I exercise primarily because I love the way it makes me feel, but also because it melts stress away. I classify my stress into two different categories:
1. Anxiety stress where I’m worried about something happening to Emerson or that my IUD got lost inside my body (no, it was just my spleen hurting when I had mono), or fear that our president will start WW III. For this type of stress, there is no better solution than slow flow yoga with relaxing music and a gentle instructor who whispers inspirational messages while massaging me in easy poses.
2. The other type of stress I feel is what I’d call frustration stress. This is when you’ve ordered three ink cartridges from Amazon and you’re still getting the error message on the printer. Or, when Emerson throws her whole dinner on the floor without even trying it after I spent 30 minutes cooking it with her crying at my feet. When I’m frustrated, I just want to sprint off into the sunset, so I channel my energy into this high intensity mashup. You basically get on the treadmill and do whatever intervals and exercises you feel like until you’re tired. Make sure you have space behind the machine. And be super careful getting on and off because injury just causes more frustration!
Sample:
Minutes 1-3: Warmup with an easy jog (Incline 1)
Minutes 3-6: Speed up to comfortable running pace (Incline 1-2)
Minute 6-7: Air squats behind treadmill (Just use the first 40 seconds of the minute, and the other 20 seconds for the transition on/off treadmill)
Minutes 7-9: Fast run (Incline 2)
Minutes 9-11: Very slow jog/fast walk but bump up incline (4-5)
Minute 11-12: Jumping lunges behind treadmill
Minutes 12-14: Slow jog to catch breath (Incline 2)
Minutes 14-16: Slow jog but bump up incline (Incline 4-5)
Minute 16-17: All out run (Incline 4-5)
Minute 17-19: Fast walk with even more incline
Minute 19-20: Mountain climbers behind treadmill
Minutes 20-21: Easy run (Incline 1)
Minute 22-23: One last fast run
Minutes 23-15: Slow jog or walking cool down
Also, music is essential.
Suggested songs:
Taking Back Sunday – Cut from the Team
Nicki Minaj – Superbass
The Chainsmokers – Roses
Mike Posner – I Took a Pill in Ibiza
Betty Who – High Society
Brand New – The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
Annie
April 30, 2018 at 4:30 pmThose are very helpful descriptions for the different types of stresses. I am also a fellow stress case, whose had to stop reading news about all things that rhyme with lump.
Happy Monday!
Amanda
May 2, 2018 at 10:35 amOur president is doing a great job! Korean War ending, my paycheck has gone up due to tax breaks, African American unemployment low, jobs coming back to the USA, ISIS basically done with, my cop husband who works by the border is happy border patrol can do their job again and people can enter this country the correct way ( many many criminals have poured into our country illegally) I don’t think you have anything to worry about there. He’s not perfect but issues are finally getting resolved and our country is finally getting respected again.
mt
May 3, 2018 at 4:44 pmrly?
Aubrey
May 2, 2018 at 11:32 amAmanda, are you being serious?
Betsy
May 2, 2018 at 3:28 pmAmanda’s comment…I have no words. THAT is why I do yoga. To relieve the anxieties I feel over people who really believe that immigrant = criminal. Sigh.