Finding Inspiration Series: Exercise

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Finding Inspiration Series: Exercise

My 'Finding Inspiration' series was written out of a need that comes up in my

practice, most often in Spring and Fall. I feel we all need a bit of

enlightenment now and then to help us move forward. Finding

motivation through inspiration can be the spark which sets you on your way!

Exercise is what your body instinctively wants to do especially under stress:

fight or flight, and it works. It burns off some of the stress chemicals

which

tension produces. Therefore, a tired muscle is a relaxed muscle. Regular

exercise builds stamina that can help anyone battle stress. But even something

as casual as a walk around the block can help you burn off some of the tension

that you carrying around.

Stretching is a great tension reducer. Stretch your chest for better breathing.

The tense musculature of a person under stress can make breathing difficult and

impaired breathing can aggravate the anxiety you already feel. To relax your

breathing, roll your shoulders up and back, then relax. The first time, inhale

deeply as they go back, exhale as they relax. Repeat four or five more times,

then inhale deeply again. Repeat the entire sequence four times.

People under pressure have a tendency to clench their teeth. Dropping the jaw

and rolling it helps make those muscles relax, and if you relax the muscles, you

reduce the sensation of tension.

Resistance is essential for making a muscle stronger. When a muscle has to work

against a load placed on it, it adapts to the stress by creating new muscle

fibers and making neurological changes that ultimately make it stronger.

Muscles

respond to virtually anything that offers resistance.

You need only to remember a few do-anywhere exercises:

*sit-ups for abdominal muscles

*push-ups for the arms, chest, and shoulders

*dips for the back of the arms

*squats for the muscles in the rear and front of the thighs

*calf raises for the lower portion of the leg.

You also might work some simple equipment into your regime. Both rubber bands

and rubber tubing can add resistance, as can simple household items. To increase

the resistance when you're doing squats, for example, you can do something as

simple as hold soup cans or milk jugs filled with water.

Yoga and Pilates are also great and can be done at home. Many of the poses in

yoga require using one's own body weight to load the muscles. Take the " warrior "

pose, for example. It's essentially a lunge, one that works the muscle in the

front of the thigh. Pilates is a series of exercises that involve slow, precise

moves -- either using your body weight or specially designed machines --

to work

your muscles. You might work your abdominal and leg muscles, for example, by

pushing against a bar on springs or by raising your legs when they're attached

(by straps) to a pulley.

Exercise gives you energy. Study after study supports those words, including one

by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. More than 200 federal

employees were placed on a moderate, regular exercise program. The results: 90

percent said they had never felt better. Almost half said they felt less

stress,

and almost one-third reported they slept better.

Energetic exercise, aerobics, a brisk walk three to five times a week, for 20 to

30 minutes each time and no later than 2 hours before bedtime are extremely

beneficial. If you're obese, if you need to drop 20 percent of your weight or

more, losing weight will be a great help. Make sure you follow a sensible diet

in combination with exercise.

Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac.

http://www.peacefulmind.com/exercise.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit