FitSugar

Another Reason to Stop After One Glass: Endorphins

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:15:00 -0700

By now we all know that drinking in moderation, especially wine, is beneficial for your health. However, it is important to remember to drink in moderation, and for women that means stopping after one glass. Here's another reason to keep your alcohol intake in the moderate zone: endorphins. Recent research found light to moderate drinking releases endorphins, while heavy drinking does not. A "feel good" brain chemical, endorphins can also reduce anxiety.

Lead researcher in the study and professor of psychiatry and physiology at McGill University, Christina Gianoulakis PhD, hammers the point home with this explanation:

Readers should understand that drinking only low amounts of alcohol will increase endorphin release and produce pleasant effects. Thus, if after consumption of about two drinks of alcohol an individual does not experience the pleasant effects . . . he or she should stop drinking.

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You Asked: Mood Swings and Exercise, What Gives?

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:00:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering...

Dear Fit,
I am usually pretty good at working out but recently I've been skipping a few days because work's been super busy. I find that on those days I get super moody... What's up with that? Is it all in my head?
- Moody Mandy

Actually it is all in your head, but not the way in which you're thinking. Here's the deal, according to Peak Performance Online: Your pituitary gland (a gland located at the base of your brain) releases substantial quantities of 'endorphins' - chemicals which can block sensations of pain and produce overall feelings of euphoria - when you preform strenuous activities like running or biking. In other words, exercise makes you feel and look good, it's scientifically proven. This is why some people can get 'addicted' to exercise or feel a 'runners high'. Just like any addiction, withdrawal symptoms are normal, so don't worry. Get back on the ~~horse~~ treadmill as soon as you can and you're sure to be feeling great all over again.

Need a Boost? Skip the Treadmill, Hit the Pavement

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:00:00 -0800

If you've been feeling a little down then you may want to forgo your treadmill run for an outdoor run. This is because past research found that those of us who run outdoors can be less depressed, anxious, hostile, and fatigued. Not to mention, outdoor runners feel more invigorated after than before the run. While a treadmill run is still great for your physical health, mentally, it may not do as much.

This is really interesting to me as I can totally relate. Granted I usually feel really good after a run on the treadmill; I do feel really good and pretty darn pleased with myself after a run outside along the water. What about you guys?

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Runner's High Is as Addictive as Opiates

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:00:17 -0700

If you're a runner, you're probably familiar with runner's high. You know - that energetic, overwhelmingly awesome feeling you experience after a workout that makes you feel like the happiest person alive. The feel-good sensations come when endorphins are released from your brain, and new research shows that a runner's high mimics the same sense of euphoria as drug use. So scientists at Tufts University set out to test whether the feeling a runner gets could be considered an addiction.

Instead of testing actual runners, the scientists tested rats. The 84 rodents were divided into two types of cages, ones with wheels and ones without. Over a week, the rats that had access to the wheel naturally increased how much they ran. On day nine, about half the group was only given access to food for one hour per day, while the others continued to have food all the time. The food-restricted rats began exercising even more, and also started to lose weight. All the rats were then given the drug Naloxone, a chemical compound that is often used to help drug abusers recover from addiction and immediately causes withdrawal symptoms. The biggest "gym rats" showed the greatest degree of withdrawal symptoms, while rats that couldn't exercise displayed fewer withdrawal symptoms.

The scientists concluded that the release of chemicals during exercise mimics the sensations morphine and heroin users feel. If a runner's high is similar to a high brought on by drugs, the researchers propose that exercise could be used as a replacement "drug" to help drug addicts recover. What do you think?

Relax Already: Get Out of Your Brain

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:30:25 -0700

Sometimes stress brings with it a never-ending tape loop of worries. Once the litany begins, it's hard to quiet it down. I find the best way to battle my tireless tape loop is to get out of my brain or change my focus. It is said that depression-prone women tend to ruminate over their problems, mentally picking them apart repeatedly. The best defense against rehashing the situation is to stimulate another part of your brain. Challenging exercises, be they multitasking moves or short and speedy interval workouts, are a great way to distract a busy brain and release some much-needed endorphins. Stop the worrying by saddling your brain with a creative project or try a new recipe. Engaging other parts of your gray matter is a great way to stop obsessing, and maybe you will even be able to solve your problem by letting it go for a bit.

Music Soothes the Soul but Can It Heal the Heart?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Music has the power to touch our souls. Since listening to certain types of music soothes the mind and reduces anxiety, hospitals all over the US are trying out music therapy on patients suffering from ailments such as brain disorders, heart problems, and cancer, and are discovering it's helping speed up recovery time.

Dr. Claudius Conrad, a senior surgical resident at Harvard Medical School and a gifted pianist, says, “Research has already shown that if you play a piece - like Mozart - at a certain slow beat, the listener will adapt their heart beat to the beat of the music.” Critically ill patients were able to take fewer sedatives when listening to classical piano sonatas, and their blood pressure and heart rates eased. Patients also had a 50 percent spike in pituitary growth hormone, which is known to stimulate healing. So it's not the fact that a song can make us smile - music can actually affect how the brain and body functions.

Classical music has been a top choice for doctors and surgeons since according to researchers at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute in New Jersey, "vibrations of stringed instruments in particular are said to mesh with the energy of the heart, small intestine, pericardium, and thyroid and adrenal glands." Not everyone loves Beethoven and Chopin though, so it's recommended to listen to joyful music that brings out a natural high and gets your endorphins and blood flowing. Tell me, if you were sick or in recovery, what type of music would you want to listen to?

Source

5 Reasons to Exercise

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:10:00 -0700

Whether you're exercising to tone up for tank top and skirt season or you're working out mostly for the health benefits, we could all use a little motivation to get moving. So here are five encouraging facts about working out that will give you more than one reason to hit the gym on your lunch break.

