Exercise Relieves Stress

Everyone has felt that metaphorical pile of stress on our back that pushes our posture forward and stiffens our shoulder muscles into painful knots. Exercise is the most natural process to slow down the adrenal glands and relieve the body of any toxic chemicals that can provoke distress. 

Understand that even a bit of exercise is better than nothing at all. Workout at any level will enhance your mood and amp up your energy for a more creative day. 

Here are seven ways exercise can relieve stress: 
Heard of the runner’s high? After long periods of high-intensity exercise, endorphins are released from the brain provoking us to feel happy. They are nature’s painkillers and are normally at their peak about one hour after the exercising. These endorphins are your mood elevators and are crucial to working against cortisol, the stress inducing hormone. 

When an individual does not have an outlet to vent out frustration, it piles up inside the body. Left untreated, frustration built up can result in: 

•         Anxiety
•         Panic
•         Other mental or emotional disorders

Exercise can be that vent which can be used to release stresses and frustration. Give yourself the freedom to express yourself when exercising. 

Research confirms that engaging in daily exercise can improve your sleeping habits. If you struggle to sleep at night and can’t focus because you are just too exhausted, that means the body’s inner clock is disturbed and your sleep patterns are thrown out of balance. Exercise can change this pattern of behaviour, making you feel less stressed and more in control of your life. 

Engaging in daily exercise will tone your body and help you to lose undesired weight. When you look healthy, you feel better, and that feeling will surely boost your self-confidence. If you are stressed about your appearance or because of a fat gain, the workout is all that is required to encourage you to raise your self-esteem.  

After a tiring day at work or dealing with regular stressors are part of life, exercise can be an efficient way to free your mind. By taking a walk or a jog in the park, you’ll be surprised to know how the simple switch of scenery linked with exercise can help to calm your mind. Also, a normal run on a treadmill can calm your mind and relieve stress, as the rhythmic running can help focus and clear your mind. 

Cortisol is a hormone that is released in your body when you are undergoing stress. If your body does not utilize hormones properly, they can cause irritability and eventually even put you at risk for stress-related disorders. Exercising helps the body to absorb cortisol, hence lowering cortisol levels, which leads to a decrease in stress. 

Consistent exercise helps to counter cold and viral infections. During bodily movement, immune cells circulate faster and are strengthened to fight toxins. Our immune system grows healthier with exercise just like our muscles. Keeping your immune system fit helps to keep levels of stress down by shielding illness which may cost time away from work, family, or friends. 

We all know that a regular dose of exercise is healthy, but many of us are too busy and tensed to consider implementing an exercise cycle into our lives. Engaging in routine exercise not only has fitness benefits but also is a healthful way to manage day to day stress. Exercise is a low cost, natural stress management method that has a variety of both physical and mental advantages. If you are in good shape you can start exercising today, if you have medical conditions, consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine.

Sources: Mayo Clinic, NaturalNews.com and ShareCare.com

Amazing Benefits of Turmeric:

Indians have known the magical properties of turmeric since ages.Imagine any Indian curry without using turmeric? If your grandma used a pinch of this in her cooking every day, it was for a good reason. This bright yellow aromatic powder obtained from the roots of the plant of a Ginger family has a distinctly earthly, slightly bitter,hot peppery flavour and a mustardy smell. Many traditions and ayurveda consider turmeric as a holy powder, owing to it’s medicinal properties. 

Amazing benefits of turmeric

Curcumin, an antioxidant, is a potent active ingredient present in turmeric, which gives it it’s yellow-orange colour with a lot of health benefits. 

Anti-inflammatory:

It prevents conditions such as asthama, allergies,rheumatoid, autoimmune disease and heart disease without the side effect of drug. Even studies show that osteoarthritis patients who consumed 200 mg of curcumin a day to their treatment plan experienced lesser pain and increased mobility. 

Anti cancer:

Turmeric prevents, slows and kills the growth of various types of cancer, particularly tumors of the oesophagus, mouth,intestine, stomach, breast and skin. It helps the body to destroy mutated cancer cells to prevent them from spreading across the other parts of the body. 

