For those who don't remember Silken's physically & emotionally brutal journey - in May 1992 at the world rowing competition, 10 weeks before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics - Silken was in a horrific rowing accident. Sparing you the gore & mangled muscles, Silken required 5 surgeries & weeks of intensive rehab- and she was told she would never row competitively again. Silken in perfectly Olympic physical & emotional fitness refused to succumb to such a diagnosis. She fought back - and won the bronze for Canada. She shared with me the many ways her physical and emotional strength continue to propel her through life's inevitable hardships. She co parents a profoundly autistic daughter, work demands, personal challenges. Life's hardships seem endless but our ultimate training is deflecting the many daily Katyusha rockets launched our way.
A quick physiological reminder here - our immune system - that is there to protect us from the common cold to cancer - is a pumpless system. It is reliant on strong muscles to pump it through the body. We often refer to a person who is of stronger emotional resilience as "thicker skinned" - impervious to the barrage of daily darts. And that oh so yummy muscle mass is the body's best method of managing insulin. When insulin whacks out - so does our moods!
The key aspects of building emotional strength are:
*Self discipline - Self Control
*Effective Stress Management Skills
We build our thick skin the same way we build our muscle mass.
Reach.....Push......Reach....Push...... Feel burned out....Step it up a notch!
That surge of empowering hormones deflects those killer Katyushas.
Doing cardio respiratory fitness is the very best way to open the mind and envisage new ideas. Have a serious stressor causing you to lose sleep? Get on a treadmill or elliptical & fly. The sweatier & filthier the workout - the more the mind opens & thinks unstoppably. It forces us to breathe & oxygenate - & yes - rattle those hormones into a melodious harmony of power & creativity. Our racing heartbeat not only brings in fresh oxygen - it brings in a fresh outlook. BTW - I always recommend resistance based cardio respiratory fitness. Work those power pump muscles - really pump that blood, hard, back to the heart!
Those of us who are resistance training junkies know the infinite, truly indescribable rewards of graduating to a new level. Man or woman - and btw if you are a woman who worries 'bout "getting ripped" - you are missing out. My blessing for you that you get "too ripped" - is your biggest problem in life.
We fitness fanatics know factually there is a direct correlation between our reach in exercise - and our reach in our emotional, spiritual & intellectual lives. The harder we push ourselves in a workout - the harder we push ourselves through life's challenges. Exercise is the very best form of stress management. Turning to typical indulgences to relieve stress - smoking, alcohol, bingeing......these are all known physiological stressors - which by definition only increases stress. The bodily damage from these assailants ultimately makes us look & feel worse - because they are destroying us. Exercise - now you feel empowered and in control - we control our lives - our lives are not controlling us. Letting physiologically addictive substances - alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, saturated fat, salt govern behavior is breeding helplessness.
Helplessness is debilitating & metastatic, however, treatable with exercise....feeling strong, pumped & focused is extremely invigorating.
We also know that not all workouts are created equally - fact is some days we are more energized than others...and some days we have to push a lot harder. Our daily lives are no different. Even if we have a day where we just take an easier walk on the treadmill - we feel we put in effort, oxygenated & toned - which equates to "ready"mode for our daily dilemmas. Remember to always give yourself a shout out for even smaller accomplishments:
I got up to go to the gym before work
I took Fido for a long walk
I added 5 pounds to the leg press
I added 2 reps to the set
I brought a healthy lunch to work and didn't eat fast food
I did not touch the cookies at work
I went for a workout instead of drinks after work
I cut back on cigarettes daily - until I stop
I controlled the lowering of that weight (eccentric movement) at the gym and defied the force of gravity - - just as I control my behavior and destiny
Everything I need to know about life coping skills - I learned getting fit!
Shira Litwack
Medical Fitness Professional,Lifestyle & Weight Management Coach,Fitness & Nutrition for chronic illness recovery, Radio Talk Show Host/Producer bestinhealthradio
http://www.bestinhealthradio.com/
http://www.fitfan4fun.com/
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