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Stress Management

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Recovery Strategies

Stress Costs Billions

Americans are stressed out, and it’s costing billions. Consumers are spending more money than ever to combat the effects of stress, and companies are struggling with how to manage the business-related costs. Next year, according to Market Data, Americans will pay out an estimated $14 billion on products and services to reduce stress—up $3 billion from the amount consumers s…

Mantra Repetition Increases Well-Being

Teaching your clients how to begin a mantra practice may offer them a simple tool to relieve stress and anxiety and to improve quality of life. Certain meditation techniques use repetition of a word or phrase, known as a mantra (or mantram), to aid in quieting the mind and restoring calm. Mantra repetition requires no special equipment and can be used anywhere; the practice is done silently, does not disrupt others and costs nothing.

Body-Mind Therapies and Gastrointestinal Disorder

Studies suggest that a variety of mind-body therapies are helpful in reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic pancreatitis. The therapies include cognitive therapy, hypnotherapy, and a sequence of Iyengar yoga poses to manage pain and anxiety. Mechanisms for why these therapies are successful are unclear….

Still the Mind, Calm the Rheumatoid Arthritis

Utilizing meditation to reduce stress has shown promise in alleviating some symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, California …

Stress in the Workplace

In the United States during the 5-year period from 1998 to 2003, more workplace disability benefits were paid for mental health disorders than for any other complaints besides musculoskeletal disorders, according to a report released in June 2005 by the Social Security Administration (SSA Pub. No. 11–11543). More and more workers are claiming that depression and anxiety compromise thei…

Guided-Imagery Skills Relieve Stress

Do you include visualization in your mind-body cool-downs? Visualizing comforting images reduces stress levels—that much has been known for some time. Now scientists have verified that individuals who are skilled at “seeing” mental imagery reduce their stress levels more than those who are less adept at the task. The study, published in Alternative Therapies in Health…

Real-Life Stress Management Cues

You invest a lot of time and energy into clearing your space and helping your participants “de-stress.” The techniques you use inspire stillness from floor to ceiling.

Take the Stress out of Exercise

Ten days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, and pushed a 10-foot wall of water into Mandeville, a city on the north shore of Louisiana’s Lak…

Yes, On-the-Job Stress Can Kill You

Researchers from University College London have found strong evidence linking on-the-job stress to an increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. According to a study published in the January 21 issue of British Medical Journal (2006; doi:10.1136/bmj.38693.435301.80), stress at work is an important risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
“The study shows …

Young Men With Job Stress at Higher Risk

Scientists continue to find evidence of a relationship between excess stress and the early development of heart disease, underscoring the significance of the body-mind connection. Young men with stressful jobs showed signs of early heart disease compared with peers who performed less stressful work, according to a recent Finnish study published in Psychosomatic Medicine (2005; 67, …

Taming Stress

Welcome to 2006! The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is over, and it’s time to refocus your energy on your fitness career and personal goals.
For many, the new year brings promise and opportunity, but you may feel irritable and angry instead. The period after New Year’s Day is an unpleasant time for many people. The weeks leading up to the holidays are often fill…

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

In the fitness industry, trends come and go. Yesterday’s high-low is today’s Pilates, and only time will tell if the indoor cycling classes that now pack participants wall to wall will eventually go the way of Jane Fonda–era aerobics. A steady stream of development…

Helping Tsunami Survivors

Hundreds of yoga teachers in India are helping tsunami survivors by leading yoga classes and teaching meditation and breathing techniques to people in tsunami-affected areas. According to a report in the Khaleej Times Online, the federal government of India is implementing a mental health program to assist in rehabilitation. Health Secretary P.K. Hota points out that the mental hea…

Enjoying an At-Home Spa Day

Are you feeling tense, anxious or overwhelmed? Would you like to feel more joy, calm and confidence? If so, then consider making a 1-day commitment to personal wellness with an at-home spa experience. Rejuvenate yourself with these spa tricks of the trade from Mary Monroe, a Los-Angeles–based health and spa writer.

Planning to Relax

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moving slow in a fast world

In an era in which Americans are primarily concerned with losing weight and gaining muscle mass, it is no wonder that the slow-moving martial art of tai chi has been a bit of a hard sell.
Tai chi won’t fold under your bed for easy storage, nor will it claim to reduce inches off your waistline in “just 3 minutes a day.” The reality is, however, that those who practice tai chi are likely to get stronger, have less anxiety, move more organically and gracefully, improve their balance and enjoy more flexibility.