Immune system booster:

A change in seasons might leave you catching for those over the counter medicines. But taking too many medicines can actually make your immune system respond less towards them and weaken the natural ability to heal. But this superhero turmeric fights bacterial and viral infections and cleanses your blood through improved digestion. Known to be 5 to 8 times stronger than Vitamins C and E, when taken along with black pepper,the body absorption is increased greatly. 

Alzheimer’s prevention:

Turmeric removes the amyloyd plague build up in the brain which improves the overall brain health, preventing or slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s. 

Skin food:

Turmeric cleanses and provides nourishment to the skin,helping maintain it’s elasticity and radiance. It helps in slowing down the growth of facial hair, a problem faced by most of the women. It also helps treating dandruff and dry scalp itching. It has an amazing capability to lighten the stretch marks formed as a result of changes in the body. 

Helps in weight loss:

Liver is the organ responsible for burning of fat in your body. When liver gets damaged, the process of detoxification slows down. Turmeric helps in detoxification of the liver and protect the cells from damage caused due to pollutants in the environment or free radicals. It even reduces cholesterol levels and benefit weight loss by reducing adipose tissue weight gain. 

How can you use it?

1. Spice it: Beyond just curries, turmeric powder can be added to any food or drink to add spice and colour. Just a pinch will do.But cooking the spice for a long time may make it lose its medicinal value! 
2. Pickle it: The root could be used directly to derive maximum benefit by making it into a pickle. 
3. Apply it: As a paste or salve to skin wounds, bites,inflammation. 

Exercise Guide: The Best Time to Exercise for a Good Night’s Sleep!

Exercising is the best way to relieve stress. Whether you are hitting the gym or just going out for a jog, working out is one aspect of your daily routine you cannot afford to compromise on. As you grow older it becomes harder and harder to go through an entire night of peaceful slumber. Just 30 minutes of flexing those muscles will help you sleep better. 

But here’s the thing, just exercising is not enough, you also need to exercise at the right time. So what is the right time? Is it early morning right before breakfast or at night right after you get off work? Everyone prefers a different time to exercise. This depends on their daily routine, their ability to wake up in the morning and a few other factors. I have jotted down the pros and cons of exercising at different times of the day. 

Exercise at the break of dawn

Morning is the best time to start burning calories. People who exercise in the morning tend to be more productive throughout the day. Stats also suggest that you burn calories 20% faster if you exercise on an empty stomach, another plus point of working out first thing in the morning. There are a number of commitments, urgent meetings or fun gigs that might pop up in the evening, this hampers your workout time. Working out first thing in the morning helps you finish off the most important part of your day in no time. 

When you exercise in the morning your temperature rises and metabolism is boosted throughout the day, thus keeping you energetic and ready to move. 7 a.am is the best time to hit the gym or the park as it is less crowded and filled with dedicated people ready boost their metabolism. 

Are you a noon person?

Apart from Exercise and Sleep, Hormones also play a crucial role in maintaining your weight and keeping your health in check. Testosterone is one hormone that helps build your muscles and is present in both men and women. Your body releases the most testosterone throughout an afternoon workout than one in the morning. Another great thing about exercising in the afternoon is that your body is replenished since you have been eating and drinking throughout the day. As the day goes by your body temperature starts to increase, which makes muscle endurance and strength the best during this time. Your heart rate and blood pressure are lowest at this time. A great combination of all these aspects enhances your overall performance and reduces the chances of injury.

Morning workouts are not an option for everyone.  It could either be unpredictable work schedules or simply the fact that you are just not a morning person. One of the main reasons night workouts are not recommended is because they raise your heart rate and body temperature, thus making it hard for you to fall asleep. But recent studies have shown that this isn’t entirely true. A number of people workout in the night post office hours and a majority of them have mentioned that working out during the night helps them sleep better. Also, your body is better warmed up for a workout at night than it is during the day. 

