I have been very overwhelmed by the power of stress lately. Even though it does me no good to worry, I found myself caught up in a lot of "what ifs" regarding Jersey #2 enduring another open-heart surgery. My biggest fear is what if something goes wrong...fatally wrong....
It's been keeping me awake at night. My mind races constantly. My stomach is in knots, clenched, and churning. My muscles have been so tense, especially my shoulders and neck, which yield to headaches. Stress is very unhealthy.
Since I've been struggling to find peace of mind, I decided to tackle the physical symptoms physically. I dug out my aerobic style DVDs. Leslie Sansone has an entire Walk Away the Pounds in-home walking exercise program. I like her style, and have a few of her DVDs. I've always planned to use the DVDs to workout regularly, to increase fitness and lose weight. Needless to say, I have not been very consistent with that idea.
Desperate times call for drastic measures. This past week, I have been walking 2-3 miles a day with this DVD program. I tend to the kids first, and then inform them that I am starting my workout and will not be filling sippy cups or fixing snacks, or anything like that until I am done. They have been pretty cooperative so far, sometimes even joining me for a bit (until they get bored and run off to play). I workout for as much as I can physically stand, until I am ready to drop.
I have heard people say that exercise is invigorating and reduces stress. I am now a believer. I know that some folks enjoy working out. Some folks are so disciplined that they feel off their routine if they miss a workout. I have not been that way. I've been lazy.
Now, I understand that aerobic exercise gets the circulation flowing. It loosens tension in the muscles. It gets more oxygen to the brain, helping me feel more alert to face my life. My body relaxes after I make it sweat.
The best part for me right now is that sore muscles distract my brain. When my mind is racing with worry, it is immediately derailed when I make a movement that triggers soreness in my muscles. It could be as simple as reaching for something and feeling the "ooh, I didn't know I had that muscle" feeling. That soreness sensation distracts my brain from its what-ifs negative feedback loop, in an "ooh look, something shiny!" manner.
Exercise does not bring peace of mind. I know that the peace I need comes only from God. I've been on my knees in prayer, and in Bible study too. I'm a work in progress. But, I am thankful that I can temporarily distract my brain from all its worry, by pushing my muscles to new limits.
I've also learned that exercise does indeed aid in weight loss. What a fantastic side effect! My walk-away-the-stress program happens to walk-away-the-pounds too!
It's been keeping me awake at night. My mind races constantly. My stomach is in knots, clenched, and churning. My muscles have been so tense, especially my shoulders and neck, which yield to headaches. Stress is very unhealthy.
Since I've been struggling to find peace of mind, I decided to tackle the physical symptoms physically. I dug out my aerobic style DVDs. Leslie Sansone has an entire Walk Away the Pounds in-home walking exercise program. I like her style, and have a few of her DVDs. I've always planned to use the DVDs to workout regularly, to increase fitness and lose weight. Needless to say, I have not been very consistent with that idea.
Desperate times call for drastic measures. This past week, I have been walking 2-3 miles a day with this DVD program. I tend to the kids first, and then inform them that I am starting my workout and will not be filling sippy cups or fixing snacks, or anything like that until I am done. They have been pretty cooperative so far, sometimes even joining me for a bit (until they get bored and run off to play). I workout for as much as I can physically stand, until I am ready to drop.
I have heard people say that exercise is invigorating and reduces stress. I am now a believer. I know that some folks enjoy working out. Some folks are so disciplined that they feel off their routine if they miss a workout. I have not been that way. I've been lazy.
Now, I understand that aerobic exercise gets the circulation flowing. It loosens tension in the muscles. It gets more oxygen to the brain, helping me feel more alert to face my life. My body relaxes after I make it sweat.
The best part for me right now is that sore muscles distract my brain. When my mind is racing with worry, it is immediately derailed when I make a movement that triggers soreness in my muscles. It could be as simple as reaching for something and feeling the "ooh, I didn't know I had that muscle" feeling. That soreness sensation distracts my brain from its what-ifs negative feedback loop, in an "ooh look, something shiny!" manner.
Exercise does not bring peace of mind. I know that the peace I need comes only from God. I've been on my knees in prayer, and in Bible study too. I'm a work in progress. But, I am thankful that I can temporarily distract my brain from all its worry, by pushing my muscles to new limits.
I've also learned that exercise does indeed aid in weight loss. What a fantastic side effect! My walk-away-the-stress program happens to walk-away-the-pounds too!
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