Posted August 30, 2011 by
Samer H.
We live in a stress filled world. From the beginning of our lives we must worry about pleasing our parents, maintaining relationships with siblings and friends, trying to decide which desert we want tonight. As we age our concerns change a bit, perhaps vanilla or chocolate is not as difficult a decision (although sometimes it still is) but figuring out how to pay bills, find oneself, figure out a career, continue to maintain those relationships with friends, family and now perhaps a significant other. As we go forward many of us struggle to take care of a family while taking care of ourselves. With more knowledge only comes more questions as we strive to understand the increasingly connected yet still unknown world. Whether it is global warming, terrorism, or an approaching hurricane the world never fails to supply us with something to worry about.
But, we've also been given a great tool for dealing with this stress, our bodies. There are mental as well as physical benefits to be gained from regular exercise. For example, we know that exercise will release endorphins into your body giving you a brief feeling of euphoria. We also know that intense exercise often leads to a meditative state when you forget the problems you usually fill your mind with and focus on a game, a workout or getting through that next rep. Regular exercise will also promotes self-esteem, and who can't use a little boost in that every once in a while?
Beyond what may now be the common knowledge mental and physical benefits of exercise is a new understanding of how our bodies function. Samer recently wrote about how daily exercise can increase average life spans by over over 3 years. Many studies in the last few years have also focused on the neurological effects of physical activity and how these link to stress. One such study conducted on rats found that cells born from running [are] buffered from exposure to a stressful experience. It seems that exposing yourself to a controlled stressful situation can help you deal with those times when you arent in control. A workout is therefore a preventative measure and not simply a remedy.
Courtesy Jessica Foley
How much exercise is enough? Truthfully no one knows, and I think this is largely due to the fact that everyone experiences stress from difference sources and in different ways. The studies linked to above do note that you wont see results overnight and that somewhere between the 3 and 6 week mark you may begin to notice a change as your body rewires itself.
So should I recommend 15 minutes of semi-rigorous exercise a day? Or an hour and 15 minutes of intense exercise a week? After a rough day a nice run might be enough to clear your mind and brighten you up for the rest of the week. Since the hard science is still out on this Ill make it simple and say keep your Fitness Level in the 4-8 range at a minimum.
But, we've also been given a great tool for dealing with this stress, our bodies. There are mental as well as physical benefits to be gained from regular exercise. For example, we know that exercise will release endorphins into your body giving you a brief feeling of euphoria. We also know that intense exercise often leads to a meditative state when you forget the problems you usually fill your mind with and focus on a game, a workout or getting through that next rep. Regular exercise will also promotes self-esteem, and who can't use a little boost in that every once in a while?
Beyond what may now be the common knowledge mental and physical benefits of exercise is a new understanding of how our bodies function. Samer recently wrote about how daily exercise can increase average life spans by over over 3 years. Many studies in the last few years have also focused on the neurological effects of physical activity and how these link to stress. One such study conducted on rats found that cells born from running [are] buffered from exposure to a stressful experience. It seems that exposing yourself to a controlled stressful situation can help you deal with those times when you arent in control. A workout is therefore a preventative measure and not simply a remedy.
Courtesy Jessica Foley
How much exercise is enough? Truthfully no one knows, and I think this is largely due to the fact that everyone experiences stress from difference sources and in different ways. The studies linked to above do note that you wont see results overnight and that somewhere between the 3 and 6 week mark you may begin to notice a change as your body rewires itself.
So should I recommend 15 minutes of semi-rigorous exercise a day? Or an hour and 15 minutes of intense exercise a week? After a rough day a nice run might be enough to clear your mind and brighten you up for the rest of the week. Since the hard science is still out on this Ill make it simple and say keep your Fitness Level in the 4-8 range at a minimum.
Posted in: Health
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