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Exercise Relieves Stress


I have been known to be someone who has to periodically admit that exercise relieves stress. Sometimes that is just such an annoying reality.

But, a true reality…

While most of the stressors in our lives are out of our control, what you DO have control over how to relieve stress within your life. Many of the stress solutions you seek ARE within your control.

What my clients have shared over and over, is that when they are feeling stressed they just want some stress relief.

Stress relief

Why exercise relieves stress

Many of us grew up with the message that exercise is “good” for us.

But, why?

Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical health, balance, and an overall sense of well-being. And exercise has a positive effect on:
  • establishing and maintaining a healthy weight
  • building and maintaining healthy bone density
  • muscle strength and joint mobility
  • promoting physiological well-being
  • strengthening the immune system
  • increasing brain functioning
When I was younger and a jock, exercising came as natural to me as breathing. Now, that I’m older…making a CHOICE to exercise has become as important as breathing.

Which exercise is better? Aerobic or anaerobic?

I believe that to reduce stress the body needs movement each day. I recommend 30 minutes of some activity 5 times per week. So, for me, both are effective in coping with stress.

However, regular aerobic exercise has been found as ways to reduce stress and reduce the risk of:
  • high blood pressure
  • obesity
  • heart disease
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • insomnia
  • depression

Exercise and stress relief

In order for anyone to effective manage stress, the body needs more time of being in balance…more opportunities for physiological stress to be managed.

Exercise relieves stress physiologically. When the physiology of stress IS managed, this creates more opportunities for the body to be in balance throughout the day.

That balance…that time of being in states of rest and relaxation are what promotes health and wellbeing.

But, exercising specifically reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Increased levels of cortisol and stress are not our friend. With chronic stress, cortisol can cause many health problems, both physically and emotionally.

Take the FREE coping with stress stress managment survey to learn how stress may be impacting your life.

Exercise and emotions

Have you ever had a hard day and emotionally felt as if you were going to burst?

For all of us, emotions are about movement of “something”…they are a call to action. That call may be to cry, speak your truth, journal, or exercise.

With exercise, the body releases an increase of endorphins into the body. They act as a natural pain reliever, and as an anti-depressant.

The body also releases an increase in serotonin levels when exercising.

The natural benefit to you with the increase of those levels is that their effects of:
  • improvement in mood
  • increased self-esteem
  • weight management
  • mild forms of depression
  • less sleep insomnia
can last for several days after you have exercised.

Exercise is your friend

It is worth repeating that the older you get, the more challenging it becomes to do as much vigorous exercise as when you were young.

The important rule of thumb is to understand that exercise relieves stress.

Trust in where you are at physically to determine what exercise, or activity you can do 30 minutes 5 times per week. If you have questions about what you should or shouldn’t do, you should consult with your doctor.






For more information, please see:

PMDD Information - Coping With Stress -- A partner site that also offers valuable information on coping with stress.

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There a lot of people who have become overwhelmed by stress and how to get rid of it. I can understand this feeling. But it does not mean that good information is NOT out there. It is.

Please help a friend or loved one by sharing this information with them. Email this link to them or submit this page to your Tweet account, or Facebook or your favorite social bookmarking or networking site. Use the links below to pay it forward.




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Stress Tip Of The Day!

Throughout each day, the primary cause of stress is because of threats of uncertainty.

It is thoughts of fear and worry that are triggering the stress response.

Staying focused on maintaining a positive attitude is an important stress technique.



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Testimonials

“Ms. Churchill is the unique health care worker everyone hopes to encounter, but rarely does. She has an extraordinary gift that allows her to do much more than diagnose and treat.”
Abbie K. – Minneapolis




K., age 45, is a long term chronically PTSD disabled patient. She has had daily headaches for 20 years. Two weeks ago she reported that she had had 4 days of pain free time, and was having the exceedingly odd sensation of "smiling all the time". She and Cathi have made extraordinary fast progress together.
Dr. Cole




I referred C.L., age mid-forties, to see Cathi after a life of suffering the post traumatic stress disorder of parental sexual abuse over many years of her childhood, with major dysfunctions of alcohol and drug abuse, and with the disabling symptoms of migraine that have for more than twenty years become chronic.

She has lived with daily headaches that have not responded to any of the several drugs which have benefited many such suffering patients. She has needed chronic opiate treatment of her chronic pain syndrome.

In the few weeks that Cathi has worked with her, C.L. has begun to experience days without pain, periods of happiness, and a reduction in her opiate dosage requirements that represent a breakthrough in her stalled-out life as a single mom raising a teen-age daughter with only social security income resources.
Dr. Racer








“I first met Cathi Churchill eight years ago when she effectively helped my work unit through the stress of a hospital-wide layoff. I was impressed with her clear-minded approach and willingness to listen.”
Andy R.




N., age 60, is a hard driving attorney twenty year patient of mine who hit the wall with chronic fatigue four years ago, and began to realize she had to learn to rest. She recovered enough to return to her workaholic lifestyle when she was stopped by a herniated cervical disc and resumption of her chronic colitis.

Working with Cathi, she is discovering "the way she does life" and learning to make choices about it. She came in last week, having "danced until dawn". She is learning to dialogue with her body in effective ways.
Dr. Cole




“I stumbled upon Cathi after my recent heart attack that was brought on by stress. I was scared of having another one, and didn’t know what to do. I had lost hope. Working with her has changed my life. I’m so grateful."
Debbie – Canada




M.S., a woman in her late forties with progressively more and more disabling rheumatoid arthritis since childhood, whose most recent problems have arisen over the last two to three years as complications of immunosuppressive therapy for her disease. The complications have been associated with the severely disabling chronic pain of recurrent herpes neuralgia for more than three years, and for the past 15 months, recurrent osteomyelitis in her right lower mandible.

The second, more alarming (even life-threatening) problem has caused months of diagnostic and therapy confusion among her many consultants, three successive resections of the bone over the last six to eight months, and the still ongoing threat of more relapses of the smoldering bone infection and chronic pain only made bearable by chronic, massive doses of opiates.

In the few months since M. began to work with Cathi with several modalities: stress management, therapeutic touch, guided imaging, and others, her life has become more livable, as she has become able to bear the pain and the discouragement of unresolved disease.

She has relied on many of the methods for maintaining hope and getting through overwhelming discouragement by using the inner resources she has learned with Cathi.

My hope as her primary physician, is that Cathi and M. will be able to continue to work together to maintain that inner strength and hope as she faces yet more months of pain, and further repeated surgery.

Thank you for the healing guidance you've been able to give her thus far.
Dr. Racer




“I sought out the help of Cathi during my divorce, and found her to be an insightful and compassionate coach. Her ability to see deep into the heart of an emotionally stressful problem is, I believe, unique and I would highly recommend her service to anyone.”
P.R. – Brooklyn Center




S., age 48, is a Laotian patient of mine with 15 years of chronic abdominal pain. She has had an extensive medical worked up, and nothing ever worked. Cathi saw her over several months.

S. has improved! Cathi established a trusting relationship with her, and helped her to effectively break through her wall of silence and grief about her son's mental illness, and taught her how to "change her thinking".

S. now comes in smiling, notes some unusual continued symptoms, but no longer has chronic abdominal disabling pain.
Dr. Cole




“Control My Stress is so amazing. I want to thank you, again, for such a valuable resource.”
Tony.


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