Stress Less

Stress Less
Stress has become an epidemic in today's world, especially for Americans, who feel increased pressure to be successful in both career and family with too little time to do both. While stress is uncomfortable in and of itself, it can also contribute to illness and disease by overtaxing your body and sabotaging your immune system.

Three or four improvised poses, whenever you can find the time, go a long way towards providing you with the benefits of yoga, even when you can't commit to a full practice. Also, high levels of stress can translate into many undesirable effects, including panic attacks. Anusara yoga founder John Friend makes some general recommendations on how to avoid and reduce panic attacks. Finally, a healthy diet can fight the effects of stress by bolstering the immune system and lowering blood pressure. Individual foods that are high in vitamins and minerals can combat stress as well, even reducing levels of stress hormones.

What's Your Real Age?

This test takes about ten minutes, but is really eye opening and once you have your results, you will get suggestions and strategies for decreasing your "Real Age"

http://www.realage.com/landing/entry39?kw=ist

Watermelon is Good for you!

From Dr. Oz's Real Age Site: Drop your blood pressure down a few notches by enjoying this pink, juicy picnic treat more often: watermelon. Turns out watermelon is loaded with an amino acid called L-citrulline. And in a small study of prehypertensive people, this compound helped improve circulation and lowered people's systolic blood pressure by as much as 9 points. Pretty sweet!

Why You Need Yoga: Psychological Benefits

Reduces Stress! Stress doesn't cause pain on its own, but it can drain your health in a number of ways. It ages you faster, weakens your immune system, increases your blood pressure, and makes it harder to control your weight because stress often leads to unhealthy food choices. Calming poses include those with forward bending.

Fights Depression! Yoga is not only about relaxation- It can also lift you out of a slump! Those with depression who added Yoga classes 3 times a week felt less depressed, anxious and angry. Yoga helps produce serotonin, a natural antidepressant, and reduces cortisol, a stress hormone that is elevated in those with depression. Energizing poses include those with standing heart opening poses and twists.

What is Yoga?

What is Yoga? The official definition is to connect, join or balance. Has its root in Hinduism, much different than the Yoga most of us practice here in the US. Yoga to me is more like physical therapy, stretching and strengthening opposing muscle groups, breathing and relaxing. Adequate sleep and exercise, and a nutrient-rich diet all boost the body's stress-coping abilities.  Regularly practicing Yoga will help your body cope better with the physical effects of stress. 

Well Day Fitness is all about helping others create and nurture a healthy lifestyle one WELL DAY at a time! I'd love to have you along for the ride, I promise you won't be overloaded with information, just quick, concise tips and ideas you can apply to your life as you seek to live YOUR life to the fullest!

The Basics of Yoga

Every Yoga Class Should Contain These Elements:

v  Breathing/meditation/Relaxation: This is the central element to the Yoga class.

v  Stretching Poses/Flexibility: Increased range of motion and mobility! Injury Prevention! A flexible body is less prone to injuries because it can withstand physical stress. Everyone should stretch regularly as part of their general fitness. Yoga stretches not only the muscles, but also the joints. Yoga prevents muscle soreness & promotes recovery from weight training and  other sports activities

v  Balance/Strength: Balance poses improve coordination, increase strength and develop stability. You will become stronger and better coordinated. As people age, improved stability and balance results in fewer injuries from falling and sports related activities.