By Tim Dailing
I have always been interested in the mind/body connection and how they can effect each other. From past experience I have seen how mental stress can make the physical body ill. The quote “Some people feel the rain, others simply get” is credited to Bob Marley, and it has taken some digestion and thought to come to my conclusion what Mr. Marley was talking about. I believe he was talking about our mental outlook- how do we view things? Even the rain; is it viewed as some annoyance that interferes with our daily life, or is it seen as part of nature that nourishes plants, animals, and a life giving source needed for survival? We will all face some low points in life and even possibly depression or anxiety, but medications/prescriptions are not the only answer. Physical activity can definitely ease symptoms of depression or anxiety and make you feel better. Exercise may also prevent anxiety or depression from coming back once you are feeling better.
How does exercise help depression and anxiety?
- Releases feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters, endorphins, and endocannabinoids)
- Reduces immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
- Increase your body temperature which can have a calming effect
- Takes your mind off worries – exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression
Living in Florida we can see a lot of rain, especially during hurricane season, and the rain was starting to get to me. It was causing a longer commute time, taking the dog out in the rain which was a messy chore, and the beach wasn’t an option; so i took a group fitness class with one of my favorite instructors and felt my stress melt away and a sense of peace and calm came to me, as i exited the class it was raining, but this time “I felt the rain”.
The Push-up is the most basic exercise you can do that will benefit just about your entire body. It is a standard exercise that requires only yourself and works almost every muscle in your upper body while building strength and endurance as well. As beneficial as the push up is, there is one question about this exercise that has probably crossed everyone’s mind, and that is how much weight are you really lifting?
There have been multiple studies to see how much weight is actually being lifted, because if you’re like me, you just assume you are lifting your body weight. While this is partially true, you are actually only lifting a percentage of your body weight, about 70% to be exact. The percentage can change if you modify your push-up, but you’re still pushing about the same weight; depending on the modification. For example if you were to do a modified push-up, with your knees on the ground, you would be using less body percentage of your body weight. If you’re looking to gain more muscle and add more weight, you can do other modifications that will increase your intensity like doing push-up at incline or with weights added to the exercise.
Next time you’re pursuing push-ups in your exercises, think about if you want to try and modify it by adding resistance or weights. Get the most out of your exercise to benefit your body and mind.
Now that the kids are back in school, it is time to start focusing on your own goals heading into the fall season. After a rough summer of rambunctious kids, sleepovers, and entertaining, YOU can take you’re personal time back, and receive the results that you have always envisioned. To give you a kick start, Definition Fitness is helping you put the F.I.T.T.C acronym to use. A solid workout and a friendly challenge will make getting into shape, the most fun and rewarding gym experience of the year.
– Frequency of your workouts!
– Intensity of your workouts!
– Times attended!
– Type of workout!
– Challenge YOURSELF!
So of course with this upcoming event being all about challenging you, through frequency, intensity, time and type of completed workout, we have challenged each and every person to do an additional timed circuit a week. This challenge will go all the way through the month of September. As with anything, the client with the fastest time overall will be rewarded for their accomplishments. Clients may redo each circuit as many times as they want, to receive a desired time; however, once the circuit week has ended that circuit can no longer be redone.
Week #1 – No Nonsense Circuit
Jumping Jack 50
Lunges 30
Squat Jumps 20
Alternate Lunges (each leg) 20
Burpees 20
Mountain Climbers 30
Crunches 50
Week #2 – Get in Military Shape
Push Up 25
Body Weight 25
Pull downs 25
Military press 25
Lunges 25
Bicep curls 25
Triceps extensions 25
Crunches 50
Week #3 – Captain America
Running in place 60 sects
Rotating Punches 80
Knee Tucks Jumps 10
Sit Ups 20
Butt Ups 10
Raised Leg Circles 10
Push Ups 10
Back Extensions 10
