Combat Stress with Exercise

This April, health care professionals and health experts from all over the country come together to increase awareness about the risks associated with chronic stress. It’s Stress Awareness Month and as part of this campaign, experts promote stress management techniques to help combat this modern day epidemic. According to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, we are significantly more stressed now than we were 25 years ago. The economic pressures are greater and we are continually ‘plugged in’ to the demands of technology. If not managed, chronic stress can cause our bodies to suffer, resulting in serious health issues such as:

• Obesity
• Headaches
• Heart Disease
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Gastrointestinal problems

Fortunately there are many stress managements techniques to combat these health issues. Getting enough exercise is one of the most effective.  Physical exercise utilizes abundant stress hormones and metabolizes excess glucose before it can be stored as fat.  As a bonus the body releases endorphins after we work out.  These ‘feel good’ hormones lift our spirits and provide a sense of well-being. Exercise is also an effective relaxation technique as it releases muscle tension and takes the mind off of worries.  It is said that a person always leaves the gym happier than when they came in.  As a personal trainer, I witnessed this time and time again.  My clients would often begin the session talking about their frustrations and worries from the day but with each weight repetition the conversation became positive and light hearted. According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of personal trainers and instructors is projected to grow 13 percent from 2012 to 2022.  The combined efforts, of the country’s health experts, to bring awareness to the effects of stress and it’s cures plays a vital part in this growth.  Incentives to join fitness centers is expected to increase the need for personal trainers and instructors as businesses, government, and insurance organizations continue to recognize the stress fighting benefits of health and fitness programs for their employees,. Now is the perfect opportunity to join the ranks of health experts as a Personal Trainer.  Not only will you help bring awareness to the issues related to stress but you can make a real difference in the daily lives of your clients.