Yes! Exercise can help you if you're stressed and exhausted.

It has been widely documented that regular physical activity can decrease depression; stress levels and increase general wellbeing. Numerous studies have proven the physiological and psychological benefits of regular physical activity on our mental state.

So, we know that exercise can help you manage stress but this all depends upon the level of stress you are under and the amount of time you have been stressed.

Following a period of excessive stress we can suffer from adrenal fatigue. Which is, in basic terms, a condition that results when our adrenal glands fail to meet the demands placed upon them. (Adrenal glands produce numerous hormones that impact our development and growth, affect our ability to deal with stress, and help to regulate kidney function).

There are different levels of adrenal fatigue and most of us have been affected at one time or another from stage one which could be produced from a busy ‘week from hell’ at work or an uncomfortable situation with a partner or loved one. This would typically manifest itself as becoming anxious or flustered quickly, feeling exhausted in the evening or being ‘jumpy’ at sudden movements or loud noises. These symptoms should dissipate as soon as the stressful situation is removed and the individual can return to normal and regular exercise and therefore gain the benefits associated with regular activity.

However, if you have been extremely stressed for a long period of time then you might find yourself entering into the next stages of adrenal fatigue. This is when the stress hormone Cortisol’s production becomes affected; individuals become tense, get sick easily, feel tired and unmotivated and eventually after a prolonged period of stress this could lead to sleeplessness and lack of functionality throughout the day. In these extreme cases heavy and or long periods of exercise should be completely halted for six to eight weeks in order to let the body heal and hormone levels return to normal. I would advise low intensity activities such as deep breathing, gentle forms of Yoga, corrective stretching, Tai – Chi and easy pace walking during this time.

It would be advisable to get medical advice to check the stress levels in your body before returning to harder physical activity.

In summary, typical stress suffered over short periods of time can be helped with harder regular exercise but individuals suffering more prolonged periods of stress (as described above) need to proceed with caution, slow down and embark upon much lower levels of intensity during physical activity. 

2 workout junkies. 2 different stories.

Liz Woodgate 

Liz Woodgate (47...... Sorry Liz) is not your ‘normal’ client. She is one of those people that spend their weekends (and some days throughout the week) running or cycling though mountains and scrambling up and down rocky unstable surfaces....... for hours and hours on end. She loves it and is, what I term, an endurance junkie. She is also a very experienced one. Last year she entered into her ninth Oxfam Trailwalker http://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/ ('Take on the Ultimate team challenge - Tackle 100km of Australian bush within 48 hours as a team of four, and make a difference by raising funds to help overcome poverty and injustice around the world.') However, her ninth Trailwalker was a self confessed ‘nightmare’ that saw Liz retiring at 89kms. She attributes this to lack of strength training and poor nutrition. 

When Liz started strength training with us she told me she had ‘unfinished business’ and was determined to go to Trailwalker number 10 and get the job done Liz Woodgate style. We stuck to the basic lifts of Barbell Back Squat, Barbell Dead Lift, Barbell Bench Press and Wide Grip Chins. 6 reps x 4 sets (3 sec lowering phase and 1 sec lifting phase).

Liz and Team Ongoing Concern finished 12^th out of 550 teams in a time of 17 hours and 45 minutes. Liz says, “I felt so strong because of the strength training I had been dong with Innervate, I did not look at any of the hills and think - Oh shit!, I pulled up better after the race and felt really solid throughout the event." 

Liz also runs a mean bookkeeping business check her out at http://www.ongoingconcern.com.au/

Martin Quax

Martin hits his Personal Best on the Sumo Dead lift!

Martin was another endurance junkie that had never done any strength training before or any of the major lifts. He had very little musculature and was experiencing lower back pain during long runs.

We did a few weeks of Movement Pattern Base Training using Squats, Lunges, Bends, Pushes, Pulls and Twists. This was with body weight and lighter loads. We ironed out any imbalances, we used SMR (Self Myofascial Release using the foam roller) and stretches, we mobilised his ankles and thoracic spine and fired up his neural pathways so he was able to move effectively. Once I was happy that, he was ready to start lifting heavier loads. We worked together on Bar Bell Back Squats, Front Squats, Lunges, Dead lifts (sumo and normal), Bench Presses and Chin Ups.

Martin was able to run for longer without pain, he has added muscle mass to his frame, he is stronger in all lifts, his posture has dramatically improved. In March 2011 he completed the Six Foot Track Marathon in the Blue Mountains well within his target time. (http://www.sixfoot.com/).

 “Training with Innervate has complemented my running and I have become a stronger, more balanced runner, with less injuries. In the second half of the race I kept on overtaking other runners. Recovery after the Six Foot was also shorter than I was used to.”

Finally, Martin was doing some home maintenance recently and fell off a ladder and directly onto it landing on his ribs and back. He says, ‘I am certain that I would have suffered more serious injuries had this occurred prior to strength training with Innervate. As it was I walked away with bruising and got back on track remarkably quickly.’

Get in touch if you want us to prepare you for any type of challenge event. We'd love to blog about your progress and goals. 

Contact Lisa Brown at info@innervate.net.au

10 Simple Nutrition Tips

Let’s not kid ourselves: It does not matter how much exercise you do, if you do not get your nutrition right you will not see the results you want. If you put junk in your body you will feel like junk. If fat loss is your goal then 80% of the equation is food intake. So, here are 10 simple Nutrition tips you can implement into your week to help you on your way to Live Better, Move Better, Work Better and Feel Better.

1. Learn how much food your body needs and work out how much you are actually taking in. A good place to start is to work out your BMR ( Basal Metabolic Rate: the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day) http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

2. Don't skip meals especially Brekkie. Develop a regular eating schedule of three meals and two or three snacks per day. See http://www.innervate.net.au/reduce-body-fat/ 

3. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

4. Eat plenty of lean protein: remove the skin (e.g Chicken Breast, Lean Beef, Fish, Egg Whites)

5. Get rid of the white stuff (white flour, white pasta, white sugar, white rice and simple carbs)

6. Increase your water intake

7. Be prepared, pack your food in your bag for the office, have healthy snacks in your desk drawer.

8. Don't drink your calories

9. Work Out regularly (I know you know but I thought I’d remind you).

10. Don’t make excuses: too busy, too tired, too lazy, need to put my loved ones first. You need to prioritize your health. You cannot look after anyone else if you don’t have your own well being in check.