We’ve all felt that metaphorical mound of stress on our back that tends to push our posture forward and tighten our shoulder muscles into insane knots.  With all of the pressures in everyday life our fight or flight reactions are working in overtime. Exercise is the most natural way to slow adrenal glands down and rid the body of any harmful chemicals that can cause anxiety or depression.  

If this article and the mere thought of exercise is stressing you out, just know that even low impact exercise is better than none. Be it a quick walk outside in the sunshine or a rigorous one-on-one training session in a personal training studio, any exercise at any level will improve your mood and amp up your energy for a more productive day.

Here are seven known ways exercise can relieve stress:

The Systems Running Your Body:  For us to react positively in negative situations the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, and muscular systems need to run smoothly.  Exercise helps to lubricate these systems and helps to keep the oxygen flowing normally.  Without the proper amount of oxygen to our brain, we can become irritable and feel like we are not fully functioning.

Pumped Up Endorphins :  Ever heard of the runner’s high?After long periods of high intensity exercise, endorphins are released from the brain causing us to feel happy.  Endorphins are nature’s pain reliever.  Don’t believe me?  Try it for yourself and it’s sure that whatever is stressing you out now, will hardly be noticed after a heart pumping jog.   

Meditation for the Mind:  Exercise has a soothing effect on the body but even more so for the mind.  While you are concentrating on the workout you are doing, your mind goes into meditation mode leaving you stress free and relaxed afterward. 

More Organized Thoughts:  If your work or home life is in shambles, we sometimes feel more stressed than we should.  Working with a personal trainer in Chicago to help set up a workout plan can get you track to feeling stress free.  Having an organized and well thought out routine to keep your mind and body healthy will help you apply some of those learned physical training skills to everyday life.  

Immunity: Consistent exercise helps to prevent colds and virus.  During body movement, immune cells circulate quicker and are better able to fight bacteria.  Our immune system grows stronger with exercise just like our muscles.  Keeping your immune system healthy helps to keep levels of stress down by shielding sickness which may cause time away from work, family, or friends.

Personal Bonding: Any chance you get to hang out with friends is a stress reliever in itself.  Take the time to get active by organizing a game of tennis at the local court or gathering in the field for a friendly game of touch football.  Any activity that involves the people you love gives you the chance to relieve stress, share conversation, and have a laugh.  

A More Sound Sleep:  If your everyday job has you sitting still all day, chances are your sleep pattern is not.  Not enough exercise during the day can have you tossing and turning at night, leading up to a stressful and anxious morning. You see a pattern here?  Adequate exercise helps to relieve the body of this draining cycle, helping you sleep soundly at night and work better during the day.

Like we said earlier, just a few minutes of blood pumping exercise is better than none.  It’s important that you switch your routine up every so often to keep workouts fun and stimulating.  Exercise doesn’t have to be boring and you should stick with what you enjoy.  Just remember a good workout reduces tension, stabilizes mood, and improves self-esteem, which is all worth it for you to project your best qualities in a demanding world.

Nervous about your first Chicago personal training session?  Don’t be!  Here are some tips that will help center your mind and calm you down before it finally arrives.

one

Drink plenty of water the night before and the day of your first meeting with your trainer.  You don’t want to feel dehydrated during exertion and keep having to excuse yourself to grab a drink of water.  You want to be able to give your trainer your undivided attention so you can grasp the important techniques he is teaching you.  

two

Give yourself plenty of time to get ready before the first session so you will be at your appointment on time. It could throw your trainers workout plan way off track, and you as well, if you show up late.  If you arrive in plenty of time for a proper warm-up before your session starts, you and your Chicago personal trainer are much more likely to be in sync.

three

Be sure to choose comfortable workout clothing and shoes for your first session.  Pick out clothing that fits properly and that allows your body to stretch and move.  Tops that ride up and show too much skin might make you feel like everyone is looking at you and shoes that pinch are going to keep you from reaching your full potential.  It’s important that your workout clothing is comfortable, so you will be too.

four

Get a good night’s sleep before the day of your first session with your trainer.  Your performance in the gym depends on how many hours of winks you can get.  Sleep helps recover the body from a good workout.  Plus, showing up sleepy for a training appointment will hold you back from getting the most out of your workout.

five

Prepare to answer your trainers questions about your diet and current exercise routine. Your trainer will need to know what your eating habits are like and how much exercise you are getting to create a workout plan that works for you as an individual.  Review these things while you are driving or walking to your appointment to keep your mind off of the nerves.

All in all, you should trust the trainer you hired to get your glutes into shape.  Ask questions and tell your trainer what you feel are your weak points.  He or she wants to help.

With the obesity epidemic being full body tackled in America today, exercise has become a trending topic.  If you are getting on board the train of fitness and have wondered how you are going to keep your motivation in check, here are five reasons why you should consider hiring a personal trainer.  

Motivation and Encouragement:  Personal trainers in Chicago help individuals to overcome feeling discouraged.  Having the right personal trainer can motivate and encourage you when your confidence needs a boost to reach the end of a workout. Personal trainers monitor all exercise routines to ensure you are moving properly and avoiding injury. They give you that extra push to overcome your fears and show you first hand what your body is fully capable of.