Exercise combats fatigue. Working out releases endorphins, which improve your strength and stamina and make you feel energetic. Increased levels of serotonin in the brain also prevent depression.
Exercise is good for your brain. Because it helps build new brain cells, being active also increases serotonin levels to help you think more clearly.
Movement eases stress. Not only is it a distraction from things that might be bothering us, but exercise also results in reduced muscle tension.

There are two more reasons so read more.

Being active can improve your social life and enhance your love life. You're bound to meet other like-minded people while at the gym, yoga studio, or if you join a sports team. Working out with your partner, sibling, or friend can also strengthen your bond, and it's often more fun than exercising solo.
You know you'll feel better after you exercise. It only takes 30 minutes a day, so if you can't do it all at once, do 10-minute spurts throughout the day.

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DrSugar: Exercise Addiction - How Much Is Too Much?

DrSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

DrSugar is in the house and he's answering your health questions.

Dear DrSguar,
I'm a big fitness fanatic and spend more time than I'd like to admit working out at the gym. I'm starting to worry that I might have an exercise addiction. Could you provide me with more information?
- Excessive Exerciser?

Exercise addiction is a real problem, and it is very brave of you to write in with this question. To learn how to determine how much exercise is too much, read more.

Exercise addiction is an under-recognized issue that can lead to serious overuse injuries, hormone imbalances, and even permanent bone damage. There are multiple and varied reasons that people develop compulsive exercise habits that lead to "addiction." Sometimes the problem is related to body image and/or self esteem problems and can be similar to an eating disorder. In these people, compulsive exercise is the negative coping mechanism similar to starving or self-induced vomiting. Others use it as an escape from stress or other pressures, but these folks can develop an unhealthy relationship with exercise as a means of avoidance as well as looking for the positive endorphin rush from working out. Exercise is a great way to battle stress, but overdoing it can lead to self-destructive exercise behaviors.

Recognizing exercise addiction is not based entirely on the quantity of your workouts. World-class athletes often train for long periods every day and they would not necessarily be labeled as addicts. Compulsive exercise is more about a person’s feelings toward exercise and how compulsive exercising affects their life. Here are some questions to ask yourself regarding exercise addiction:

Have I missed a social event because I felt the need to exercise instead?
Do friends and family feel neglected because I am frequently exercising instead of spending time with them?
Do I feel guilty when I miss a planned workout?
Does missing a workout make me feel irritable and ruin my day?
Do I feel anxious when I think something with interfere with scheduled workouts?
Do I feel that my physical condition will be compromised if I don’t exercise for one day?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, it could be a sign that you have developed an unhealthy relationship with exercise. If this sounds like you, I would recommend seeking help. I would try finding a counselor or therapist that specializes in body image issues or eating disorders since there is often a lot of a similarity between these disorders. Check out the treatment finder page at Something Fishy. Good luck.

Have a question for DrSugar? Send it by private messaging me here, and I will forward it to the good doctor.

DrSugar's posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.

Another Reason to Exercise: Coregasms!

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0700

My pal DearSugar writes about sex daily. She can tell you how to have a better orgasm, and I can tell you the health benefits of having them regularly. Having sex not only relieves stress, but it also boosts your immunity. Most of the time you find the big "O" behind closed doors, but this just in - many women are experiencing them in the gym. I'm talking about something called a coregasm.

Have I caught your attention yet? If so read more.

This astounding fitness phenomenon known as the coregasm is actually pretty common. Women experience them when working their core muscles, whether they're doing crunches, strengthening leg lifts, or backbends in a yoga class (talk about an enlightening experience!). According to sex therapist, Dr. Victoria Zdrok,

"A lot of women require a buildup of tension in their legs before they can achieve the release of orgasm. So, when a woman exercises, the release of endorphins and dopamine, which are necessary for orgasm, combined with the tension in the lower extremities, can cause the clitoral stimulation [that is needed]."

It happens when women tap into the muscles in their deep core, quads, or thighs. They end up automatically squeezing the pelvic muscles which triggers nerve impulses, and voilà - a coregasm is born. One squeeze won't necessarily work, but if you're doing many repetitions, that much stimulation can cause intense pleasure in your nether region. If that doesn't get you to the gym, then I don't know what will!

Tell me ladies, have you ever experienced a coregasm while working out?

Source

Class Act: Nia

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

As part of my New Year's resolutions, I vowed to try new things, so there I was - barefoot and in a room full of happy, chatty ladies, about to take a Nia class for the first time. I was excited because I had heard it integrated some of my favorite movements: dance, martial arts, and yoga. Once the music started, the instructor began demonstrating some simple movements to open the body. Tapping the toes, bending the knees, rocking the hips, waving the arms, wiggling the fingers, and rolling the neck were meant to activate "all 13 joints," meaning our entire bodies.

We continued to move through several short 10- to 15-minute dance segments, which were a fusion of these nine movement forms:

Martial arts: T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido
Dance arts: jazz dance, modern dance, Duncan dance
Healing arts: yoga, Alexander Technique, the teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais

To hear more about Nia and see a video clip, read more.

The best way I can describe Nia is that it's a spiritual low-impact aerobics class. The instructor leads you through a simple choreographed move, like a jazz square, but you're encouraged to move your body in the unique and playful way your body wants to move. Nia is all about exploring your space and how your body moves in it. It's about sensory awareness, self expression, and finding joy. What I loved about the class is that it reminded me of yoga in that you're only concerned with your own body and not worried about what other people think. Although I was sweating a little, it wasn't a really intense workout, so if you're looking for a light workout to awaken your spirit and get those feel-good endorphins buzzing, give Nia a try.

If you want more information about this type of bodywork, check out the Nia website. They'll also help you find a class.