The benefits of exercise are well known. Exercise helps to promote good health and prevent disease. Exercise is important to build strength, flexibility and stamina, reduce fatigue, improve alertness and concentration as well as helping the body deal with stress. It can also help to improve sleep patterns and mood. Exercise is one of the easiest things you can do to improve wellbeing and to get that extra physical glow. Exercise is a fabulous stress buster. When you exercise you release endorphins, also known as feel-good hormones. Did you know that it also helps to reduce adrenaline and cortisol, those unwanted stress hormones in the body?

What are some of the other benefits of exercise?

By exercising you can improve your quality of life, long term weight loss goals and provide unique and significant health-related benefits which may include:

• Reduction in cardiovascular risk
• Resolve or manage Type II Diabetes
• Help to manage asthma
• Reduce hypertension
• Reduce cholesterol
• Help to resolve gastric reflux disease
• Migraines
• Depression
• Menstrual dysfunction
• Degenerative joint disease
• Reduce the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

How can I get started on a regular exercise practice?

It’s important that you exercise within your fitness capacities, needs and interests. If you haven’t exercised for a long time it may be necessary to get a health check with your doctor. Start slowly if you haven’t exercised for a while. Walking is a great way to get started and you can do it at your own pace. Exercising regularly is important. To get you going, you can include short periods of moderate intensity activity of 5 to 10 minutes. You can complete a lot of exercise just by doing some basic daily activities such as:

• Wash the car by hand
• Walk to the local store, train station or work (if possible) or if not drive but park a few blocks away, get off the bus/train one stop earlier and walk the rest
• Cleaning the house (it’s got to be done, anyway)
• Walk the dog (he’ll love you for it)
• Do some gardening (such as mowing the lawn, sweeping up the leaves, pruning back some bushes), maybe tend a fresh vegetable patch
• Take the stairs instead of the lift
• Try a new sport or go back to one you used to play
• Do some simple exercises while waiting for your dinner to cook.

Aim to reach 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, 3 to 6 times per week. This can include activities such as brisk walking, swimming, hiking, stair-climbing, aerobic exercise, jogging, bicycling, rowing, tennis or basketball. Stress is a part of the fast and modern lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to get the better of you.

Do you want to find out more about Stress Management?

Introducing Janne Ramsay Naturopath

Janne Ramsay is a Naturopath and Nutritionist. She has experience in assessing how stress is effecting your health and providing appropriate and individual nutritional, dietary and lifestyle recommendations so that you can deal with the causes and symptoms of stress and get back to a healthier you. Find out more about Janne here