Stress Management
Guidelines for Exercise and Mental Health
Recommended guidelines for exercise and mental health, which facilitators like personal trainers or group exercise instructors can use.
Virtual Stress Reduction
A recent study shows that viewing a virtual illusion of exercising from a first-person perspective can stimulate feelings of stress reduction.
Nature Walks Reduce Stress
If you offer nature activities, be sure to promote the relaxation rewards and not just physical benefits, since nature walks reduce stress.
Journaling Prompts
As we settle into 2022, Yoga Journal contributor Milan Sundaresan offers 10 pointers on using journaling to create the life you want.
Holiday Self-Care
The words holiday and self-care may not seem like they go together. For some of us, celebrating the holidays can be a monumental effort often filled with stress. Before the whirlwind of the season starts, recommit to a workable routine of holiday self-care.
Stress Physiology
We all intuitively understand the growing and widespread impact of stress on mental health, but stress physiology is just as deleterious.
Self-Care Tips for Summer
The past couple years have been a long haul for you and your clients, and now is a great time to review some self-care tips. Enjoy the summer with these…
How to Help Someone Who Is Grieving
Sooner or later, most of us lose someone we care about, and since the start of the pandemic, loss has visited more of us than ever. The pain can be…
Turn Up Mindful Exercise to Turn Down Stress
Research on coronavirus-related stress suggests a link between exercise and stress: those who keep movement up have better mental health outcomes.
10-Minute Natural Stress Relief
Your clients may feel fairly stressed after being quarantined, so why not advocate for their overall health by encouraging them to be active in nature?
Prebiotics for Better Sleep
Prebiotics are best known for supporting gut health, but they can also improve sleep and enhance stress resilience, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder say prebiotics—dietary fibers that nourish the gut’s microbiome—create a symbiotic relationship with the body that affects the brain.
Mindful Movement May Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Encouraging clients to increase body awareness and pay attention to their surroundings when being physically active may reduce stress.
Use Stress to Fuel Peak Performance
You’ve been training for a 10K. You’re ready, but when you show up on race day, your heart is pounding and you feel panicked. What should you do to lower your stress? Some people might say, “Take a deep breath.” We all know that deep breathing to calm the nervous system is a go-to strategy for dealing with stress. But is it always the best strategy?
Cutting Facebook Lowers Stress Levels
Need to cut some stress out of your life? Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia say that taking breaks from Facebook can help.
Their study included 138 active Facebook users who were asked to either take a 5-day fast from the social media platform or maintain current usage. Each person self-reported on their well-being and stress levels and underwent salivary cortisol tests before and after the intervention.
Too Little Or Too Much Sleep Poses Health Risks
National University College of Medicine in South Korea warns that sleeping more than 10 hours a night might be worse.
New Mindful Outdoor Leadership Program
As green exercise and the health benefits of spending time in nature gain more prominence in popular and scientific news, the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is introducing a Mindful Outdoor Leadership Program in October.
The curriculum includes elements of forest bathing, Ayurveda, yoga, outdoor skills, and research related to nature’s health benefits.
Question of the Month
When you offer training advice to clients, are you discussing the significance of sleep? If yes, are you using sleep trackers and monitoring results? Please describe how you are educating clients regarding the role of sleep in effective training and weight management and share any success stories you have had.
Share your responses with executive editor Joy Keller, [email protected].
Stress and Nutrition
Feeling stressed? You’re not alone! The trick is knowing what to do about it.
Research tells us that stress-relieving strategies include making a concerted effort to minimize stressors, engaging in meditation and physical activity, and nurturing strong social relationships.
That’s good advice, but it ignores the common plan that many of us resort to: the “comfort food” strategy.
Research Update: The Value of Exercise for Women’s Health
Fitness pros have a unique opportunity to take a leadership role by guiding their female clients toward a healthier, movement-oriented lifestyle. This women’s health research update discusses contemporary scientific findings you can use to educate your clients and plan up-to-date programs.