Managing Stress Through Exercise

While most people may not want to admit it, stress is a normal part of their lives and sometimes it becomes so much they don't know what to do. Stress that is left unattended can become harmful and even lead to depression among other serious problems. While there are many ways of dealing with stress, on of the simplest yet oft ignored stress release formula is getting involved in some physical activity as often as you can. Many people have discovered how exercise relieves stress and also leaves them feeling better and healthier.

Leaving exercise out of your schedule in life has a host of disadvantages especially where matters to do with stress are concerned. This is perhaps one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get relief from the stress that is plaguing you. There is sufficient evidence that majority of people who have to deal with a large amount of stress every day don't quite participate in physical activities. So how exactly does getting involved in a workout aid you in dealing with stress?

The body system: When you are in a stressful situation, all your body systems should interact in an efficient manner in order for you to have the right kind of response. Exercise has a way of making the systems of the body interact with each other in such a way that the body's overall response to stress is streamlined.

Endorphins: Endorphins are the body's way of dealing with pain and creating the 'good feeling'. When you are involved in a period of exercise you help your body to produce more endorphins and this leads to feelings of happiness with a positive effect on your emotions.

Fight or flight: This is the body's natural reaction to any dangerous situation that could create stress. The challenge with today's stressful moments is that you don't have to run away from the situation or fight it. However, your body will still produce the chemicals that prepare you for either and when they remain in the body for a long time they are likely to create problems. Getting involved in some form of physical activity is the best way to clear these chemicals from your body.

Flow and rhythm: There are exercises such as cycling and running that cause your body to get into a rhythm. This type of flow has the ability to relax your mind because it resembles being able to focus on everything and nothing at the same time such that you enjoy your person.

Social life: Sports and exercise provide an excellent time to meet up with friends and socialize in such a way that we don't usually do. We live in a generation where people are always too busy to make friends and even get a chance to joke and laugh. This also gives you an opportunity to share light moments and talk about some problematic issues with other people. The result will be loss of anxiety and in most cases leading to a good night's sleep.

The author of this article is a fitness instructor and has been one for 15 years. Visit the CrossFit Center City in Philly and discover a "real deal" fitness program.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mohit_M_Jain

The Tabata Cardio Workout Routine

More and more athletes and fitness trainers have come to discover the tremendous benefits of a tabata cardio workout. This cardio workout is considered by many as one of the most advanced interval workout, helping people who exercise to reach a higher level of fitness, enhancing their endurance and at the same time burning more calories.

Why Choosing Tabata Workouts?
This modern type of interval training is loved by both fitness professionals and researchers due to its simplicity and unmatchable fat-torching abilities. A Tabata workout is extremely easy to follow, because it consists of alternating short periods of rest with short but intense exercises. There are many exercises compatible with this new technique, from aerobic exercises such as rowing and running to strength exercises like lifting weights.

How to Use The Tabata Training Method
There are some steps you need to follow before going further with this method. First and foremost, make sure that you have picked the right exercises to include in your training session. Some of the most common Tabata workouts are:

- Bicycle Sprints. The truth is that this method is the perfect choice when you want to engage your lower body and in the same time to skyrocket your heart rate.

- Hindu Squats. Another famous method that is extremely useful when you want to engage a wide variety of muscles and to get your heart rate up.

- Jumping Lunges. This type of cardio exercise is extremely beneficial at toning your hip area.

- Box Jumps. Surely one of the best cardio tabata exercise, because it uses almost all your groups of muscles.

After choosing the right exercise for your needs, you have to ensure that you have the proper equipment for the work. Lastly, you need to decide upon the intervals between the exercises. A sample of a Tabata cardio exercises plan could be:

- 15 Barbell Squats (interval 1 and 3)
- 20 Pushups (2 and 5)
- 20 Chin Ups (4 and 7)
- 4 Minutes of Sprinting in Place (intervals 6 and 8)

For these exercises, you would need a chin up bar, surface mat and a barbell with weights. Each training lasts around 4 minutes and has 8 intervals. After each interval, make sure you rest for about 20 seconds. After the first 4 intervals, rest for a couple of minutes. These cardio and strength exercises should make you sweat a lot, which will consequently lead to an improved metabolism and an enhanced weight loss process.

If you want to see some improvements in your fitness, you need to benefit of both a proper rest and a balanced diet. Since Tabata is a high intensity interval training, you will definitely feel exhausted the following day. This is why it is extremely important to make sure that you will get plenty of rest the following day. Moreover, make sure you eat plenty of fruits and meat, because you will need an extra amount of protein and energy. Lastly, don't forget to warm up and to stretch before and after each workout.

Benefits of Tabata Cardio Workout
There are several benefits of a Tabata workout. Some of the most renowned are:

1. Muscle Tissue Retention. While a diet which is not based on a professional diet plan could lead to a loss of muscle tissue, this breakthrough method from Japan places the stran right on the muscle tissue. Consequently, they send a signal to the brain that more muscle tissue is needed. As a direct result, the muscle tissue is increased and the total ratio of lean muscle mass goes up.

2. Both the Anaerobic and Aerobic are Increased. Our bodies' aerobic capacity (usually called the maximum oxygen uptake) represents the greatest amount of oxygen that can be consumed while exercising. On the other hand, the anaerobic capacity represents the maximum amount of energy our body can produce in the absence of oxygen. The study conducted by Dr. Tabata showed that those who practice tabata cardio workouts on a regular basis benefit of an increase of up to 14% in their aerobic capacity and 28% in the anaerobic capacity.

3. Fat Loss. Due to an increase of your metabolic rates, tabata workouts doubles the rate at which the fat is burned by your body. There are thousands of people out there who started to practiced these exercises and only after one months they have lost over 10 pounds. The truth is that this method really works, and it is a 100% natural way to shed off the extra pounds you have. However, don't forget about getting enough sleep and having a proper diet.

4. Save Time. Lastly, a proper tabata cardio workout won't take more than 30-40 minutes every other day. Because of this, you will have plenty of time for other important tasks, so you can stay on top of your schedule.

A tabata cardio workout is an activity that certainly deserves your interest.

For more information regarding Tabata Training and it's benefits please visit http://tabatatrainingmethod.com