The hormone called Cortisol which is responsible for storage of fat and reduction of muscles peaks during the mornings and reduces throughout the day. So if you have more time during the night or just feel more comfortable burning calories during the night then go for it. As long as you exercise, you will be able to sleep better 

Working out helps your sleep better. People who are sleep deprived tend to put on more weight than those who snooze for a good number of hours. So stop making excuses and start making some lifestyle changes. As long as you are consistently sweating out it doesn’t matter what time of the day you choose to workout.

IIT Madras Students In Conversation with Sadhguru

Six Reasons for Not Missing Leg Days..

Your lower body is home to some of the biggest muscles in your body. Focus on workouts that challenge your bottom half and you’ll be rewarded with strong glutes, athletic quads, healthy hamstrings and toned calves. But it’s not all about looking good. As evidence, we present six reasons to train your lower body. 

1. You'll burn more calories 
Whether or not weight loss is the goal, if you want to get the most bang for your buck at the gym, it all starts with the legs. “Working bigger muscles in multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts or lunges will require more ‘work’ from the heart and brain and higher levels of metabolism compared to exercising smaller muscle groups,” says Jon-Erik Kawamoto, CSCS, a personal trainer based out of Newfoundland, Canada . Challenging these larger muscles requires more energy, which means your body will be burning more calories. Fun fact: Your gluteus maximus (aka your behind) is the largest muscle in your body. 

2. You'll improve your balance 
Giant biceps are no match for a slimy patch on the sidewalk. Having a strong lower body just might help you avoid a wipeout. Exercises like side lunges and deadlifts will increase your stability, develop your proprioception and help keep you ready for anything. Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a weekend warrior type, balance is essential for maintaining control of your body. 

3. You'll increase your metabolism 
Not only will leg day make you speedier on the track, but it can also speed up your metabolism. It’s no secret that lifting weights will help athletes build and maintain muscle mass. When your body composition has more muscle, “your whole engine runs faster”. Strength training outperforms running, cycling, rowing and other standard cardio exercises when it comes to keeping metabolism revved up. 
4. You'll relieve lower back pain 
If you sit for the majority of your day, odds are good that you experience some back pain from weak hamstrings and short and tight hip flexors. Most people blame tight hamstrings and attempt to stretch them. In actuality, they would be better off stretching the hip flexors and strengthening the hamstrings, glutes and abdominal muscles. 
5. You'll increase your range of motion 
Think flexibility has nothing to do with weight training? Think again. Olympic weightlifters, elite CrossFit athletes and pro-level athletes from nearly all disciplines need mobile joints in order to maximize their power output. Even if you aren’t a top competitor, learning the correct movement patterns for exercises like the squat, deadlift and lunge will improve your range of motion. Once you’ve got the movements and proper mobility down, you’ll be able to safely tackle more weight and ultimately increase your gains. 
6. You'll have superhero level efficiency while performing everyday tasks 
Kawamoto notes that even if you aren’t an elite athlete, giving your legs attention will pay off each and every day. Picking up boxes, carrying groceries, or moving furniture will be easier when your lower body is used to squatting down and hinging at the hips. Even if your arms are strong, you’ll be more efficient when lifting heavy objects if you squat down and engage those glutes and hammies instead of straining your back.

How to Make Stress Your Friend

Stress can actually be your friend and help you take on challenges. The best part of stress is that it signals you about any danger coming towards you - it’s your spider Sense. The best way to manage it is to let it help you. 

Know what stress is

Stress is not the bad guy. Stress has helped us survive adverse situations since the time of the caveman. It is the very reason for our existence. Essentially, stress is our body’s response to sudden change which prepares us to face what’s coming. The autonomic nervous system controls unconscious bodily functions such as breathing, heartbeat and digestion. 

When we face a threat or danger, this system evokes a fight or flight response. There is a release of hormones like adrenaline, cortisol and nor-epinephrine; chemicals that make you alert and heighten your senses. You start taking in more oxygen and pumping more blood, while your body mobilizes fat and sugar to get you fast energy. So basically, stress does to you what spinach does to Popeye. 

