| Relaxation Tip of the Week
Take Care of Your Body
Exercise regularly. Monitor your intake of
sugar, salt, caffeine, and alcohol.
(from Ten Strategies for Mastering
Stress, by Joel Levey and Michelle Levey)
Exercise to Balance Post-Holiday Letdown
by Bryan Brewer, Producer, Self-Guided.com
Now that the excitement (and possible excesses) of the winter holidays are behind us,
you may notice a tendency to "let down" as we progress through the long
season of winter here in the northern hemisphere.
You may notice that you don't have as much energy.
You may find that you want to sleep more. You may discover that it is hard to
keep New Year's resolutions you made so passionately just a few weeks ago.
This letdown response is a natural one. It's
one way your body releases tension after periods of more intense emotions and activity.
In one sense, it's important not to try to directly
resist these tendencies. Winter, after all, is the natural time for "going into
the cave."
At the same time, this letdown response can lead to
things such as undue lethargy, unhealthy habits (however you define that), and
weight gain.
The good news is that you have a great tool to
balance these tendencies: Exercise.
Getting and staying on a good exercise program is
especially important at this time of year. It will literally help you stay healthy
and balanced at this low-energy point in the natural cycle of the year.
In their book Living in Balance, Joel and
Michelle Levey remind us of a few of the basics of a balanced personal exercise program.
Here's a summary of their main points:
- Exercise thirty minutes per day
at least five days per week.
- Find an activity (or variety of
activities) that you enjoy.
- Take your pick: solo or social?
- Make some of your exercise
aerobic.
- Be strong, inside and out.
- Develop flexibility.
- Pick a theme for your workout.
You can get more details in their book and from other
resources, as well. The important thing is to simply "do it."
Best wishes for a healthy winter season.
Bryan Brewer
Producer
Self-Guided.com
bryanb@self-guided.com
Quote of the Week
"Those who think they have not time for bodily
exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
-- Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, speech (1873)
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