20 Minutes of Exercise Can Boost Your Mood for the Day

Written by Isabel Smith; Used with Permission by Reboot with Joe http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/benefits-of-20-minutes-of-exercise/
You're sitting at your desk at work and your boss throws another pile of papers in front of you to complete by 5pm. Believe me, we've all been there. Your heart begins to race, thanks to the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, and your palms begin to sweat because those important plans you made tonight might need to be canceled. At this point your cortisol levels are rising and your blood sugar is beginning to go up as well.

You feel flustered, stressed and in a bad mood. Then you're faced with this decision: Do you spend your lunch break eating a meal you think will comfort you or go to the gym for 20 minutes to blow off some steam? You think food obviously because wouldn't a 20-minute workout be pointless?

Nope! It's not pointless. Get yourself to the gym! There is a huge benefit to a 20-minute workout. In fact, researchers found that 20 minutes of working out can help to promote better mood for up to 12 hours after you've finished exercising.

So if you're still contemplating, here are 5 reasons why 20 minutes of exercise can make you seriously happy.

1. It's energizing.

   The unfortunate reality of working today is that we sit most of the time, which can make us feel tired and sluggish. Even 20 minutes of exercise can get us up and get our blood flowing, which helps to promote energy and mental clarity (a.k.a you get your work done faster and more efficiently).

2. Helps to lower the stress hormone cortisol.

   Some stress is good, but too much isn't good for us. When we have ongoing stress (and/or not enough sleep), our bodies release cortisol - a stress hormone that can cause blood sugar to be elevated, disrupt work productivity, disrupt sleep and much more. In short, less cortisol is a good thing for happiness and productivity.

3. Promotes release of feel-good brain chemicals.

   Chemicals like serotonin and dopamine are released when you break a sweat and those can trigger happiness.

4. Promotes a healthy brain (long-term).

   In addition to serotonin and dopamine released with exercise, a chemical called neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also released. BDNF can also help to protect the brain from emotional disorders and depression caused by stress long-term.

5. Helps you relax and release some stress.

   Finally, even though it's only 20 minutes of exercise, the brain produces a hormone called gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA to be released. GABA is a key neurohormone that helps to promote relaxation and also prompts serotonin (again, that feel good hormone) to be released as well.

If you're looking for ways to get moving in a short period of time, here's a few workouts for you to try:

• 24 Minute No Equipment Total Body Workout
• 14 Minute No Excuses Workout
• 21 Minute Total Body Summer Workout

After your quick workout, you're going to be craving a healthy lunch and will be energized to complete your project.

Isabel is a Registered Dietitian, wellness expert and fitness coach. Isabel has her own nutrition and wellness practice based in New York City, Isabel Smith Nutrition.

Plan for an Active Summer

Used with permission by Leigh Kaiser

Summer is a great time of year to be active with your family and friends. There are lots of ways to get your heart rate up, burn calories AND have fun at the same time. Yes- you can have FUN while being active! Leisure activities are fun for all ages and help bring people together. Instead of playing video games, napping, or watching TV, why not go for a hike, paddle a kayak, play badminton, toss a Frisbee, peddle a bike, dive for toys in the pool, or walk around the neighborhood? You'll be able to talk with the people who are with you, laugh, enjoy the outdoors, and create memories.

Leisure activities are a great way to bring your family together, but you should also consider adding 2-3 days of a focused, intentional workouts into your weekly routine. What do I mean by focused and intentional? I mean to set out with purpose to raise your heart rate and keep it up for a sustained amount of time, and also use your entire body to build muscle and stamina which will increase your joint-strength (ankles, knees, and hips), your muscle mass, decrease your body fat, and build heart and lung endurance. You can do this by going for a walk or jog through a hilly neighborhood, lifting weights, doing core work, or combining all of these things in an interval workout.

Interval workouts are typically short - yet intense - so you get a lot of bang for your buck. You don't have to work out very long (anywhere between 10-45 minutes) to get in a great workout with interval training.. It's also proven to be one of the best ways to increase muscle mass, decrease fat, improve heart rate, and give overall body wellness.

An example of interval training is this:
Do 1 min of each of the following (Within the minute, do as many quality movements as you can. Don't get sloppy! As you get tired, slow down (don't quit) and keep the quality of your moves as a priority):
 

1. Squats or Jump Squats
2. Push-Ups 
3. Lunges or Jumping Lunges 
4. Jumping Jax 
5. Hold Plank
    

Repeat this series 3 times for a 15 minute workout or 4 times for a 20 minute workout. Within this workout, you've taken care of lower body, upper body, core, and cardio. Like I said, a lotta bang for your buck! It's supposed to be difficult, so by round #3 you'll probably be pretty tired. That's a good thing! Remember: If we're not challenged, we're not changing. To make a workout worth the time, it needs to challenge your muscles, heart, and strength

My last challenge to you is to set a few simple goals that you will gladly work towards this summer. You can set them as a family and/or an individual. Here are some ideas: 
 

• Plan 5 Group Leisure Activities a month (as a family)
• Do 2 days of Interval Training a week (grab a buddy)
• Walk/Jog 2-3 days/week (explore different neighborhoods each time)
• Eat leafy greens every day (spinach, broccoli, kale, etc.)
• Pray and give thanks and praise to God before, during and after each workout/activity. (This helps remind me Who gives us the strength to move, why we should desire to be healthy, and reminds me that health is a gift from the Lord.)  

If you're interested in learning more about health and wellness or interval workouts, please see: Teamconquerit.weebly.com. Contact me with questions, comments, or general inquiries. Have a wonderful, active summer!