Personalized Fitness and Nutrition Plans: Each one of us have a different body type.  Some of us have higher metabolisms, crave different foods, and have a certain goals of what we want to achieve physically.  A personal trainer will discuss your long-term and short-term goals with you, as well as keep you on track with a nutrition plan. Personal trainers guide clients step by step toward success by personally staying involved.

Challenging and Changing Routines:  It’s never necessary to become bored with your workout regimen and if you hire a personal trainer to work with you one-on-one, odds are he or she will keep you entertained.  Personal trainers build up one’s endurance by gradually increasing the challenge of the workout.  Your trainer will keep you from becoming tired of the routine by switching exercises up and keeping you engaged in a fun and exciting routine.

Skill and Discipline Building:  Personal trainers are great at teaching us things about our bodies that we never knew before. They also teach us skills to carry with us throughout everyday life and how to discipline ourselves to get the results we want. Personal trainers are tough on us in the beginning to set us up for how dull or difficult exercise may become in the future.  A personal trainer will teach you how to utilize your self discipline skills for when you feel like you are falling off of the band-wagon.

Fast, Successful Results:  Hiring a personal trainer to keep you consistent with a physical regimen holds fast and successful results.  It’s the trainer’s job to keep you hard at work to maintain health and stay in tip-top shape.  Personal trainers are passionate about the fitness world and take pride in you looking in the mirror to see your successful results.

Its summer time, so going out for a run in the Windy City is back on the menu for the workout happy citizens of Chicago. The Second City has some of the most scenic and enjoyable outdoor landscapes of any major metropolitan city in the U.S.

The Chicagoland area is a hotspot for runners looking for a great place to take a jog or go for a healthy walk. The best personal trainers in Chicago would be able to give a rundown of the best outdoor locations for a great workout.

Lets take a look at a few of the best the city has to offer.

Mandrake Park on Pershing Rd. has a wide four-lane, half-mile track that is made of a composite rubber material. This allows for less strain on the knees of any runner than a traditional concrete surface. Located in the Oakland Community, Mandrake Park also offers basketball courts, tennis courts and baseball diamonds. The park is often bustling with residents of Chicago until well after dark and there are lights that come on late in the day, lending to a workout long after the sun goes down. The park is open seven days a week from 6am to 11pm.

Another of Chicago’s top parks for an outdoor summer workout is Northerly Island located right on Lake Michigan in the middle of the city’s gorgeous museum district. This little-known hotspot has started to gain appreciation for its low-key vibe unlike some of Chicago’s more treacherous bike paths. As long as you go for a workout on a night that is not set up for an outdoor concert, this is a perfect spot for running, cycling and rollerblading. The grassy areas lend to bringing a mat or resistance bands to get a full workout right in the park. The park is available from 9am-5pm on weekdays and closes at 4pm on the weekends.

Looking to get out of the city for a run, Waterfall Glen in Darien will replace the Chicago skyscrapers with beautiful foliage and creeks. In addition to the preserve’s nearly 10-mile loop, there are additional physical activities such as cycling, rowing, golf and hiking through the woods. This scenic alternative is open daily from before sunrise until after sunset.

The best personal trainers in Chicago will always help you get the best out of your routine in the gym, but its hard not to take advantage of these and other great outdoor spots while the weather is nice.

There are a number of professions that allow for all-day exercise made essential by the nature of the work. Construction workers, fishermen and freight handlers have the benefit of getting their daily exercise from the ritual routine of their work.

For the majority of people in the workforce, burning calories throughout the day does not come easy. However, there are ways for those people stuck at a desk or behind a counter all day to get a good workout.

Take a walk during lunch

For many the daily lunch break is a way to unwind and escape from the stresses of work.  These 30-minute segments often result in the brisk consumption of overly gluttonous meals hastily engulfed in an attempt to get back to work promptly. Taking a quick walk a few blocks away to the local deli or through the park each day can help to improve health and get the blood flowing.

Skip the elevator, take the stairs

No one is going to suggest trudging up 38 flights of stairs to reach your desk in a complete sweaty mess. However, taking the stairs up or down a few floors to a meeting or lunch each day will get the heart moving and metabolism up during the day. If taking a break, try going to a bathroom or coffee machine on a different floor by way of the stairs. Think of how many times each day you go for a quick cup of pick me up. Then add up the number a stairs you could climb by using another floor.

Ditch the office chair and find the balance of a better core

Sitting in an office chair no matter how comfortable can lead to a bad back and a sedentary lifestyle. An alternative to this office setting standard can be found with the use of a balance ball. By simply sitting on and balancing yourself on one of these spheres you can work your core and improve posture all at the same time while still allowing you be productive at your post.

Park that spare tire

Everyone that commutes to work in an congested metropolis knows that getting to the parking structure early is the key to that prime spot right next to the elevator. This leaves spots on the seventh floor in the back just waiting to get your heart up.  Choose the road less traveled and it will pay off over time with more energy and a trimmer waistline.

Accepting these and other changes into your daily routine will increase heart rate, burn calories and may help prevent health risks like diabetes that plague the office workforce. For other tips on how to get a little workout during the day consult one of our  personal trainers at Transform..