TAC Blog

Stress and holidays… sound like an oxymoron?    For as long as we all can remember the holiday season is a time of joy: family rituals/routines, a time of reflection, a time of good food, and the exchange of gifts.  But for many this can also be a time of stress and anxiety.   I want you to consider here 2 areas that create a lot of this stress.

-        Perceptions based on past experiences or how we were brought up to believe what this time of year should be like

-        Expectations.  We hold on to our beliefs of what these rituals and routines should look like. 

When our expectations are not met, people of all ages feel… stressed.   The stress “feelings” can be anger, sadness, or a wide range of emotions and include all types of feelings that can suppress our immune systems, bringing on colds and flu.  And sadly, for some, even more sever digestive issues, complications, and… heart attacks.

Looking at holiday stress through different generations

Each generation (matures, boomers, gen xer’s, millennials) grew up or are growing up with different holiday experiences.   A wide example of this is Matures (people 70 years and older).  Matures  grew up with more family rituals: traditions, family, and close friends all celebrating together.   

Millennials (people ages 23 – 27 years old) have grown up with a totally different experience. Most of this generation has grown up without the strong family holiday tradition.  PC’s, IPod’s, texting, social media, 24/7 is a big part of who they are, and even how they see the holidays.   

When these generations as family comes together during the holidays, it can create a very stressful environment.   We have a conflict in perceptions and expectations.  Boomers (people mid 40’s to early 60’s in age) are usually caught in the middle.  They are the parents of the younger generations, and the children of the older generation.    

Boomers are usually the hosts of the family gatherings.   In my many years in working in this area of stress, it’s the boomers who take on the biggest stress load.  Their challenge is to create rituals and routines that satisfy all the generations.  

In interviewing over 60 women and men over the past 15 years in how they create a more rich, meaningful, low stress environment here are some of the great ideas they came up with.

-        Communicate to all family members individually or collectively about what the various holiday events will look like.  Try and “reframe” as best as possible what the various gatherings will look like and what will be happening.

-         Create as many rituals/customs that are expected by all generations as best as possible.   Give everyone a part of the holiday time that they look forward to but… communicate that everyone in the family will get a chance to enjoy a favorite custom or have a favorite food.

What I find in the “success” stories I’ve heard is that when PERCEPTIONS and EXPECTATIONS we’re discussed, reframed, and planned there was less stress; especially for the leader of the family gatherings, therefore more overall enjoyment of the holiday season.

Enjoy the 2010 holiday season. But please don’t let your own expectations taint this part of the year.  Work on being open to the different generations around you, and how they see this time as well.

 

Mike Waters is the Health Promotion director for Timberhill Athletic Club

If you have any good methods for managing family stress during the holidays please contact him via e-mail or 541 – 207 – 4368.

An article from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

About 24 million Americans have diabetes. It’s the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputations and new-onset blindness in adults nationwide. It’s also a major cause of heart disease and stroke. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the chances of developing serious damage to the eyes, nerves, heart, kidneys and blood vessels.

Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for up to 95% of all diabetes cases, is strongly linked with excess weight and inactivity. Past studies have shown the short-term benefits of lifestyle interventions to help people with diabetes control their weight. The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial, chaired by Dr. Rena Wing of the Miriam Hospital/Brown Medical School, aims to look at the long-term effects. The ongoing study is sponsored by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), along with NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To continue this article...

It is often thought that stress comes from a demanding boss, pressures at home with roommates, partners or children, or events like rush hour traffic when you are late to a meeting.  All these situations may be triggers but stress is actually the body's reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-flight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress hormones, and comprised of such physiologic changes as increased heart rate/blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar levels. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger (Donatelle. 2006).

The stress reaction is internal, not external.  It provides us with the necessary strength and energy to either fight or run away from danger and is therefore self-protective.  Our bodies can function with a certain level of stress but when the multitude of stressful situations faced in modern living start to build up, and there is no clear fight or flight situation, the excess energy is stored in our bodies and we stay in a heightened state of arousal for many hours on end.  Exercise is the most logical way to dissipate this overabundance of energy.

Physical activity involves any type of movement that requires energy.  This can include walking the dog, doing chores around the house, yard work, and getting up from your desk to move around.  This level of activity is good for our bodies but in order to achieve the greatest health benefits it is essential to include some activities that make your heart work harder.  Some of these activities include brisk walking, hiking, swimming, dancing, playing basketball, and playing racquetball.  Strength training activities include push ups, lifting weights, and pull ups.  They make your muscles stronger and are also important in total body fitness.

Exercise increases your overall health.  Participants engaging in regular physical activity display more desirable health outcomes across a variety of physical conditions than those who are more sedentary including better general health, greater quality of life, better functional capacity, and improved mood status.  According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise has some direct stress-busting benefits.

