Quieting Your Mind with Exercise

By Rami Odeh

 There probably has not been a more stressful and uncertain time than 2020. What we are dealing with is scary and unsettling and has a component of daily change that most people are not equipped to handle.

We spend so much of our day glued to our devices, being pushed and pulled by news and external circumstances that we have zero control over, so it’s no wonder anxiety, depression, and stress levels are at their highest as measured in history.

What can we do?

It may sound like a weak platitude that all we can do is control the things in our life that we can control.

We all know that exercise is one, if not the, best method to reduce stress and quiet the constant chatter and noise in our heads, which might be negative self-talk, during stressful and scary times. But how much is enough? How much is too much? What type of exercise is the best for stress relief and peace of mind?

How Can I Find Peace of Mind With Exercise?

 ·                    Avoid the “have to” syndrome

We are defined by the “shoulds” in our life. We all know exercise is good for us, but some days it might be better to just take a relaxing day off and sit by the pool with a good, inspirational, and uplifting book!

·                    Avoid following other people’s programs

It’s fine to use a sample or ideas from an exercise program, but adjust it for your goals and personal limitations.

·                    Learn to be intuitive about your stress

Learn your body’s signals related to stress. We each react differently to stress, so get in touch with your body’s stress signals and adjust accordingly.

·                    Find a partner (as long as they’re calm!)

Make sure your training partner brings you up and allows “grace” when you cannot make a workout, because flexibility in your workout schedule matters. Don’t partner with someone too rigid who adds stress to your life!

·                    Leave your technology at home

Or leave it in the car, or at the very least put your phone on “airplane” mode and take an hour off from outside distractions to focus only on yourself.

·                    Get back to having fun!

Play! Do what you enjoy.

 What Type of Exercise Is Best to Quiet My Mind?

·                    Proper warm-up and cooldown

One of the mistakes people make with exercise (especially people over 40 years of age who need a longer warm-up and cooldown) is jumping right into their workout with no warm-up. This induces an immediate rise in stress hormones and can actually cause you to burn more blood sugar and less body fat, which can lead to a miserable workout and perhaps make you more stressed after the workout! Make sure you warm up very slowly, with a slow walk, gentle rolling on a foam roller, easy biking, and so on for at least five minutes at the beginning of each workout, and do the same to cool down your body at the end of every workout.

·                    Cardiovascular in aerobic zone

Go at “conversation” pace while brisk walking in nature, swimming comfortably, slowly biking on a flat road (NOT in traffic), and so on. Cardio is one of the best forms of exercise to quiet your mind and relax, but make sure you exercise at a level where you can hold a conversation with someone. If you are so out of breath you cannot talk, you are driving yourself into that stress hormone–inducing zone that will not be beneficial for long-term stress relief. If you have access to a heart rate monitor, aim for 60–70 percent of your maximum heart rate.

·                    Yoga

Yoga is a great option for quieting your mind, just consider that it can be difficult for newcomers, so start with an easy beginner’s class and progress slowly. And look for a class that emphasizes the importance of breathing, another important skill to regulate stress.

·                    Stretch class

Stretch classes are another great option, and many free classes are available online. The goal is to hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. Again, it’s critical to warm up adequately for this activity.

·                    Weight training

Lifting weights two or three times a week is very healthy and something everyone could do for health, but, again, don’t push yourself to the point where you start to feel a lot of discomfort when your aim is to de-stress. It’s key to give your body adequate recovery time, even if that means taking a one- or two-week break.

·                    What do you really enjoy?

This should be your “core” exercise. Bottom line, if you love any form of exercise – swimming, running, weight training, dancing, walking, hiking, scuba diving, and so forth – that is what you could do. Don’t do a form of exercise because you “should” or someone said it is the best option for calorie or fat burning. If you like something, you are much more likely to actually stick with it, and exercising will be a way to escape the daily stress, not create another "stressor" in your life because you don’t look forward to it.

How Much Should I Do?

·                    Allow for adequate recovery

Recovery is very individual. To determine whether you’re overtraining, measure your resting heart rate first thing in the morning before exercise. If it’s 10 (or more) beats over normal, take a full day or two off, resuming exercise only when your heart rate returns to normal.

 ·                    Consider stress levels in other areas of life

You can adjust your intensity depending on where your stress levels are. If things are going well, you might decide to push yourself to a higher level of exertion. If you are super stressed, then it’s time to focus on calm, taking an easy hike in nature or a walk in a quiet area.

·                    Follow your intuition, not a rigid schedule

A schedule is great when things are going well, and it helps a ton with compliance. During high-stress periods, it’s good to have a flexible schedule (for example, a goal to do something every morning before breakfast), but allow yourself (and your training partners) the “grace” to miss a workout, or change the time of day, if the situation demands it.

·                    Limited and consistent is better than inconsistent high-volume exercise

I have seen much better results and a higher level of happiness and peace of mind with clients who exercise 20 to 30 minutes consistently versus those who exercise once a week for 60 to 90 minutes. Inconsistent exercise can actually cause more stress because it is such a shock to your body, and more injuries can occur because your body is not ready for the demands that you’re placing on it. The goal is to just move, simply get outside – the rest will come organically.

Rami F. Odeh founded FormWell Personal Fitness Training, located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, in 1999. He has helped more than 5,000 clients achieve their exercise and weight loss goals. In 2019, he sold this business to pursue his next dream career: motivational speaking, writing, and coaching. He has dual master’s degrees, one in industrial psychology and the other in exercise physiology, and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health and fitness specialist. He also worked for 11 years for Northside Hospital in Atlanta as an exercise physiologist in the Outpatient Weight Reduction Clinic and the Diabetes Education Department. He is an amateur triathlete, obstacle course racer, and trail runner. His current life mission is to positively affect the lives of as many people he can, using speaking, coaching, and his three-volume series of published books: Quiet the Noise: A Trail Runner’s Path to Hearing God

If you would like to set up a free, no obligation phone consultation with Rami to discuss your training and/or nutritional plan please reach out anytime: https://coachrami.com/contact