One on my favorite stress management exercises is to ask my counseling and anger management clients to imagine themselves getting up from a really good nights sleep, and to note how refreshed they feel as they pull the covers off, and move their body toward the next right thing to do.

We go through finding a number of descriptive words to describe how they are feeling and the hormonal bath they have going on, and the words that come up are refreshed, relaxed, comfortable, etc.

Then I ask them to imagine themselves as the pivot their body out from under the covers but before their feet touch the floor while still refreshed, to imagine having a large unpaid bill to deal with, and I ask them to again tell me what they feel, as they switch the thought from relaxing, refreshing sleep, to unpaid bill.

Most of those same clients report that the feeling switches to anxiety immediately, and they can go from relaxed to stressed out anxiety at the speed of a thought.

Then I ask them to imagine back to just waking up refreshed, and I ask them what happened to the stress feeling related to the unpaid bill and to a person, clients report that the stress is gone or greatly reduced.

That simple exercise illustrates two key components of stress management exercises, the speed at which my body works to prepare itself for a problem solving effort, or an actual emergency, and how thoughts impact physiology.

Paul Ekman,Ph.D. in his work on cataloging facial expressions reports that across cultures humans respond to a look of contempt with a powerful hormonal stew featuring hormones like adrenalin and cortisol in 1/25th second, which is about 2 and 1/2 times faster than I can blink my eyes, and that is without an interpretive thought.

So my stress management exercises must teach me to monitor the inside of my body frequently, so my powerful hormonal stews do not drive a behavior before I make a decision.

I like to call that process ‘awareness gives me choice’.

The next part of the stress management exercise that I mentioned above is to recognize the impact of thoughts on feelings.

My thought as I wake up is about how refreshed I am and the feeling state following that thought is quite comfortable, which changes to a quite uncomfortable feeling state when I switch my thought to the unpaid bill.

So to change my feeling back to a comfortable feeling means changing the thought, changing my breathing, or utilizing a technology like Heartmath, which is a biofeedback tool which teaches me to manage the time between heart beats.

Stress management tools, up until the discovery of the heart’s own nervous system, have always been about breathing and mindfulness, and they are effective, just not as effective as fast as Heartmath, or heart rate variability biofeedback.

I discovered heart rate variability biofeedback in an EEB Biofeedback listserve about 11 years ago, and determined to learn more about it. (EEG biofeedback works at a speed of HZ or cycles per second. If Heartmath could come close to that speed, what a powerful tool to have available).

I bought it and learned it in about 3 hours, or six 1/2 hour sessions. I have used it with clients since and have had only one client take more than 10 sessions to learn it.

Heart rate variability biofeedback actually combines the thinking and breathing technologies with computerized feedback, which allows you to manage the time between heart beats within a heart beat.

The new field of neurocardiology has determined that the heart has a brain of its own which learns and makes decisions independently of any other brain I have, and I can invoke that coherence on any given heart beat should I so chose.

With a tool like heart rate variability biofeedback, stress management exercises become proactive rather than reactive.

In other words, I can practice the easily learned heart rate variability biofeedback process anytime I want, perhaps every five minutes, for two whole heartbeats, to cue a very pleasant feeling good physiology which has some real impact on my brain, opening up the higher perceptual centers for high level brainstorming.

I think this physiology is akin to what Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi wrote about in his book called FLOW in 1993.

His book said to me that if we can determine the components of flow, then we can duplicate it on demand, and life flows.

Well, heart rate variability biofeedback gives me a quick and powerful tool to use on any given heart beat to relax my body and open my brain.

(It does not pay any bills, just changes my physiology.)

So now my stress management exercises involve regular thinking and breathing practices, which take as little time as two heart beats (I can feel it!)to change my inner physiology to coherence, and my body gets used to that, and does not tolerate unnecessary stress for long before reminding me to cue my coherence.

I am literally managing my happiness/stress/distress/eustress/eustasis very frequently in short bursts, which takes into account the human orienting response.

Since the discovery of the heart’s own brain, the entire neuroscientific community has had its dogma overturned by the discovery of two capacities of the human brain, called neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.

Both capacities can be enhanced by attending to what are generally being called the ‘pillars of brain fitness’, or physical exercise, nutrition, including lots of omega 3 fatty acid, sleep, stress management, and novel learning experiences.

Neurogenesis is the term used to describe the growth of new neurons every day. However those new neurons do not survive prolonged exposure to stress hormones, which gives added importance to using stress management exercises to maximize the growth of new neurons, which migrate to the memory centers of your brain, making neurogenesis something I want to enhance.

The authors of Brainfit for Life describe this process in great detail.

So my stress management exercises and brain fitness combine with my personal and professional life very easily. Isn’t that having your cake and eating it too?

Michael S. Logan is a brain fitness expert, a counselor, a student of Chi Gong, and licensed one on one HeartMath provider. I enjoy the spiritual, the mythological, and psychological, and I am a late life father to Shane, 10, and Hannah Marie, 4, whose brains are so amazing. http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/stress-management-exercises-1750238.html

Popularity: 13% [?]

