5 Fitness Stress Buster Tips

Maintaining a consistent fitness routine is not only essential for staying in shape but it also has a positive impact on your mental health while alleviating stress. It even boosts your immunity and that’s a good thing! Exercise is the best stress-busting tool that I’ve used to refresh my mindset over the decades.

I’ve been active my entire life and boy, it’s paid off in spades! I look and feel young, even in my 60s, have the energy of a 30-year-old and my biological age is 10-15 years younger than my chronological age. To be fair, consuming high-quality supplements, eating healthy foods, and spending time outdoors on a regular basis have also contributed to my youthful radiance.

When we are active our body reduces the levels of stress hormones, and at the same time stimulates the happy chemicals called endorphins that tell you that you are okay and everything is going to be fine. (mood elevator)

The sheer amount of scientific evidence behind the health benefits of exercise is staggering. Studies show that exercise can help control blood sugar, lose (or maintain) weight, elevate your mood, reduce nervousness and anxiety, and lower your risk for many common chronic diseases. Your bones, your brains, and your heart all greatly benefit from good exercise too!

Another Benefit To Working Out Is Increasing Lean Body Mass (What I call The Beauty Muscle)

The amount of muscle you have on your body is called your lean body mass. One of the most visible outcomes from exercise is also one of the most beneficial to your health – an increase in lean body mass and a reduction in body fat. The health benefits associated with increased lean body mass are many.

An increase in lean body mass leads to an increase in your metabolism and this means that it is easier to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. A healthy weight is associated with a decrease in many chronic diseases and is associated with a healthy heart.

Increased lean body mass burns more calories, not only when you exercise, but 24 hours a day! That is, you burn more calories, even when you are sitting still, doing nothing and I consider this a BIG WIN.

If you want more LBM, there are two necessary components to building better muscle:

1. Resistance exercise

2. Good clean power foods. For healthy, clean eating tips check out my blog for fabulous recipes here.

It‘s clear that exercise is good for you, but you might also want to understand how to get the most bang for your exercise buck.

Transform Your Workout With These Top Tips to Maximize Your Exercise Routine

• Stay consistent: Exercise should be a lifetime pursuit. Don’t quit. When you choose exercises that you enjoy it’s easier to stay with it your entire life. Golf and tennis, in particular, are social and you can do them your entire life. Swimming, walking, skiing, and biking are also super choices.

• Exercise Duration Counts: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests exercising at least 2 and a half hours every week. You don’t even have to do it all at once. 10-15 minutes at a time works just as well and you can get a lot accomplished!

• Increase Your Heart Rate: It is important that you choose an exercise that increases your heart rate. This type of exercise is typically an aerobic exercise class, running, cycling, fast walking, or stair stepping. HIT workouts will do the job as well! They are high-intensity sessions with on/off segments

• Lift Weights: Resistance training exercise is great because it helps to build that sexy muscle aka lean body mass AND helps support bone mass as we age to reduce our risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis.

• Supplement properly: Exercise increases the body’s need for good clean nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. A smart multivitamin and a clean protein supplement is best practice at a minimum.

• In order to build that sexy muscle mass, proper protein intake is necessary. Look for a protein powder product that contains extra branch-chained amino acids, especially leucine!!! It’s almost effortless to keep that sexy muscle on when you don’t quit.

Remember to start small and build slowly. Too much too soon can be a setup for failure.

Make it a habit to move your body daily.

Even several short 10-minute breaks throughout your day will make a noticeable difference.

Your body loves to move around and it’s a curse to be sitting too much. Move more, play more, and have more fun and adventures outside!

PS If you enjoyed this article, please share it and leave a comment, ( I love reading them!) lots of love, Shelley