Stop Sitting - It May Save Your Life!

by Lynn Bode  www.workoutsforyou.com  -  Used by permission

Even if you try to eat healthy and even if you are maintaining a healthy weight, you most likely are doing something that is extremely detrimental to your health. You probably do it for hours upon hours each day and don’t give it a second thought.

What’s the dangerous habit? Sitting! Individuals spend record amounts of time sitting now and it may be killing us. Even if you fit in regular exercise time each week, if you are spending the rest of your time plopped down in a chair then you are at risk.

According to the Institute for Medicine and Public Health, it's likely that you spend a stunning 56 hours per week sitting on your bum. That’s an average of eight whopping hours per day idle in your seat.

A study from Australian researchers published two years ago found that spending more than four hours a day in front of a computer or television was associated with a doubling of serious heart problems, even among people who exercised regularly.

Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, concurs. She says “for people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.”

Wow, that is staggering. And most likely comes as quite a shock to most. After all, we’ve been presented with guidelines that urge us to participate in three hours of brisk exercise a week in order to stay fit. If we do that, then we pat ourselves on the back and feel we have met our goals.

But based on this surprising data related to sitting, we can’t just meet our weekly exercise goals and then sit back. We must evaluate our entire daily physical activity efforts.

 "Independent of weight and independent of physical activity and all of these other things that can lead to long-term health problems, the more we sit, the more likely that bad things happen in the body," says Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C.

Garry Sigman, MD, director of the pediatric obesity program of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., agrees. "We evolved from a place where we needed to walk around a lot and not sit still to survive, and now in modern society, there is more opportunity where we sit and that is not healthy for more than one reason," he says.

So, we must find a way to return to our ancestral beginnings while living in our modern world. For thousands of generations our environment demanded nearly constant physical movement in order to survive. We may not have that same survival need today but if we want to live a long, healthy life then we should return to that survival mode.

Here are some ways to slash our sitting times significantly and to move well beyond just our scheduled weekly exercise time.

• Watching t.v. This is a pretty obvious change. Stop watching so much t.v. We almost always sit when viewing the television. So, if you just can’t break ties with your much-loved weekly show, then at least modify your viewing time by watching while on a treadmill, or while standing.

• If you have a desk job, see if your company would be willing to give you a working treadmill work station.

• At your job, suggest walking meetings. Instead of the years-old tradition of meeting in a conference room and plopping down for hours on end, suggest taking your group meeting outdoors for a walk. You’ll be amazed how your brain can think outside-of-the-box too when your body is moving. It’s a win-win for both body and mind.

• Don’t just plop down in a fold up chair at your kids’ weekend sport activities. Stand or even pace throughout the game.

• Don’t send a co-worker an email or call them, walk to their desk and stand to discuss pertinent business.

• Instead of sitting on your couch while chatting on the phone with a friend, pace throughout your house.

• Don’t spend hours seated while playing video games. Enjoy an active version like Wii or Kinect.

• Set your phone timer to remind you to get up every 10 minutes, even if just for one minute. That can have significantly positive effects. Once you master this habit, consider changing it to a one minute break every five minutes that pass.

• If you have a disability that inhibits you from standing, please talk to a physician/physical therapist for movement ideas specific to your individual needs.

Have a Healthy Holiday!

used with Permission by Leigh Carter
www.TeamConquerIt.weebly.com

Don’t you just love this time of year? The chill in the air, parties and get-togethers, celebrating what God has done, giving Him thanks, and eating amazing food – for two straight months. Ha. If you’re like most people around the holidays, you find it difficult to say no to all the delicious, homemade goodies and say yes to working out. I know it’s not easy to add in a workout during such a busy season, but if you do make time – even just 20 minutes 4 days/week, I bet you’ll find that you have more energy, stay healthy, and that you won’t gain the typical holiday weight.

Here are some tips for how to enjoy the season and stay fit and healthy:

• Eat smaller portions more frequently: Instead of 1-2 large meals, eat 4-5 small snacks. On Thanksgiving, serve yourself 1-2 small spoonfuls (measure with a tablespoon) of what you want to try, instead of large serving spoons of each dish.

• Drink plenty of water: Always have water nearby to sip on throughout the day and drink with meals to help process food and keep your system healthy.

• Enjoy people rather than food: Instead of thinking about the season in terms of the great food you’ll eat, think more about the amazing people you’ll encounter. If your family is like mine, there are lots of cousins I only see 1-2 times/year – so, Thanksgiving and Christmas are great days to get to catch up on kids, family, hobbies, school, kids, and life! Plus, when I’m talking, I tend to eat less!

• Work out for 10-20 minutes – that’s all! Sometimes we think that if we can’t work out for an hour, it’s not worth getting out there to do it. That’s wrong! If you don’t’ have much time, just increase the intensity and workout for a shorter amount of time.

Try this at home:
2-3 min warm up: walk around your house, up/down stairs, or jog, then begin circuit.

Circuit: Do 1 minute of each of the following:
jumping jacks
push ups
squats
jump rope (w/ invisible rope if you don’t have one)
chair dips

Rest for 1 minute, then repeat the circuit 2-3 times

Why Do I Run?

by Ed Cunningham

Why do I run?  Tain't no mystery --
   Wanna have a good medical history.
Doctor told me runnin' is great --
   Helps my blood cells circulate.

Great for the lungs, great for the ticker.
   Can't nothin' get ya in better shape quicker.
Feels so healthy, feels so sweet,
   Pumpin' my arms and flappin' my feet.

Moldin' my muscles, firmin' my form,
   Pantin' like a pack mule, sweating up a storm.
Keeps me youthful, keeps me loose,
   Tightens my tummy and shrinks my caboose.

Beats bein' sluggish, beats bein' lazy --

  So why do I run?  Maybe I'm crazy!