Are you swamped at work?  Do you always feel one step behind trying to catch up on all the chores on your “to-do” list each day?  Do you toss and turn in bed at night thinking about all the things you should have accomplished that day, but didn’t?  All of us have experienced a hectic set of circumstances in our lives at one point or another.  Maybe you experience stress every day of your life.  This stress can lead to sickness, depression, and make you feel overwhelmed.  Therefore, how can you combat this nagging daily stress?  One answer is exercise.

Stress comes in both physical and mental forms.  The severity of stress placed upon your body depends on your job, family, and life obligations.  Exercise will benefit nearly everyone from a mother of five to a single on-the-go professional.  You can find a form of exercise to suit your needs whether you have just ten minutes of free time a day or can hit the gym regularly.  Exercise has the potential to be a highly effective stress reducer.  Following are common questions, excuses, and solutions regarding exercise in our daily lives.

How does exercise affect the body?  Won’t it make me feel tired? On the contrary, exercise has been shown to increase “endorphins”.  Endorphins are the “feel good” chemicals that are linked to an elevation in mood.  This endorphin kick can be akin to eating a chocolate bar.  Chocolate has caffeine and hits the pleasure center in our brain.  Exercise is similar in that blood pumps faster in our bodies increasing the oxygen supply to our brain.  This endorphin rush is why many exercisers become addicted to exercise.

Exercise has long been an antidote to stress.  Exercise takes your mind away from the stresses of daily life while you run, lift weights, or engage in any activity that raises your heart rate.  An added benefit to exercise is that it will help you sleep better at night.  For many people stress wreaks havoc on their lives by causing insomnia.  Make sure, however, that you don’t exercise too close to bed time.  The rise in activity and heart rate that exercise brings should be completed at least three hours before bed time.  Each person reacts differently to exercise so test out different exercise times and see which time works best for you.

How am I supposed to find time to exercise when my day is already filled to the brim with chores, kids, work, etc.? Before you brush off exercise time, take a closer examination of your day.  Do you have down time?  Do you spend time watching television?  Many people watch television during the course of the day.  This television time could be exercise time instead.  Record your favorite TV shows and watch them later after you have exercised. Time exists for exercise; it is just a matter of making time and placing value on your exercise program and overall health.

What type of exercise should I do to relieve stress?  I don’t want to be a gym rat and purchase an expensive health club membership. Good news.  You don’t need to sign an expensive gym contract to get your exercise in for the day. You can exercise from the comfort of your own living room or head outside and enjoy the fresh air.

For example, break a sweat with exercise videos. I’ve created Sub10Workouts™ for busy people to get their workout in. You can watch the videos to see the exercises and then preform them with minimal equipment. And yes, you can definitely do these at home – without a membership to a gym.

Strap on your walking shoes and head outside to enjoy the sights of your neighborhood.  Walking is a low impact form of exercise.  It is fun to walk with your spouse, children, and friends.  Many neighborhoods have jumped on the walking bandwagon by starting walking clubs.  They meet twice a week in the morning for an hour long walk.  It is a great way to get to know your neighbors and exercising with a partner will help you to keep on track.  This accountability is a great defense against skipping your workout. [Note: You should progress to running. At some point, I consider walking just recreation and leisure.]

Many people want to get away from the stress of others. They want to walk and exercise by themselves.  If this applies to you then you can listen to your MP3 player on your walk/run.  It is a great way to catch up on books you have been meaning to read by listening to the audio version.  Or you can listen to CrossFit Radio.  Either way you can reduce stress from your daily life by placing your focus on other things besides all the errands you need to get done that day.

Reduce your stress with CrossFit (my preferred way of exercise, of course).  It is a natural way to energize your body.  Make exercise|CrossFit an integral part of your daily living.  You will be glad you did as you enjoy each day, stress free.

Bodyweight Workouts

You have finally made the decision that it is time to make some changes in your life.  You know that the only way things are going to get better for you financially, spiritually and physically is if you sit up and take action.  You know you have to put forth the effort in order to reap the rewards.

So how exactly are you going to implement these changes?  You are going to have a “plan of action”.

A plan of action is crucial to your success.  Without a plan it is merely a thought.  When you add your thoughts to paper coupled with a desire to see them become realities and proceed to do everything possible to fulfill that desire you have a template for success.

A simple equation to use when creating a plan of action from your template is:  Desire + Effort = Results.

