Exercise

Exercise is great for your body and your mind. Exercise can do many positive things for you.

Exercise can...

• Give you a healthier body
• Build a stronger, more efficient heart
• Increase your muscle tone
• Give you the chance to work off your stress or anger
• Help you sleep better
• Improve your endurance
• Improve your self esteem and self confidence
• Reduce your risk for various diseases later in life
• Enable you to meet new people and develop new skills

Exercise is important to look and feel your best. It includes everything from walking to school and taking the stairs instead of the elevator, to running every morning or participating in school athletics.

How you decide to exercise should be based on your preferences, abilities and any medical limitations you might have. If you ever experience chest pain, severe shortness of breath or any other serious pain, you should stop exercising and see a health care provider.

We challenge you to try a new type of exercise and see for yourself how much better you feel! 

Stress

Stress is a part of all of our lives. It is the physical, emotional, and mental reactions we have to changes or demands in our life. You may be stressed by school, work, relationships with friends or family, or the serious illness of a family member.

You may be aware of some of the various physical reactions people have to stress. During times of stress chemicals are released into your bloodstream and may cause the following:

• Increases in heart rate
• Elevations in blood pressure
• Increases in respiratory rate
• Noted sweat/perspiration
• A rush of anxiety, nervousness, or strength

Stress is not always a bad thing. Moderate levels of stress motivate us to work hard, study longer, and even to be alert and get away from dangerous situations. Usually your body naturally shuts off the "alarm" after a short period of time and you return to normal. It is worrisome if your body and/or mind cannot regain a restful state. Unrelieved stress can lead to many health problems.

What causes stress?

Stress is a defense mechanism that your body uses in times of emergencies or other serious situations. But it can actually be bad for your body to be stressed for too long. You may start to see some serious physical symptoms. Your body will start to shut down and you may get sick. Stress can affect you immune system.

Every person can feel stress in different situations. Some people handle stress much better than others. It is important to get to know your body, to know how much stress you can handle. It is also important to understand how to best deal with stress.

Possible signs of Stress.

• Anxiety
• Back Pain
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• High Blood Pressure
• Insomnia
• Problems with relationships
• Shortness of breath
• Stiff neck
• Weight gain or loss

What can I do to reduce my stress?

You can start to feel yourself when you are becoming stressed. You may start to feel it in you muscles like your neck and shoulders or you may start to feel it in your head like a headache. Once you know that you are starting to get stressed, it is important to deal with it properly in order to not allow it to escalate into something serious.

Tips for dealing with stress

• Don’t worry about things you can’t control
• Prepare yourself to the best of your ability
• Try to look at change as positive instead of a challenge
• Work to resolve conflicts with other people
• Ask for help
• Set realistic goals
• Exercise
• Eat well
• Meditate
• Get away from stress

Why is exercise useful?

Exercise can help you relieve stress. It will give you more energy and it will keep your immune system healthy. There are different types of exercise and most of them are great to help reduce or even prevent stress.

Adapted from:
http://www.teenshealth.com/teen/your_mind/emotions/stress.html