• It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner's high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can contribute to this same feeling.
• It's meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in the pool, you'll often find that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated only on your body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.
• It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise also can improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All this can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

The best way to get started is to choose an activity, sport, or game that you enjoy, and then sign up for a league, set an appointment with a trainer, schedule in the time needed at the gym, commit to a class, or arrange to workout with a friend.  Physically and socially, working out with a friend or in a group is proven to be a powerful incentive; to keep you motivated and engaged. 

Find an activity that you enjoy and get started today!  Drain off the excess stress in your life with a commitment to engage in regular exercise. 

Works Cited

Donatelle, RJ.  (2006).  Access to Health.  San Francisco: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings

Mayo Clinic. (2010, July 23). Exercise and stress: Get moving to combat stress. Retrieved October 5, 2010, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036

It is important to create goals, but what's the important elements of a GOOD goal? 

SPECIFIC - I will exercise regularly very week.

MEASURABLE - I will go to the gym for an hour three times a week.

ACHIEVABLE - Make sure your goal is realistic - seven days a week in the gym is not only too much, but not achievable.

CHALLENGING - This is a gut check - is your goal 'easy' -- or does it push you?  You'll know.

Look at your calendar and decide when you will be coming into the gym this week.

There are many different research studies on various stress personalities.  Keep in mind, as we've been
told for years, stress is normal.  It's our personality, and there is a "stress trait" that dictates how each of us handles stress.  As I discuss a couple of these, see if there's a "stress style" that you fit into.   Remember as the experts tell us, the key to managing stress is to be aware of how we react to it, and how we work on changing how we cope with it.

Cognitive theory     
Key researchers are Ellis, Bandura, Beck

Cognitive theory  is the biggest overall stress theory.  Many key stress experts in the field believe that our stress personalities are shaped from our family genetic trait and from the environment we grew up in.   The areas of our lives that we enjoy or fear are shaped in our minds by early life experiences.   If one has grown up with a positive experience of having fun with physical activity, then they're more apt to seek that experience as a positive coping skill, the thing to do, through their life span.  Conversely, if one hasn't had a positive experience with fitness or any aspect of life as they grew up, then being put in that situation creates a tremendous amount of personal stress.
A big part of this theory talks about the area of "Self Efficacy" which is defined as having or developing the self-confidence to do a task, a job, or even working at being healthy.  There are various mental health stress management experts who help people work through the old beliefs, and help them reform new ones.  

The Hardy-Resilient personality vs the Helpless personality   
Key researchers are Frankl. Kobasa, Seligman

Dr. Martin Seligman is the current expert in this area.  He has looked at a full spectrum of research, from the Cognitive theory to key work looking at the Resilient model from the experts, Victor Frankl, and Susan Kobasa.  Why do some people thrive (re: cope very well) in highly stressful emotional and environmental conditions and others just fall apart?   Seligman found what prison camp survivor Dr. Victor Frankl ( "Mans search for meaning")  learned that people who have this trait live life with PURPOSE and MEANING.  They have a strong sense of self and are self-aware of how they fit into the world around them.  They are optimistic about life and the people around them   There are several great books and speakers that talk about how to develop some of these traits.   One of the major coping strategies that resilient people do is called finding a "Locus of Control"   Having a feeling in their daily life that things look bright. Overall things are good, having a "sense" that even with all the negative going on in the world, and promoted through the media, life is good.
Interestingly, people who exercise find this "Locus of Control".  It's been well documented in over 35 years of research that runners, walkers, and swimmers use their workouts to help give them these feelings.

There are many more stress personality/stress theories.  I just wanted to introduce 2 of the main ones.  We all have stress.  The key is to learn about your stress style and learn positive coping techniques to deal with it.    There are several very qualified mental health experts in the area.  They can talk to you about these theories and how they relate, or not to you.   If you're under extreme chronic stress, and it is impacting your health, please seek one of these experts.

 Mike Watersis the Director of Health Promotion at Timberhill Athletic Club, 541-207-4368.

Almost a month into the school year, I find myself still mourning the passage of summer.  All the good intentions of June drowned poolside by the first of July, and the hurried pace of the Academic Calendar means I must wait another nine months to face those intentions again.  The garage never got organized, curriculums never written, certifications went without renewal. 

Yet, even as I rue a lack of accomplishment, there are no regrets.  All that was left undone, was replaced by memories sure to last longer than a clean shelf.  Like the night in late August when I watched my son absorb every last drop of sunlight, while perfecting his triple twist down the curvy blue slide at TAC.

I marveled as he traversed the stairs, rode the blue wave in a tight V-sit,  and enjoyed the splash just long enough to paddle back to the wall.  Flexing his triceps he immerged from the water, smiled and waved, and then did it again.

The trainer in me analyzed his every move.    I chuckled as I realized that, completely without intention, my son was creating a model exercise program.  His slide regime included cardio, toning, and core work  . . . while incorporating the most key element of all: enjoyment.

