Stress Stress Stress

Sweat and Stress


STRESS!! It seems to be everywhere in these days of uncertainty. Even if these days don’t negatively affect you, we all know so many people who are affected that it can make us anxious and afraid. What to do? The best we can do is to treat the way that stress affects us as best as possible.

Research has shown us that physical exercise is our best tension reliever. Exercise, when property done, gives your body time to operate in its most efficient mode. Virtually any form of exercise can decrease the production of stress hormones and counteract your body's natural stress response.

Physically, exercise improves your cardiovascular functions by strengthening and enlarging the heart, causing greater elasticity of the blood vessels, increasing oxygen throughout your body, and lowering your blood levels of fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides.

Mentally, exercise provides an outlet for negative emotions such as frustration, anger, and irritability, thereby promoting a more positive mood and outlook. Exercise improves mood by producing positive biochemical changes in the body and brain and reduces the amount of adrenal hormones your body releases in response to stress. Also, with exercise, your body releases greater amounts of endorphins, the powerful, pain-relieving, mood-elevating chemicals in the brain. Depressed people often lack these neurochemicals. Endorphins are natural pain killers and also help lift your mood. Exercise, therefore, will keep your body functioning properly and will keep you feeling both relaxed, refreshed and promote deep, restful sleep

Begin an exercise that you enjoy, Preferably, do something that brings you into contact with other people. The value of such exercise, three times a week for 20 minutes to two hours, can not be over emphasized.

Problems always seem less important when you are walking, swimming, running, cycling, or are involved in any physical pursuit; apart from the mental benefits, physical exercise uses up excess adrenaline. Exercise has another beneficial effect. Most people, when exercising, do not worry. They are actually resting the nerve cells in the brain that worry, giving those cells time to renew themselves, so they can function normally the next time they are needed. There are other ways of "resting your mind". Any activity which concentrates your attention on a subject other than life's problems will help rest your mind.

Aerobic or Anaerobic Exercise?

There are two types of exercise that perform different functions. Aerobic exercise is sustained activity involving the major muscle groups, such as swimming, running, or brisk walking. Your heart and respiratory rate increase, and more oxygen is circulated through the body. This kind of exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system and increases your overall strength and stamina.

You've probably heard of "low-impact," or anaerobic, exercise. This means that you are not exercising vigorously or long enough to reach and maintain your training heart rate. It does not mean, however, that low-impact exercise is useless. It improves your muscle strength and flexibility and can still be a good outlet for negative feelings that you might have bottled up.

There are three kinds of anaerobic exercise:

Isotonics require that your muscles contract against a resistant object with movement, such as in weight lifting.
Isometrics requires that your muscles contract against resistance without movement. Isometric exercises increase strength without building bulk.
Calisthenics are stretching exercises, such as sit-ups, toe-touches, and knee-bends, help increase flexibility and joint mobility.

The kinds of exercises you choose to do depend on your physical ability as well as your preferences. The most important rule is to choose activities that you enjoy and that are accessible and feasible for you to do regularly. Most importantly, develop a routine that is fun and safe! Enjoy youself!

Before you begin an exercise program, you should have a physical examination. If you are over the age of forty, your doctor will probably want to do a stress electrocardiogram to determine how much activity your heart can handle. If you have not exercised regularly for some time, begin slowly with low-impact exercise and gradually increase your activity.

LouAnn Good is the Owner of Fitness Together, located in south Fort Myers, part of the world’s largest personal training organization. She has over 15 years of personal training experience in the Lee County area. All personal trainings at Fitness Together are done one on one in a private training studio where there are no interruptions, no waiting for equipment, and all the attention is on you, the client. “One Client – One Trainer- One Goal”

LouAnn Good
Fitness Together Fort Myers
9671 Gladiolus Dr. #108
Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-337-BODY
www.FTFortMyers.com