Exercise is supposed to make us feel good. Multiple studies have proven that working out may boost our immune system and reduce stress. It can bring down cortisol levels, which are known to be elevated during stress, while also increasing endorphin release, which is the feel-good-hormone. Aerobics, they say, is highly advisable if you want to reduce stress and eventually burn fat.
If you’ve missed the 1st part of this post click here.
#2: Does exercising make you feel good?
I still remember the times I did aerobics, step aerobics and the likes. I was a student then and enjoyed burning calories while moving to music. I craved for a feeling of physical exhaustion after each class and sometimes even went for a jog on the same day.
Looking at it in retrospect, I definitely suffered from symptoms of over-training. I was always in action and never stood still. I had been obsessed with the thought that if I didn’t work out at least four to five times a week, I would start gaining weight. Work-outs had become a major stressor. And I was clearly and addictively mistaken.
Interestingly, exercising too much can deal a serious blow to your health. One sign of over-training may actually be gaining fat.
In a place like Lagos the stress level generally is very high. We do encounter multiple stressors on a daily basis. Eko has a way of getting to you. This week, just the thought of leaving the house caused millions of people major stress: cueing at petrol stations for 9 hours or more, traffic jams restricting our movement, outrageous fares for public transport, overcrowding and generator noise, just to mention a few obvious sources of stress. And on top of that we still experience challenges at home and the workplace. It is only once we break down, fall sick or take a break that we realize how much we have been under stress.
Stress is cumulative. It is anything that triggers our adrenal glands to produce more of its stress hormones. Diet, personal as well as environmental stressors, digestive challenges or exercise can cause your body to produce more of these hormones.
In addition vanity pays its price: We have to be trim and beautiful, ageless and en vogue. Wahala don’ start! We attend Zumba classes five times a week, hold executive positions and have families. I beg ooohhh.
Aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, swimming and dancing at moderate intensity is generally stress reducing. But if you are already in an exhausted state due to all the stress taxing your body, this form of exercise can work against you and losing weight may become an impossible task.
Exercise, generally, is not a cure-all! Your current health and fitness level, along with the amount of stress in your life, may dictate the need for a low intensity workout.
Identifying where the stress is coming from is critical. If you’ve only focused on steps to reduce mental stress and overlooked other types of stress, it could be the reason why your weight is stagnant. The key is to identify where the stress is coming from and then reduce it.
Yoga helps you decrease stress and lose weight. Apart from reported overall well-being and fitness all of my clients react positively to gentle stretches and breathing exercises. Several ladies have lost at least 2-3 kgs within a period of 8-10 weeks.
Yoga is challenging as well as it is gentle. Lagos requires us to be more gentle and good to ourselves. Yoga can help you be calm, peaceful and tranquil. Multiple standing and sitting poses allow us to reconnect with our bodies in order to release the urgency of the present.
Chi’s Yoga helps you appreciate and possibly enjoy the very moment.
You are blessed.
Chi
Chi’s Yoga – Your yoga is yours only!™
Read the 3rd and last part of this post on weight-loss here.