Believe. It's good for you

Trust is the foundation of a good friendship. You have to believe that stress is good for you to reap its benefits. We’re not kidding; health psychologist Kelly McGonigal on TED talk reveals how she had been wrongly telling people for 10 years that stress is bad. McGonigal shared some surprising research which found that people who didn’t think stress was bad were hardly affected by it. Not only were they less anxious and more confident, but there was a physical change as well. When a person feels stressed, blood vessels constrict, which could cause serious heart issues if prolonged. Contrastingly, people who believed stress was good for them didn’t have blood vessel tension and were found to have a cardiovascular response similar to that in people who experience joy. 

Observe your stress reaction

Now that you know how your body will react, start noticing what you do when stress comes by. In a stressful situation, we aren’t offered much control. Thus, part of our stress reaction is an attempt towards feeling in control. It’s a common reaction we feel when we get a haircut or to clean the house. Doing things like these keeps us focused and maintains our ability to move through times of uncertainty. You need to identify any destructive stress reactions in case you develop them. Many people tend to stop eating in times of stress, which can cause weakness and dizziness. Drinking alcohol is another common destructive reaction. But when you drink, sleep does not give your body the rest it needs. Notice if you have any such destructive reactions and try to replace them with healthier options. 

Lock in the fight mode

The kind of threats our ancestors faced were quite different from the ones we face today. While they had to deal with beasts, we have to deal with bosses. They had the option of flight but we can’t run away from our deadlines. Knowing that, it’s better to always be in fight mode, and that’s not as hard as it sounds. 

Practicing relaxation and breathing exercises can calm you down when you’re in trouble. Get some fresh air and clear your mind so you can tackle the problem head on. Now that stress is your friend, focus on what needs to be done, and you’ll find that your body has everything it needs in order to do so.

Drop The Medication, Start Meditation

There are many reasons why people meditate. For some it is part of a spiritual journey and has to do with expansion of awareness and how they perceive and experience life. Some simply want to relax, and this benefit of meditation is self-evident. Other people are interested in the benefits of meditation for health and general well-being. This post outlines some of those benefits. The effectiveness of meditation comes from deep relaxation. When we are deeply relaxed, the body and mind are refreshed and revitalized. This brings many benefits that are both immediate and long lasting. 

While a meditative state is the natural outcome of yoga and the spiritual benefit of meditation is supreme bliss or enlightenment, these words are unlikely to be understood by many. 

However, progress towards meditation and meditative techniques have several benefits at the gross body or material level: 

• Improvement of body lustre and general health-When your mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. Today, many of the film stars and fashion models include meditation in their daily regimen.


• Improvement in concentration - Many of the athletes and sports professionals regularly employ meditation methods. Studies have found a direct correlation between concentration exercises (meditation) and the performance level of sports professionals. Meditation strengthens the mind, it comes under control and is able to provide effective guidance to the physical body to effectively execute all its projects. Psychological Exercises are a powerful way of improving concentration and improving mental strength.

Health benefits of Meditation: 
Though meditation is usually recognized as a largely spiritual practice, it also has many health benefits. The yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in management of life threatening diseases; in transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning programs, in perceptions and communications beyond the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in management of lifestyle and future world problems. Some benefits of meditation are: 

• It lowers oxygen consumption.
• It decreases respiratory rate.
• It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
• Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients.
• Leads to a deeper level of relaxation.
• Good for people with high blood pressure as it brings the B.P. to normal.
• Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
• Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.
• Builds self-confidence.
• It increases serotonin production which influences mood and behaviour. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and headaches.
• Helps in chronic diseases like allergies , arthritis etc.
• Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.
• Helps in post-operative healing.
• Enhances the immune system. Research has revealed that meditation increases activity of 'natural-killer cells', which kill bacteria and cancer cells.
• Also reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.

To  get the most out of your meditation sessions, you must practise regularly. It takes only a few minutes every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best and most enriching part of your day! 

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. It cleanses and nourishes you from within and calms you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down. 

No matter how busy you are, try to find some time to meditate regularly. It's one of the most enriching ways to utilise your valuable time. Dive deep into yourself and enrich your life.