Our exercise goals and routines are often filled with good intentions.  We plan to start afresh in the fall while the kids are in school, promise to get back on track the first of the year when the weather drives us inside anyhow, vow to get out more once the sun is shining.  We make lists, write up schedules, highlight classes we want to take.  Still, too often, all our good intentions are about as appealing as cleaning the garage.

The secret to success in fitness is to find joy.  What makes you happy? 

For some people shaking their hips in a Zumba class leaves them smiling for days.  Others find quiet contentment in Yoga.  Some want to hear the blare of Katy Perry singing Hot-n-Cold while their feet Spin to the rhythm.  Others prefer their own tunes, whispering in their ears, as they press through the Eliptical. 

Whether in Step Class or Core, Pilates or Group Power, wherever you find delight is where you belong.  Because it is that delight that will draw you back again and again.

Nothing concerns me more as a trainer than a client who says to me: "I've decided I'd like to start running.  The only problem is I hate running."  Exercise is always hard, but it doesn't have to be miserable.

What we do not enjoy, is an intention we will never keep.

When we find pleasure (even in the pain), then we have found that which will outlast the cleanest of shelves.  As you seek a healthier life, may you also find your happy place.

Tip Of The Week:

Take a break!

 

With school back in session and fall approaching fast, it's easy to get overwhelmed and over-worked. So take a break! Allow yourself to set limits on work hours and then rest before finishing a task.  This will allow clearer thought process and better quality of work in whatever you do!
Schedule a Massage or a Facial at TAC.  Sit in the hot tub or sauna.  

Schedule in your workout time to be sure you keep that appointment!

Okay, all of you that are highly motivated. Have found an exercise "ritual and routine" that you look forward to doing (notice what I'm saying here, "look forward to doing not dreading”).  All of you that have this, don't read this any further. Go workout. Enjoy. Have fun (again, notice the difference in my coaching. I'm NOT saying to do this to lose weight, lower your lipids, or balance your blood sugar. Etc.).  Now, those of you who are having a hard time staying motivated or finding a way, a style of exercising, keep reading.

First off, I'm not going to talk about the health benefits of exercising. We've been there, done that. Research has shown that constantly reminding the public about all the great benefits doesn't help motivate people to workout. Even a high percentage of people who've had a heart attack, don't stay motivated enough to continue, knowing full well that the next cardiac event…..could be fatal.

I'm going to ask you for a moment to not think about health and fitness. Don't think about losing weight, or getting stronger. I want you to think about…….YOU. Who….. Are…….You? In the area of adult development we talk about the area of "trait self". That is, who you are. What's your style… your personality?

Now, here's a key. We're not talking about bad habits or being critical of self. It's more about asking yourself:  Who am I, and how do I do things? When I take time for ME, what do I like to do? How do I go about it.

Now if I were teaching a class in health and fitness, I would spend the first few sessions on this. Until we know who we are, what we like to do in different aspects of our life, we won't know what we'll like to do in our personal health behaviors.

Here's the last key for now. When we do this self-inventory, when we're honest with ourselves and say "this is me, this is how I like to do it"... the fitness, diet, health plan is not that difficult. In fact, the level of self-motivation goes up significantly! We don't need outside influences to motivate us. Our, compliance, participation level is very high. It's then, when we go about health this way, we reduce the risk factors for disease. We get the benefits we seek.

When we enjoy that moment of a personal health experience through our daily lives, it's not a struggle. It's not being disciplined. It makes life that much more enjoyable.

Mike Waters is the health promotion director at TAC. He also helps people with their health plans through "health conversations" you may e mail him or call him at 207 – 4368

The future of Heart health is here…..

Heart disease prevention should be a top priority for everyone. Cardiovascular disease claims over 900,000 lives each year in the United States, and has been the number one killer in all but one year since 1900. What most people don’t know is that heart disease prevention and even reversal is now a reality.

The Research in understanding what factors create heart disease is changing. With this new knowledge doctors and cardiovascular researchers are helping us to learn the role of vitamin supplementation in the prevention of coronary artery disease.

Heart disease can be prevented and even reversed, so learn more today so you can live a longer, healthier life.
Read more here.

Also, join us September 13, 14, 15 at Timberhill Athletic Club for 3 days of Heart Health information.  This will include free blood pressure checks using new technology. 
View all TAC Upcoming Events here.

The first day back to class after vacation, long runs, hikes, or bike rides feel great while you're moving, but they can leave you feeling really sore the following day. To ease your pain, don't skip working out the next day since light exercise gets your blood moving, which can help heal microscopic muscle tears. It is those tiny tears, not lactic acid, that create sore and tight muscles. The day after a difficult or longer-than-usual workout, your body will appreciate a light jog, short walk, gentle stretching, or some moderate strength training exercises. Try it and see.