Stress

Type of exercise

• Walking, biking, swimming, jogging, dancing, Zumba, aerobic step, kick boxing, treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical rower, to name just a few.

Components of exercise program

• Warm up 3 - 7 minutes

Begin to loosen up your body at a slow pace/intensity • Aerobic (actual time exercising)

10 - 60 minutes • Cool down and stretch 7 - 10 minutes

Cooling down allows your muscles to recover, improve muscular balance, reduce injury occurrence.

Strength training

A sound, well balanced exercise program should always include a strength training segment. Your post-op program will include specifics on strength training.

General guidelines:

• Wear loose fitting clothing and comfortable sneakers. • Journal your exercise session. • Do not exercise outdoors in extreme heat or cold. • Ideal temperature is approximately 40-80 degrees with humidity 65% or less. • Do not exercise on a full stomach. • Wait at least an hour and a half after eating a meal before you exercise. • Do not exercise if you have a fever. • Hydrate before, during and after your workouts. • Use variety in your workouts. • Some important signs and symptoms to be aware of include: - Pain, tightness or discomfort in the chest, throat, jaw or arms - Unusual shortness of breath - Palpitations or skipped heart beats - Dizziness or lightheadedness - If you develop any unusual symptoms during exercise, stop and rest and contact your health care provider if needed.

Stress can be defined as your body’s response to any demand made on it or as the internal response to external situations in our lives. It can also be described as an “invisible force” that keeps us going. Stress itself is not bad, rather it is the way we handle it and respond to it that differentiates between productive (positive) and non-productive (negative) stress. Productive stress produces a pleasurable or healthy response and gives a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction (ie. successfully meeting an important deadline, competing in a sport you enjoy, etc.) Non-productive stress causes discomfort and anguish (i.e., worrying about meeting that deadline, waiting in a line when you are late for an appointment etc.)

Too much positive or negative stress can lead to the body producing stress hormones, which gear us up to respond to perceived danger, also known as the “fight or flight” response. The heart rate increases, respiration becomes rapid and shallow, there is a rise in blood pressure and the brain moves into a primitive “survival” mode, suppressing normal thought functions (evaluation, planning, deciding, etc.) The result is that a person becomes unable to clearly evaluate and plan a response. A body in a constant state of “fight or flight” can develop disorders including heart disease and stroke.

The stress response

Symptoms of stress can be physical, emotional and/or behavioral. • Headaches, back pain, neck pain, chest pain or discomfort, other pain, indigestion, nausea, shaking, sweating, dizziness, numbness or tingling. • Crying, irritability, frustration, anger, impatience, inability to concentrate, memory problems, confusion.

• Decreased productivity, burnout, overeating, smoking, drinking alcohol in excess, etc. • It is crucial that you are able to detect your own early warning signs of stress as they occur. If you have determined that stress is causing or contributing to your symptoms, you can manage your stress to minimize its impact.

Your stress symptoms:

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Circumstances that cause you stress (stressors) can be physical, internal or external. • Not getting enough sleep, lack of a nutritious diet, pain, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or suffering an illness or injury. • Your perception of events can create fear, worry or anxiety, and changes in your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or any pressures or concerns you put on yourself, such as concern for children or parents, can be stressors. • Family turmoil, marriage, divorce, death, traffic, work setting, major life changes, illness, change in job etc. are common stressors.

What are your stressors?

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