Botox can smooth away expression lines caused by stress and make you look relaxed, but it can’t take the stress of shopping for that perfect gift, cleaning and baking, and making time for festivities in your already overloaded schedule.
Although it may be hard to see in their faces, many of my clients tell me they feel overwhelmed this time of year.
I am not immune to getting stressed out around the holidays, but I have found a healthy way to reduce stress and to kick up my energy level.
Five days a week, I go to Fit Club for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts.
As with most people, I struggled to make the time for self-care. That’s why I find the 30-minute HIIT workout at Fit Club to be a perfect fit. I just show up, the coaches tell me what to do, and I leave all my stress on the “blue” (the gym floor).
HIIT involves short bursts of activity at maximal intensity followed by periods of recovery. It’s a highly efficient way to burn calories and build lean muscle mass. It’s also a great way to feel kickass. I always feel so powerful when I go full out. The 30 second bursts are so short that you can really push yourself.
We all know that exercise helps to reduce stress, improves our cardiovascular health, revs up our libido and helps us manage our waistlines. I’ll let you in on another perk that is specific to HIIT—it actually turns back the hands of time on a cellular level.
HIIT boosts mitochondrial capacity which is the cell’s ability to take in oxygen and produce energy. The greater your mitochondrial capacity, the greater capacity you will have to breathe in, transport, and use oxygen to exercise as well as to maintain healthy cell function.
In the study, “Enhanced Protein Translation Underlies Improved Metabolic and Physical Adaptations to Different Exercise Training Modes in Young and Old Humans” that appeared in Cell Metabolism, the researchers concluded, “HIIT training in young and older adults increased VO2 peak, insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial respiration, FFM [fat-free mass], and muscle strength.”
I am a huge fan of HIIT and my gym Fit Club, but you may love dancing or swimming. Whatever exercise feels good to you will go a long way to helping you live your best life not just during the holiday season but year-round.
I can help you to look more relaxed and rested, but I want my clients to feel as good as they look and to live healthy, happy lives. Make your mental and physical health a priority and take the time to take care of you.
