Can you really find relaxation during exercise? Aerobic activity has a great method of eliminating stress. It also benefits our immune system in so many ways.

Our immune system is a network of tissues, cells and organs. Its job is to keep out germs like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites and then deals with them if they manage to get in. If it senses something in your body that could be bad for you, it triggers the release of special fighter cells. These travel to where the trouble is, attack the intruder, and help get rid of it.

When we sweat this stops invaders from getting into our bodies. While pushing away dirt and germs sweat also has enzymes that can kill bacteria.

Greater amounts of physical activity during the day are associated with lower risk of dying from cancer, according to a study published online June 18, 2020, by JAMA Oncology.

The study involved about 8,000 people average age 70, who did not have a cancer diagnosis. Each wore an accelerometer on the hip during waking hours for a week to collect movement data.

At the five-year follow-up, the researchers found an association between lower daily activity and greater risk of dying from cancer. Over all, the more people moved during the day, the lower their risk. In fact, the most sedentary individuals, who, as a group, were inactive an average of 11 hours out of a 16-hour day, had an 83% higher risk of cancer death compared with the least sedentary people.

The study did not tract specific types of movement, like the number of steps or particular exercises. Still, the researchers suggested that adding at least 30 minutes of any kind of activity throughout the day might help counter the potential danger from too much sitting.

Aerobic exercise is key for your thinking, just as it is for your heart. You may not agree at first; indeed, the first steps are the hardest, and in the beginning, exercise will be more work than fun. But as you get into shape, you will begin to tolerate exercise, then enjoy it, and finally depend upon it.

Autoregulation Exercise

Regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. It is a common experience amount endurance athletes and has been verified in clinical trials that have successfully used exercise to treat anxiety disorders and clinical depression. If athletes and patients and has been verified in clinical trials that have successfully used exercise to treat anxiety disorders and clinical depression. If athletes and patients can derive psychological benefits from exercise, so can you.

How can exercise contend with problems as difficult as anxiety and depression? There are several explanations, some chemical, others behavioral.

The mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis. Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high” and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts. Or, at least, the hot shower after your exercise is over.

Behavioral factors also contribute to the emotional benefits of exercise. As your waistline shrinks and your strength and stamina increase your self-image will improve. You will earn a sense of mastery and control, of pride and self-confidence. Your renewed vigor and energy will help you succeed in many tasks, and the discipline of regular exercise will help you achieve other important lifestyle goals.

Exercise and sports also provide opportunities to get away from it all and to either enjoy some solitude or to make friends and build networks. Exercise is play and recreation; when your body is busy, your mind will be distracted from the worries of daily life and will be free to think creatively.

Almost any type of exercise will help. Many people find that using large muscle group in a rhythmic, repetitive works best; call it “muscular meditation,” and you will begin to understand how it works. Walking and jogging are prime examples. Even a simple 20-minute stroll can clear the mind and reduce stress. But some people prefer vigorous workouts that burn stress along with calories. That is one reason ellipticals are so popular. And the same stretching exercises that help relax your muscles after a hard workout will help relax your mind as well.

Regular physical activity keeps you healthy as it reduces stress. But another special sort of exercise known as autoregulation exercise can also reduce stress.

Stress comes in many forms and produces many symptoms. Mental symptoms range from worry and irritability to restlessness and insomnia, anger and hostility, or sensations of dread, foreboding, even panic.

Mental stress can also produce physical symptoms. Muscles are tense, resulting in fidgetiness, taut facial expressions, headaches, or neck and back pain. The mouth is dry, producing unquenchable thirst or perhaps the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes swallowing difficult. Clenched jaw muscles can produce jaw pain and headaches. the skin can be pale, sweaty, and clammy. Intestinal symptoms range from “butterflies” to heartburn, cramps , or diarrhea. Frequent urination may be a bother. A pounding pulse is common, as is chest tightness. Rapid breathing is also typical and may be accompanied by sighing or repetitive coughing. In extreme cases, hyperventilation can lead to tingling of the face and fingers, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, and even fainting.

By gaining insight into the root cause of stress is emotional, reducing life problems that trigger stress, and modifying behavior. But stress control can, and should, also involve the body. Aerobic exercise is one approach; physical fitness will help promote mental fitness. But there is another approach; you can learn to use your mind to relax your body. The relaxed body will, in turn, send signals of calm and control that help reduce mental tension.

Before Breakfast

There is a best time of day to exercise. Many studies have discovered that before breakfast is the best time to engage in exercise. You can burn up to TWICE as much fat doing that, compared to if you exercise any other time of day! That is according to research to research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

For the study, a group of overweight people were monitored for six weeks, while they all followed identical diets and exercise routines. The only difference was that some people exercised before eating breakfast, while others exercised after eating. And by the end of the study, those who exercised before eating burned much more fat!

Exercising before eating also helped the study subjects maintain steady blood sugar throughout the day.

And researchers say you can get those health results without making ANY changes to your diet or exercise routine. Instead, all that matters is the timing of your exercise. And based on this study, the best time is in the morning, before you eat breakfast.

Except during illness, you should exercise nearly every day. That doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym or training for a marathon. But it does mean 30 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking or 15 to 20 minutes of vigorous exercise. More is even better, but the first steps provide the most benefit. Aim to walk at least two miles a day, working up to that slowly. You don’t have to do it all at once. Break it up in 10 to 15 minute chunks.

Add a little strength training and stretching two to three times a week, and you will have an excellent, balanced program for health and stress reduction.

In previous articles in my website I have mentioned the next best thing to outside exercise. My favorite fitness trainers are Karen Voight and Joel Harper. Both have excellent DVD’s to do at home. And they are effective. Check them out.

I Wish You all a HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON! And the BEST in the NEW YEAR!