We have heard it so many times before that there are many benefits to exercise especially when used to lower stress. If everyone knows that exercise is important then why is stress, disease, and fatigue so prevalent in today's society? The answer is simple. We know what to do we just aren't doing it.
Experts agree that one best way to manage stress is through exercise. Exercise has been proven to relax the body and mind, burn fat, improve cardiovascular system, bring in more oxygen, reduce the chance of diseases, lower blood pressure and the list goes on.
During the stress response, many chemical reactions occur in the body preparing it to what is known as the fight or flight response. During prehistoric days as cave dwellers, we had the opportunity to burn off our stress when an animal attacked, as it was a means of survival. We were able to run away or fight the threat immediately. In today's society, we do not have to fight a bear or tiger, so we do not have much of an outlet readily at hand to burn off the stress or pent up negative emotions. Therefore, we carry it with us creating emotional and physical problems. Exercise can help by providing an outlet for negative emotions such as worry, irritability, depression, hostility, anger, frustration, and anxiety. You can dissipate these feelings by simply taking it out on the tennis court, by running, or punching a bag. Regular exercise provides the opportunity to manage the fight or flight response and helps the body to return to a homeostasis or balanced state more quickly.
Exercise can also improve self-esteem and self worth by realizing that you are benefit directly. You may feel more outgoing and social because of the increased energy and also a better physique creating more confidence and positive self image. Your self-esteem may be enhanced by taking on exercise challenges or goals, giving you a feeling of accomplishment and reward.
Anaerobic vs. Aerobic Exercise:
Aerobic exercise is an activity that uses major muscle groups such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling. This type of exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system by increasing your heart and respiratory rate and brings in more oxygen into the body. To reap the full benefits of aerobic exercise, you must be at 60%-80% of your target heart rate for at least 20 minutes, between three and five times a week.
To calculate your target heart rate use the following formula:
Take 220 - (subtract) your age X (multiply 60%, or 70%, etc. intensity rate.) = Target heart rate (divide by six for a ten second pulse count. Take your pulse for ten seconds and gage where you are during the workout. Speed up the pace if you are below 60%.
Aerobic exercise is key to lose weight as it burns calories which are the energy consumed and adds fat to our bodies. Combined with a healthy diet it is a sure way to lose weight. One pound of body fat is equivalent to 3500 calories. To lose one pound, you must burn 3500 calories. It is easier to combine aerobics and create a small caloric deficit in your diet than to do one or the other solely.
Anaerobic exercise builds muscle strength and power. Isotonics and Isometrics are two kinds of anaerobic exercises.
Isotonics uses your muscles to contract against an object with movement such as weight lifting (also called strength or resistance training.) The benefits of isotonic exercises are stronger muscles, stronger bones, tone, prevent injuries, and condenses and shapes muscle for better esthetics.
Isometric exercise is contracting your muscles against resistance without movement. Such as lifting an object like a dumbbell and holding a position. You are isolating that muscle.
Use both types of anaerobic exercises to maximize your strength to build healthy, lean, and strong muscles.
Select exercises that you enjoy and can do for at least 20 minutes, three to five days a week. Exercise does not necessarily mean hitting the gym and making an ordeal out of it. It can simply be a walk around your neighborhood or dancing to some tunes. Try to think "activity" verses "exercise". When you are in an active mind-frame, you will purposely park a little farther, do stretches at the computer, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.
Commit that you will begin to be more active and stick to your exercises or activities for 21 days. Why 21? Research has showed that it takes about 21 days to create a habit. Document how your feel after the 21 days. Your stress levels should be lowered, you should feel more energized, and see some physical changes such as a slimmer physique.
You may already know the benefits of exercise but are you doing it? So start by making a decision, begin slowly, then gradually work up to more and longer workout sessions. The point of this article is to help you take immediate action.
In the words of Nike...well, you know.
To your health.
Does Exercise Reduce Stress
The art of massage has been around since time immemorial, widely practiced since hundreds of years by the Chinese, Indians and the Greeks. Though massage started off as a pain-relieving technique, medial practitioners now recognize that it also improves blood circulation by stimulating the lymphatic response; it is also well known that massage helps the body in throwing out accumulated toxins.
Massage is an ancient "bodywork" technique that is used to iron out muscle stress and also to provide relief from pain by applying pressure at sensitive points of the body.
Massage is beneficial for the many variables present in the body. It can strengthen the skin, relieve muscular and joint pains, and can also help in adding that element of robustness in ligaments, tendons and connective tissues. It also has the propensity to fortify the gastrointestinal system and the reproductive organs.
Only a professional massage therapist who has received adequate training can deliver a beneficial massage treatment. Though traditional massage involves administering pressure using hands and feet, nowadays the massage market is swamped with many mechanical aids that help in providing more depth and variety to the practice of massage.
One interesting device is the Massage Chair that comes equipped with all kinds of bells and whistles such as a motor and various mechanical protrusions that imitate the actions of a massage therapist. These massage chairs are computerized and can be adjusted according to the weight, height and the back contours of the person. These massage chairs give an all-round massage covering the back, neck, shoulders, hips, thighs, legs and even the feet.
All types of medical practitioners ranging from the common physician to the highly specialized sports trainer nowadays prescribe massage for pain/stress relief and recovery. Massage is helpful not only in providing physical relief, it also works on the mind, freeing it from routine problems such as depression, stress and mental fatigue.
Apart from mental and physical relief, massage is also used as a sense-stimulator during the course of making love. Massage connects with both the body and the mind, and rejuvenates the entire being while calming the senses at the same time. As such, just about everyone and anyone benefits from massage - right from someone who is suffering from unbearable arthritic pains to the robust rugby player who is plagued by injuries, to someone who wants to get a sense of extraordinary stimulation during lovemaking.
Massage is always received in a professional setting, wherein the client has to remove his clothing and cover his body with sheets or towels. The massage therapist needs the massage receiver to be unclothed in order to get easy access to the body parts that need massage. The sheets and towel that drape the body provide the necessary warmth, comfort, and, of course, the privacy.
The client has to lie down on a table that may be warmed or sheeted so that it is comfortable to the body. A typical massage setting will also have other elements that soothe the senses such as enchanting music, aromatic candles and the like. It is important that the client is fully relaxed before the massage begins in order to receive the key benefits of massage therapy.
The massage session typically begins with the massage receiver lying face upward, a position also known as the "supine" position. During the second half of the massage, the receiver has to roll over - this position is referred to as the "prone" position.
If the massage has to be effective, then communication between the therapist and the client has to be excellent. The client must keep communicating to the therapist if he feels the pressure being applied is too much or too less. Such feedback can help the therapist take corrective action. The client must always discuss his medical history and his current ailments with the massage therapist before partaking the massage.
Some of the well-known and prominent massage techniques are: The very popular Swedish Massage, Ayurvedic Abhyanga, Barefoot Deep Tissue Massage, Chair Massage, Chinese Tui Na, Chinese Zhi Ya, CranioSacral, Deep Muscle & Deep Tissue Massage, Effleurage, The Hawaiian Lomilomi, Roman Massage and Reiki.
As a side note, massage therapy rocks as a career choice. Great money, flexible hours and a growing interest and marketability help make this profession a hightly sought after massage therapy career choice.
Both Nicky Pilkington & Alex Hanson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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