Let's Get Physical

Are you old enough to remember the music video, “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton John? If not, it’s a fantasy about overweight men going into the gym in hopes of getting in shape so they can get lucky with hot athletic women. We guys are so gullible. I knew a lot of guys who saw that video and then, hoping it would work for them, joined aerobic classes at their local gyms. I’m not sure if it ever really worked for them. I think they had other issues. I’m not sure if the potential for romance is a primary reason you’d change your exercise habits, but here are some definite benefits science has found associated with individuals who exercise on a regular basis.

· Reduces risk of Heart Attack
· Reduces susceptibility to stroke, Alzheimer’s, ALS, and other neurological disorders
· Lowers Blood Pressure, bad cholesterol, blood sugar, and inflammation
· Reduces stress
· Improves ability to withstand long-term exposure to stress
· Slows the aging process
· Relaxes tense muscles
· Improves sleep
· Improves blood flow and oxygen to the brain necessary for all intellectual activities
· Reduces fatigue and improves stamina
· Improves memory recall
· Releases endorphins into the blood stream that creates a positive sense of well-being
· Creates new brain cells, repairs damaged ones, and keeps others from deteriorating without stem cell therapy.

My own research showed that fit individuals who exercise regularly were better able to perform intellectual and fine-motor physical activities under stressful conditions. It is why children with test anxiety, individuals with stage fright, performance artists, competitive athletes, business professionals and every day people who experience mild to major stresses in their lives perform better in their chosen field or endeavor just by altering their response to stress through regular exercise.

I know, I know! You don’t have time for exercise. You don’t like exercise. You’re too tired. Even if you do want to exercise, you are so busy you forget until you’re in bed. Well, you don’t have to belong to a gym. You don’t need special clothes. You don’t have to spend hours a day to experience benefits of exercise. Here are just a few guidelines and suggestions to get you started.
1. If you haven’t exercised in a while or are unsure about your health see a physician to get approval.
2. Take Baby steps. The goal is to get up to at least 30-40 minutes a day, 3-5 times per week. You may only be able to do 5 – 10 minutes at a time. Start slow and build up over time. If you don’t have time, just get up from your desk or whatever several times a day while at work and walk in place for a minute, stretch, or do some happy penguins. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car farther from your office, mall, or store. These last suggestions help you release stress hormones immediately when in adverse or pressured situations if completed as soon as the stress starts or immediately thereafter.

3. Do something you enjoy. Walking is a great exercise. You don’t have to kill yourself doing it. Walk just fast enough to get your heart pumping slightly. Increase your rate as your body is able to handle more. Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and water aerobics are other great activities, so is golf, tennis, bowling, bad mitten, and gardening – anything that gets your heart pumping and deepens your breathing. Surely you enjoy something other sitting and watching television.

Remember, the goal is to have fun doing something you enjoy that also reduces your susceptibility to the ravages of stress and improves your health. Exercise removes or inhibits the build-up of toxic stress hormones because it causes you to breathe deeply and fully, sweat, and because it speeds up all of your processes, urinate, whizz, pee, wee (as the British would say) or take a leak (how’s that Debbie). Ninety percent of all stress hormones are removed from the body through extended deep, slow rhythmical breaths. The other ten per cent are removed through sweating and urination.

So, let’s get physical.