That's Fit

I'm a sucker for a good motivational quote or phrase to get me exercising or bring me up out of a bad mood, and with today's stresses what better phrase than the 1939 classic "Keep Calm and Carry On?" It was originally created by the British as a way to calm people during the outbreak of a war with Germany, but the simple phrase is catching on all over again and people are applying it to all kinds of situations. Stress is a known health hazard, so use this phrase to keep calm and you really will be able to carry on a lot longer.

Via Retro to Go

Yogis seem to a separate group of people -- calm, sensitive, new-agey vegetarian types who wear hemp and shop at health food stores and rescue bugs rather than killing them. But yoga takes all types, and it can benefit you.

Yes, even you, Mr. Sports buff. According to this article from Glee Magazine, Yoga is the type of activity that many people are getting involved in, even pro athletes. And why not? With 18 different styles of yoga, there's sure to be a type that suits anyone. And it has a number of great benefits -- like improving your balance, your flexibility, your strength and your mood.

So what's stopping you from becoming a yogi?

FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

On June 21, hundreds of people celebrated the start of summer on the longest day of the year by commencing yoga class in a city marked by madness. Smack dab in New York City's Times Square, on the island at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets, yoga enthusiasts rolled out their mats and set up shop for the annual Mind Over Madness Yoga event. This year's extravaganza was the largest ever.

The purpose of this yoga fest? To face the challenge of finding tranquility and transcendence in the midst of the world's most commercial and frenetic place.

If ever we all have something in common, it must be the desire to find calm in the midst of chaos. Who doesn't want to breathe easy, rid themselves of anxiety, and tackle life with a peaceful energy? It's human nature to seek serenity.

While summer is behind us and the madness of this official event is long over, it's not to late to pull out your own yoga mat. Take it to the center of your own town if this strikes your fancy. Or simply find a quiet place and strengthen your mind, body, and spirit with the 3,000-year-old practice that is good for every bit and piece of your soul.

Nobody is surprised anymore to hear that stress is unhealthy for the human body in many many ways, including contributing to weight gain and heart disease. But stress is one of those things that no matter how bad we know it is for us it's still difficult to get rid of because it's embedded into our everyday lives. But over at The Diet Blog they came up with a great list of 17 ways to reduce stress, because you can never get too much help or hear too many ideas in that department. My favorites from their list? Listening to music and playing with my cats and dog.

There's this thing that you -- all of you -- can do to reduce stress, to lose weight, to tone your body, to improve your health and to generally feel great. It's called yoga and if you're not doing it yet, you should be. Even if you're pressed for time, or want to spend your gym-time on an exercise that burns more calories than yoga, you should commit just an hour a week to yoga. You'll feel better -- I know you will.

Still have an excuse? Here's what Be Concussions Now has to say:


So get to a yoga class and read this article if you still need inspiration.

People of the new millennium are masters of multi-tasking, but this stressful, hectic, frantic lifestyle can take a toll on our health. A lack of sleep, a lack of physical activity and lack of proper, sit-down meals leaves us ... well ... lacking in health. So for the sake of your body, slow down every now and then.

The folks at eDiets concur -- it's important to do nothing every now and then. According to a study by Harvard University found that 60 to 90 percent of visits to the doctor are stress-related. Yikes! Relaxation can do wonders for you -- it helps calm your mind, and it helps your body recover from stress too.

So here's a challenge. For just a few hours a week -- an afternoon, an evening, you pick -- make a plan to do nothing ... and stick to it.

At various times throughout my life, I've been told to meditate -- but, to be honest, it's always seemed a little weird. My brother is into martial arts, so he's long used the practice to find inner peace and harmony (or something), and he's since converted my dad, who claims it's the best way to wind down after a long day.

So, even though I find it hard to imagine sitting still for any serious amount of time, I've been thinking maybe I should give meditation a chance.

After a little Internet searching, I found this helpful article to get me started. Apparently there's a number of benefits to meditation, including improved concentration, less preoccupation with small problems, better overall health, and "a deeper understanding of [my] inner self."

Sounds good.

As you might suspect, you won't get the most out of meditation until you've spent some time practicing, but here's a few pointers to get you started.

1. Sit with a straight back -- if you lay down, you'll probably fall asleep.
2. Don't eat before meditating, or you'll feel too lethargic.
3. You don't need to sit like Buddha (in the "lotus" position).
4. You don't need to burn incense (unless you want to).
5. Meditation works best early in the morning, so try it right when you wake up.

For more info, check out this post on Pick the Brain.

In this busy world of ours, it's sometimes hard to calm your mind, to just let go after a long day at the office, running errands, or chasing kids. How do you find peace of mind when you're stressed out? Fit Sugar suggests getting yourself some Zen Sticks. It's simply a stick, made out of fine wood, and it forces you to free your mind by making you concentrate on the stick alone.

Try this: When you're close to reaching the end of your rope, close your eyes and toss the stick in the air--not too high--and catch it. It's really hard to think about bills and housework and deadlines when your so focused on catching the stick. That's the key--and a number of celebrities agree that it's a great way to calm your mind in a hurry.

Do you ever feel like you're going to just lose it? Someone cuts you off in traffic and you feel like you're literally seeing red or you find out that a "friend' has been gossiping about you behind your back? Getting angry is totally natural and there are probably a million and one things that can set a person off but the important thing is how you deal with your anger.

I admit that the one thing that always gets me is rude drivers. Someone who speeds up when you put your signal light on to change into their lane so that you can't get in, someone who doesn't bother to use their own signals (they're there for a reason people!), any driver who doesn't offer a thank-you wave after being let in -- the list goes on and on. On more than one occasion, and I'm not proud to admit it, I've lost it and cursed and given nasty gestures. But it's never gotten me anywhere.

If you find yourself having a similar negative reaction to a situation that angers you, it might be a good idea to take a look at some of these tips on anger management. Some may seem a bit silly at first, especially if you're in a rage. But you'd be surprised at how calming deep breathing is and how satisfying it is to go for a run instead of engaging in a yelling match. In the end, you'll come out the biggest winner.

It's kind of sad the way many of us take vacations: we pick somewhere we've always wanted to go and when we get there we spend the whole time rushing from historical landmark A to tourist attraction B and then on to itinerary item C. These types of vacations are fun and memorable, but are they relaxing? I don't know about you but even though I always have a blast, I also always come back from trips like that more tired than I was when I left. Whenever I can I try to give myself an extra vacation day before I'm due back at work, just to recover from my vacation.

Seeing everything there is to see is a great thing, but maybe you don't have to do that every time you plan a big trip. What about going somewhere exotic on a "de-stressing getaway?" Imagine spending your time getting massages and spa treatments, enjoying gourmet spa cuisine, and doing yoga and meditation in Bali, Zanzibar, Thailand, or if you want to stay closer to home even....Iowa?

Different "de-stressing getaways" offer different things, and although they don't come cheap they all have one focus in common: relaxation.

Stress is an extremely subjective term, and an extremely subjective feeling. It doesn't mean the same thing to different people, as everybody reacts to life in their own way. So since there's no across the board "cure," the best tool you have for dealing with stress is learning how to relax, for yourself, and the faster you can do that the better.

Try these 3 simple steps the next time you feel the tension creeping up:

• Don't just "do something relaxing" like watching TV or listening to music (although these may help also) -- make a conscious effort to calm down.
• Exercise. Not only will this relax you, but it will relieve guilt from not working out, and relieving guilt is the same as relieving stress.
• Have fun. Do something you enjoy, everyday. Happiness and fun are natural relaxers -- use them!