According to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), 45% of Americans say that they exercise to help reduce stress. Exercise is one of many healthy behaviors that can help people deal with stress and is part of one of the steps to building resilience, taking care of oneself.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) offers the following reasons that you should turn to exercise to cope with stress and anxiety:

1) Exercise can help you feel less anxious. Exercise is being prescribed in clinical settings to help treat nervous tension. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. People have been observed to be less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.

2) Exercise can help relax you. One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or the endorphin response. We now know that many neurotransmitters, not just endorphins, are involved. The important thing is not what they’re called, but what they do - they improve your mood and leave you feeling more relaxed.

3) Exercise can help make you feel better about yourself. Think about those times when you’ve been physically active. Haven’t you felt better about yourself? Those feelings of accomplishment and greater self-worth contribute to stress relief.

4) Exercise can encourage you to eat better. People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food, and it’s no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

Don’t skip a chance to exercise. Take an exercise break every 90 minutes and you’ll be doing yourself a favor. 90 minutes intervals are a natural work-break period. And four 10-minute exercise breaks at this time will burn about as many calories as a solid 40-minute session. Work-break exercises can be as simple as walking or climbing stairs, stretching or doing calisthenics at your desk.

Let’s put our hand together and wish “Happy Birthday” to our lead instructor, YM Tengku Norihan. She was born today (25th August) in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Send your wishes via these channels:

1) Email: bodypowerfc@yahoo.com

2) SMS: 017-9381249

3) Leave comments on this blog.

We may post the wishes via channel 1 & 2 on this blog later.

You’ll tone your legs and butt as you flab with this fun aerobic activity.

Equipment/instruction needed: A good pair of walking shoes and comfortable clothes is a must. A pedometer is also a great ideas, as many fitness experts are advocating that people strive for 10,000 steps per day for maintaining good health as well as burning calories.

The pleasure of walking: The health benefits associated with walking are impressive. This activity improves cardiovascular efficiency, lowers blood pressure, relieves stress, reduces body fat, strengthens leg and abdominal muscles and could even improve the quality of your sleep. You’ll improve your muscle tone and strength with a walking workout. It tones and strengthens calves, thighs, ankles and feet, as well as arms, shoulders, abs, hips and buttocks. Walking also does its part toward preventing bone loss, which in turn can deter the development of osteoporosis. You’ll burn up to 240 calories per hour when you move at a 3-mile-an-hour pace. Best of all, walking is one of the best ways to cheer up a blue mood.

The pitfalls of walking: There is always a risk of injury while walking. Be careful that you don’t step on an uneven surface and twist or sprain your ankle. There are also safety concerns: always walk in a well-lit site with plenty of pedestrian traffic and let a friend or family member know where you are going and when you are expected to return. Some then can notify the police if you haven’t arrived home within a reasonable amount of time.

Make this move: Try power walking at a brisk pace around a track or your neighborhood. As you walk, squeeze your butt as you plant your heel on the ground, then push off from the toe. Also walk uphill regularly to further firm and shape your butt.