Your first step is to write down what exactly it is you desire.  Albeit wealth, personal development or whatever you so strongly yearn for that you simply can no longer go without, write it down.  Make your desires realistic.  For example, if your desire is to be able to drop 10 pounds of fat, it is unrealistic to believe you can lose the 10 pounds of fat in 4 days.   However, it is possible to lose the 10 pounds in 4 weeks with a proper plan of action.  It is important to note that there should be a time frame with regards to your plan.  These time frames are the milestones to marking your achievements.

Now that you know what your specific desire is, list the ways in which you plan on achieving optimum results.  How do I plan to lose those 10 pounds of fat?  What do I have to do each day in order to achieve my goal?  What do I personally need to do to see this plan come to fruition?

Set up a schedule outlining each step that needs to be taken daily to achieve weekly goals.  Be specific.  Create a daily “to do” list.  At the end of the week you will be able to see how much you were able to accomplish.  Congratulate yourself for each accomplishment.

Make a commitment to yourself to “Work the Plan”.  Stay focused on the positive.  List all the reasons why you will be able to achieve your objective. Utilize the strengths you possess that will help you to complete your plan.

Know your weaknesses and make a concerted effort to overcome them.  Incorporate both your strengths and weakness into your plan of action.  Know what you are capable of and know what your shortcomings are.

Have your own personal reward system in place.  Know what each reward will be for each accomplishment that you have fulfilled throughout your plan.  With every desired result you achieve there should be a reward for having done so (don’t make it a cheat meal though).  An incentive plan customized to your wants does a lot of good.

Do not let yourself get disheartened.  If you have a temporary lapse or deviation from the plan acknowledge it and continue to move forward with your plan.  Keep the pedal to the metal or your nose to the grindstone, just keep on taking action.  Remember, this is not a race to the finish line.  Your plan is your future.  Take the time to nurture and understand it.

We’ve all heard the adage “Rome was not built in a day”.  Your success regarding your plan of action will not be achieved in one day either.  Success is a process and the process is something you have a long-term plan for.

“You and only you can determine if the reward is worth the price you are paying for it in effort”.

BTW, dropping 10 pounds of fat can be accomplished with the plan we created and use at my training facility – 24 Day LEAN Out.

All of us have days when we’re out of sorts. You just wish you were in a better mood.  You’ve had days like that, haven’t you? Perhaps you tried to get yourself into a better state of mind but struggled to achieve it.

Sometimes we get stuck in our own emotional dumps and forget how easy it is to feel happier, so here are seven simple ways to lift your mood. Many people have found them useful. Some of them may surprise you!

1. Go for a run.

Most people know that going for a short run is one of the best forms of exercise. When you are feeling down it is even more beneficial. If you can, go into a natural environment with plants and birds. Can you think of such a setting not? What do you notice first? The different shades of greenery, the fresh  smell of country air, the sounds of birds, or the sunlight shining through the trees? Make it real by trekking through.

2. Listen to quality music.

Music can shift a listener’s state within moments. It’s effect can be nearly magical. Dig out the songs you haven’t listened to in ages or tune in to Pandora to listen to something you’ve never listened to before.

3. Open yourself to discovering something new.

Read something (printed, not on line) different than what you would normally read. There are a ton of different types of magazines can you get these days. Go to the book store  and browse through the magazine rack.  Pick up a magazine you wouldn’t normally buy. You may discover something wonderful.

4. Find something to laugh at.

Laughter is one of the best ways to lift your spirits. Find a humorous book, or watch a comedy. Even better, try to learn a few new jokes and tell them to others.

5. Simple breathing meditation.

Breathing meditation is a great exercise that you can do anywhere.  Simply allow yourself to sit comfortably with your back straight. Now close your eyes and become aware of the flow of air into and out of your nostrils. That’s all there is to it. Do this for 7-12 minutes. Notice how pleasantly surprised you can be at how you feel afterward.

6. Doodling for the fun of it.

Most people can remember when they were young and used to doodle for hours. Kids love drawing silly little pictures. Drawing is not just for kids or artists.  Whoever you are get some pens, pencils, crayons or whatever you have and just draw for the fun of it. Notice how your state of mind shifts.

7. Think of others less fortunate.

The fact that you are reading this article suggests that you are probably much better off than most people on this planet. At times this may be hard to believe, but if you can read and have access to the internet, just those two things alone means you are better off than most people in the world.  There are many human beings that barely have access to the basics of survival. There are people in lots of pain. Allow your compassion for them to grow.

These are all pretty simple. There’s nothing profound or life changing, but when all you need is a quick pick me up these may be just the thing you need. Putting simple ideas, methods, tools and techniques into action will help you achieve change more quick and easily–surprisingly so at time– than you imagine.

Keep it simple.

Get Motivated.