Fitness ball exercise is an increasingly popular way to improve your health, strength and flexibility and even lose weight. Fitness balls are also called exercise or stability balls. They are large, sturdy, inflatable balls that you can sit, stretch or roll on. They come in a variety of sizes, which accommodate people of differing heights. They are designed to hold several hundred pounds of weight, but extra powerful ones are also made for extremely obese users.

It may seem unlikely that something as simple as rolling around on a ball, an apparently childlike activity, is going to get you into better shape. These balls have been proven to be highly effective, however. They are especially good at building what is known as core strength, which focuses on your mid-section, the lower back and abdomen. This can improve your posture, balance and flexibility and can also help you overcome back pain, something that afflicts so many people.

You can do many exercises on a fitness ball that you would normally do on an exercise mat, such as sit-ups, crunches and stretches. The stability ball adds a whole new dimension to these workouts, making them far more challenging and beneficial to your body. This also means that you can get your workouts down faster, as they are more intense. Many people also find that they enjoy their workouts more using these balls. There is something playful and freeing about sitting or rolling on a large ball.

People also appreciate exercise balls for their convenience. They can be taken anywhere and used in small spaces, such as a bedroom or office. They are also inexpensive when compared to most home exercise equipment. Stability ball workouts can be tailored to all levels of fitness. You can start gaining benefits simply by sitting on one! This is because the structure of the ball immediately compels you to work on your balance and posture.

Are fitness balls effective as a weight loss tool? Well, you certainly burn calories when you use one, and there are aerobic exercises you can do on them. However, if you want to lose a significant amount of weight, you will probably want to do other exercises as well. Using a fitness ball can increase your ability and even your desire to exercise more in general. By improving your stamina, posture, balance, flexibility and core strength in a relatively short amount of time, you can shift into a more active person in general. You are also less likely to develop injuries when doing other exercises.

Fitness ball exercise is something that can benefit everyone, regardless of age or current fitness level. It is fun, convenient and an extremely efficient way to work your whole body.

Maire Brody writes on many topics, from cultural issues to health and weight loss. Find out more about the benefits of fitness ball exercise.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/fitness-ball-exercise-a-fun-and-effective-way-to-get-in-shape-1751771.html

Popularity: 40% [?]

No matter who you talk to, it seems that everyone is jumping on the band wagon of getting in shape.  There are certain things that a person can do to get in shape and two of the most common ways is by watching what they eat and exercising to either lose weight or tone their body.  Diets come and go and promise to help you to shed some kilograms fast but that will not help you to get your body in shape.

Many people turn to aerobic exercise to help them lose weight and tone their bodies at the same time.  This allows you to use the same muscle groups for a period of time, helping to condition them.  You should be able to carry on a conversation easily when doing aerobics.  You do not want to get out of breath as that means that you are over doing it.  Be sure to check your heart rate often while doing aerobic exercise so that you can quickly see if you’re overdoing it or not trying hard enough.

Another popular form of exercising is anaerobic.  This is the form of exercise that helps a person to build the muscle that they need but it doesn’t help them to lose weight.  This is a form of exercise that focuses on training your muscles to do what you want rather than making your body burn fat.  This will involve such exercises as chin-ups, push-ups, weight lifting, sit ups and squat thrusts.  When a person works on anaerobic exercises, they may find that they may gain a few extra kilos as they put on some muscle.  Even though the scales show that you are a few kilograms heavier you will look much trimmer as you will be turning your fat into muscle.

The type of exercising you choose to do depends on what you want to accomplish.  Some people might prefer to go with aerobic exercise as they want to lose weight and get toned.  This can help them to build up their endurance and burn fat fast.  The goal is to raise your heart rate so that your body will burn the fat.  When you want to build muscle and tone your body without losing weight then you will want to go with anaerobic exercises.

Many people are starting to learn about the benefits of combining the two types of exercise so that they can get the best benefits out of their workouts.  You can tone your body while you lose the excess weight that you have always wanted to lose.  Most people get stuck in yo-yo diets and they find that they lose the weight fast but then it packs right back on once the diet is over.  If you work on your body by cutting back on certain foods that you eat and combining different types of exercises such as anaerobic and aerobic types so you can get your body in shape and drop the weight with ease.

Be sure to talk with your doctor if you are new to doing either of these types of programs so you can be sure that you do not do anything to hurt yourself.  As with any type of exercise program you want to start slow and work your way up.  You will find that you will be building your endurance and your body will be able to do more with less resistance.  If you are looking to lose weight and tone your body while you lose it then you should combine the two types of exercise so that you can get that body you want with ease.

There are plenty of gyms as well as private instructors that can help you combine just the right amount of aerobics and anaerobic exercise so that you can maximize your efforts for the best results.  You can really focus on certain areas of your body such as your legs or your stomach while you help to lose weight over all.  Make sure that you stagger your workouts so that you are doing the aerobics one day and the weight training the next so that you do not over work your muscles, doing more harm than good.

