcopal Church, 10 a.m. — Holy Baptism and Eucharist. Mon/Jan. 5 Air Rifle Practice, 5:30 p.m. — Tech Gym, Basement. Meets every Monday night. Free. Precision air rifles, pellets and targets are provided. For more info ...
For participants: Camps, classes, more - The State
Professional Baseball Instruction: By Kip Bouknight Private, Group, or Team Lessons. Call (803) 467 0180 or e-mail at kipb14@yahoo.com . Private Catching/Hitting Instruction: For baseball and softball players. Call Kelly Ahrens at (803) 260-5432. Or ...
Change your life in 2009 with these 50 tips - Atlanta Journal Constitution
The problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they’re way too big. We’ve been there and we know, big resolutions lead to big disappointments when our resolve starts to soften around Feb. 1. So for 2009, we recommend a new tack: Start small ...
Montgomery County wants to train more workers - Washington Business Journal
Montgomery County wants its job training programs funded through the incoming federal economic stimulus package. Councilman Mike Knapp and County Executive Isiah Leggett announced their intentions to ask for money on Monday. The leaders think the ...
Recession-friendly gyms just a hop, skip and jump away - New York Daily News
The NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation has a great deal — free one-hour fitness sessions. If you're using the financial crisis as an excuse to drop your gym membership, you're out of luck. There are loads of low-priced fitness facilities all over New ...
FYI: Many fitness options available around Lufkin - Lufkin Daily News
A: You may be surprised to know that you do have a few different options to help you keep that all important resolution. Livewell Athletic Club (639-5483) offers several classes both morning and evening, including kickboxing, step aerobics and ...
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