Conquering stress and depression through exercise

            Exercise is not only a great way to change our physical body. It’s one of nature’s best stress relievers and has been clinically proven to help those suffering from depression. Western culture and the modern rat race has led us to be one of the most highly stressed and depressed nations in the world. We work some of the longest hours, sleep the least amount of hours, and have some of the poorest diets. Couple that with our long commutes and you have a recipe for disaster! While we get through it day by day, the daily stress eats at us from inside and before you know it, we are popping pills to manage our constant anxiety and lack of energy.

            Stress, depression, and anxiety are not just head games though. A behind-the-scenes look at our brain tells us that stress can actually cause chemical imbalances in the brain by disrupting the production/uptake of serotonin, nor epinephrine and dopamine, otherwise known as the “feel-good” chemicals. These chemicals work together in delicate systems that help keep us alert, happy and full of positive energy.   However, when we exercise, our bodies also release chemicals called endorphins.  Endorphins act similar to these “feel good” chemicals by blocking sensitivity to pain, and enhancing feelings of pleasure.  In fact, it’s been shown that a depletion of endorphins may be responsible for clinical depression and fluctuations in one’s emotional state.  Essentially, endorphins affect us like codeine or morphine without the accompanying addiction.

            And they may be self reinforcing.  There is evidence that endorphins are responsible for the “placebo effect” one experiences owing to the real response of endorphin-release prompted by anticipating a certain outcome.  In other words, if you think exercise (or a pill) is going to make you feel better, the fact that you feel that way may lead your body to release endorphins simply because of the anticipation of a pleasurable feeling.

            Maintaining a happy and healthy lifestyle is important.  One could even argue that it is essential.  Regardless of the caliber of inner demons you find yourself struggling against, exercise will go a long way to allowing you to emerge from the haze of depression (or emotional fluctuation) and bask in the sun-kissed blue sky above.  Don’t be a slave to the darkness.  Turn on your inner light and do some burpees.  Your body and mind will appreciate it.

A realistic and effective approach for losing stomach fat and seeing results

                I often see people struggling to bring out their abdominal muscles. I see the frustration that looms over them weeks (and even months) into their grueling workout regimen when that pesky layer of stomach fat just won’t go away. This will eventually lead to a mental and/or physical breakdown that can burn out even the most dedicated of gym-goers.  Working out should be a positive experience, so I’d like to share some common mistakes that can hinder you from seeing great abs.  And, more importantly, I’d like to share a couple of key factors that are necessary to achieving lean and ripped abs.

            

                The biggest mistake I commonly see is when people do thousands of crunches everyday.  The common perception being that more crunches will bring out the abs. Wrong! Crunches can be a great exercise for upper abs but they have nothing to do with losing the layer of stomach fat over the abs! As long as there is a layer of belly fat over your abdominal muscles you will never see the stomach results you desire.

            

     Another major mistake I often see is eating poorly.  Unfortunately, having a poor diet will cancel out those amazing rounds of cardio you’ve been completing.  You may be burning up to 600 calories per workout, but the burgers, pizzas, and other fatty foods are adding them back on. Wake up!! If your goal is to see your abdominal muscles, then you’re defeating the entire purpose of cardio by eating unhealthy. In order to get lean and ripped abs, you must always keep two simple fundamentals in mind: cardio supplemented with a proper diet. 

    Bringing out your abs is not rocket science, nor should it be.  It really just comes down to cardio and dieting (I can’t stress this enough). Let’s talk dieting.  Simply speaking, energy consumption tends to follow this basic principal: fat loss (great abs) result when the body burns more calories than it takes in.For example, let’s say you’re on an 1800-calorie diet.  This means that you have to burn off more than 1800 calories a day in order to net any fat loss! You can imagine how difficult this would be if burgers and pizza make their way into your regular diet.  The trick is to find healthy and flavorful foods with low fat and caloric stats and incorporate these foods into your diet.  This will require some research on your part; and require you to read labels for fat and calorie content.  But after a while, this aspect of diet preparation will become second nature.

 
                Once you have your diet calibrated, you need to focus on cardio and lots of it.  Every step of cardio will bring you one step closer to bringing out your abs.  It takes burning 3,500 calories just to lose 1 pound of fat. So the next time you grind out an hour of cardio and decide to eat an 800-calorie fatty burger along with an order of French fries (which can add on another 800 calories), you’re only setting yourself back.  And, if you opt for the cola, well, then I’m sure you get the picture.            
      
                So what are the two most important tools to achieving great abs?  Hopefully, you answered a proper diet and lots of cardio. Mastering your diet will help you stay motivated even if you don’t get the results you’re looking for at first.  Everyone’s’ bodies are different, so we all go through trials and errors during our journeys.  You have to stick with it and never give up! 

               The easiest thing to do is give up.  If bringing out your abs was easy, then everyone would have great abs. It requires a lifestyle change, focusing on healthy food options and proper exercise regimens. Step back and reorganize your strategy and soon enough you will get the results you’re looking for along with a new found confidence that is priceless.   

                                                                                                                                      

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