Richard Lane is a qualified remedial and sports massage therapist, providing mobile massage to the Inner West of Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs through Massage Sydney .

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/benefits-of-aerobic-and-anaerobic-exercise-1651339.html

Popularity: 48% [?]

I don’t like to train in gyms for various reasons -which are irrelevant here.
Though ,I have a quite impressive physique,ample energy and stamina and the most important:a vibrant health.

My little “secrets” are my impeccable nutrition plan and of course my efficient way of training which I am going to describe hereunder.

I prefer to train outdoors and I feel lucky that the greek climatic conditions are so mild.When the weather is not so co-operative I use alternative indoor options.

My beloved training place is the small forest of Sheikh Sou (the forest of Sheikh ) which surrounds Thessaloniki.

Training outdoors is strongly beneficial for many reasons some of which are:

- tons of valuable fresh air

- serenity, relaxation and rest for the eyes and the mind
- the beneficial influence of the sun on our moods
- triggering of precious vitamin D production. Lack of adequate vitamin D can negatively impact us in many ways.
- avoidance of crowded gyms. Ample room to move freely
-possibility to execute amazing workouts as hill sprints and other forms of HIIT,otherwise impossible to be performed.

One more good thing is that the needed equipment is minimalistic.

How to efficiently train outdoors

1. You can perform an immense variety of  body-weight exercises targeting all parts of your body.It is a hybrid way of  training:

-very efficient
-exceptionally functional
-both aerobic and anaerobic
- with a very favorable hormonal and metabolic response

2. You can do many forms of  plyometric training

3. You can delve in HIIT-I am a strong advocate of hill sprints

4. And of course there many types of traditional,conventional cardio.

How to efficiently train at home

1.Staircase climbing has a lot of merits

2.You can do all types of body-weight exercises

3. And of course you can have some stunning weights circuit training sessions with dumbbells or kettle bells.

To your health!

Chris Strogilis

Civil engineer with postgraduate studies in MBA and Marketing.
christos@macon.gr
http://maconwaterproofing.blogspot.com/
http://totalfitness-christos.blogspot.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/no-gymno-problemsome-outstanding-workout-routines-1656511.html

Popularity: 65% [?]

If you look around the gym, it is easy to spot the people that train with a lot of intensity. Training with maximum intensity will literally force your muscles to grow, it leaves them no choice.

The back leg should be used to push off to the next step, working the glutes and hamstrings. As the forward leg is handling most of the stress as it relates to movement, the backward leg is handling the duties of stabilizing the Hips and Torso against Lateral and Rotational forces. This also makes the Lunge a wonderful exercise for developing static balance as well as reactionary balance.

Execution of the lunge has a lot of similarities to walking, but the movements are more deliberate and conscience. We are going to walk through the process to execute a Forward Lunge. While standing, take an exaggerated step forward. With your forward leg in position, you need to start to sink down to the ground trying to get as close to the floor as your body will allow you. Your upper body should be in a straight upright position and not leaning forward, backward, or either side. Once you start to sink into the movement, be sure allow your back knee flex and the heel of your back leg to come off the ground. If done correctly your back and front legs should look identical to each other and your overall position should resemble an exaggerated step. Press equally through the heel of your front leg and toes of your back leg and return to a standing position to repeat another repetition.

The lunge requires a lot of effort and allows for a less restricted movement than the squat. This results in the ability of the trainee to move in all 3 cardinal planes of movement (sagittal, frontal, transverse). Each variation of the lunges listed below can be done in any of the three planes of motion.

There are a variety of lunges, some of which can be combined (e.g. a dumbbell jump lunge):
* Power lifting Lunge, the bar is held anywhere over the back of the neck.
* In the barbell back lunge, a barbell is held across the upper back.
* In the barbell front lunge, the weight (usually a barbell) is held in front of the body across the clavicles and deltoids in either an Olympic grip, as is used in weightlifting, or with the arms crossed and hands placed on top of the barbell.
* In the overhead lunge, a barbell is held overhead in a wide-arm snatch grip; however, it is also possible to use a closer grip if flexibility allows.
* In the dumbbell lunge, the weight may be held hanging from the side (suitcase position), vertically at the chest (goblet position), or above the head with the arms extended (waiter position).
* In the dumbbell front squat, rest the weights on the shoulders.
* In the Zercher Lunge, the weight is held in the crook of the elbows against the chest.
* The jump lunge is a plyometric exercise where the trainee jumps off the floor at the top of the lift. The lunge also has a number of commonly specified depths that are very similar to the squat. Refer to the article on Squats for further detail.

When applying Lunge to your training, it is best to start with   body weight if you have no experience or an experienced trainer/coach to help you with weighted variations. Take special care if you have had any low back, knee or ankle injuries when loading and positioning for your lunge. To lessen the risk of injury, be sure proper form and posture is used to protect these joints.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/add-lunges-to-your-lower-body-workout-for-great-results-1126580.html

Popularity: 100% [?]