Hi all, thanks for tuning in again. We’re getting close to the end of the winter season, so here are some helpful tips so you can prime your mood’s before the start of spring 🏃🏋️
Below you can find a detailed update about my Top 3 Articles that were published since late January (i.e. since my last Newsletter). Enjoy and learn lots!
1. Why Does Exercise Hurt?
- Humans did not evolve to perform regular exercise. Instead we were meant to rest and conserve energy when possible.
- Exercise causes inflammation. This is true particularly in the beginning phases of a new workout regime.
- Over time, however, this decreases, making exercise more and more enjoyable.
- Prolonged periods in between workouts. After prolonged periods of not working out, our body becomes used to this new state of being.
- When we make a comeback, our expectations may exceed our capabilities, and we often push ourselves too far.
- You can decrease muscle soreness during your workout by decreasing your exercise intensity, incorporating exercise gamification, recruiting a fitness buddy, as well as by tweaking your nutrition (more about this in the article).
- Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a common experience after intense workouts, particularly following a prolonged period of rest.
- DOMS occurs as a result of microscopic injuries to the muscle.
- Your body responds by repairing the damage, and in turn adapts your newly designed muscle fibers to the added stressors to avoid future “injury”.
- You can decrease pain associated with DOMS through light exercises, taking a warm bath, stretching and by getting a massage.
- For more information, check out my full article.
2. Group Exercise and Endorphins
- Group exercise has been shown to be effective in increasing exercise motivation in the long term and increase feelings of euphoria following exercise.
- It can help you push past the more difficult phases of your workout and expose you to some competition which can increase your internal reward system.
- Furthermore, group exercise is more effective than exercising alone when it comes to stress reduction, motivation, accountability and increasing self-confidence.
- Common types of group exercise includes Yoga, Tai-Chi, Bootcamps, H.I.I.T, aquatics, as well as cycling and running.
For more information about the the benefits of group exercises, check out this link.
3. How Swimming in Cold Water Boosts Your Endorphins
- Swimming in Cold Water is considered a form of Cryotherapy.
- Cryotherapy is a well-researched topic in the field of health and fitness.
- Benefits include, but are not limited to: decreasing pain and inflammation within the body, decreasing stress levels, decreasing depressive and anxiety symptoms.
- Some research concludes that swimming in cold water can be considered an effective treatment for depression. However, more research is needed to confirm this statement.
- Cryotherapy gets part of its mental health benefits from a release of endorphins following the exposure to the cold.
- Before you decide to go for a swim in the cold, however, ensure to prepare carefully. Keep your exposure to the cold to a minimum (i.e. ~10 minutes max.), take proper clothing to warm up quickly following your swim, and ensure to exposure your body to the cold gradually instead of fully immersing it right away.
- Are you ready to give it a shot and experience the benefits for yourself?
For more information about the the benefits of swimming in cold water, as well as important practical tips and considerations, please check out this link.
Weekly Quote – Personal Growth
Every Moment of One’s Existence, One is Growing Into More or Retreating Into Less.
Norman Mailer