Life Down a Back Road with Anna

What is Exercise?

Exercise is any movement that requires your muscles to work and your body to burn calories.

 

There are many types of exercise including walking, running, cycling, swimming, and dancing to name just a few.

 

Exercise has been shown to have so many health benefits both physically and mentally.  

 

Here are 10 of the top benefits of regular exercise on your body.

 

1.  It improves your mood.  Exercise produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety.  It increases the production of endorphins.  What are endorphins?  Endorphins are defined as hormone-like substances that are produced in the brain. These are the chemicals that make you feel good and are also the body’s natural pain killers.  It also increases serotonin levels, which helps regulate your mood, sleep and appetite. 

 

2.  It can help weight loss.  Incorporating just 15 minutes of moderate exercise — such as walking one mile — on a daily basis will burn up to 100 extra calories (assuming you don’t consume excess calories in your diet afterwards). Burning 700 calories a week equals 10 lbs. of weight loss over the course of a year.

 

3.   It is good for your muscles and bones.   Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones.  Why?  Because it helps release hormones that promote the ability of your muscles to absorb amino acids.  Regular exercise can reduce muscle loss and help you stay strong as you age.

 

4.  It reduces your risk of chronic illness.  Regular exercise has been shown to improve heart health and can also decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  A lack of exercise can lead to increased belly fat which can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

 

5.  It increases your energy level.  New research suggests regular exercise can increase energy levels even among people suffering from chronic medical conditions associated with fatigue, like cancer and heart disease. It may seem counterintuitive, but researchers say expending energy by engaging in regular exercise may pay off with increased energy in the long run. (webmd.)

 

6.  Good for skin health. When you sweat, for example, exercise opens your pores -- and it’s clogged pores that cause acne. Exercise also gets your heart rate up, which increases your blood flow and nourishes your skin.

7.   Its great for brain health and memory.  Exercise increases your heart rate promoting blood flow and gets more oxygen to your brain.  It has been shown that cardio exercise can result in new cell growth in the brain.  It also helps you to focus.(source)

8.  It improves sleep quality.  Exercise can help you get into a deeper sleep pattern.  (source)

9.  It can help reduce chronic pain.  Exercise increases blood flow, builds muscle around the joints, lubricates and nourishes the joints, improves range of motion, and removes cellular waste.(source)

10.  It can promote a better sex life.  Because it strengthens the heart and increases blood flow exercise can improve sexual performance in both men and women.   

If you don't have a regular exercise program in place start today with just a short 10 minute walk increasing as your body feels like it.  And if you have any health issues be sure to check with your doctor before you begin any exercise routine.  I am not a doctor and am not here to treat, cure, or diagnose any disease.  

Happy Oiling,

Anna

“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” Proverbs 23:7  Have you really thought about what this verse means?  What you think, is what you are.  It is really powerful.  Have you looked into manifestation?  

What we send out returns to us “ask and ye shall receive” Thought and emotions together is what manifests things.  I love to listen to podcasts on mindset.  It really does affect our world.  Just as you can think yourself sick.  Have you heard of the miracles of those who have healed themselves with the power of thought? 

 I love the following by Esther Hicks:

In her book Esther Hicks says that the Law of Attraction is simple:  Ask, Be open to receiving, Let it go, Receive.

Have you ever been around someone who is extremely negative?  You can feel the energy that they put out.  After a while it can affect your mood too.  Words are powerful.  They have their own frequency.  They are more powerful than thought.  If you say you are something your body will respond and become just that.  It is so important to pay attention to how we speak.   Do you always tell yourself “I am poor”, or “I am sad” or “I am tired”?  If you tell yourself these things your body will respond by making yourself just that.  It is so easy to put out the negative thoughts.  Try changing those thoughts and see if you notice a difference.  Try I am happy, I am vibrant, I am full of energy.  It is amazing how powerful words can be.  Speak them out loud and they will have a greater impact.  Write them down and read them every day.

Gary Young created what he called “The Great Day Protocol”  using essential oils and affirmations to get your day started right!   If you want more info on it you can check it our here. 

If you are interested in getting these oils you can find them here.

Blessings,

Anna

Let’s talk emotions?   How do they affect our health?   First off let’s look at emotions and see the link between how they make us feel.  What happens when you feel fear?  Fear is an emotion. When we are afraid the body reacts physically, this reaction causes sweating, increased heart rate, and high adrenaline levels that make us extremely alert. This physical response is also known as the “fight or flight” response, in which your body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away.  Another emotion that is common is anger, what do you feel when you are angry?  Anger creates energy surges, and when energy surges occur, chemicals such as adrenaline enter your bloodstream, your heart rate increases, your blood flow increases, and your muscles tense. Losing your temper affects your cardiac health. It can shorten your life when it is sustained. Anger also compromises your immune system. Everyone gets angry sometimes; handling anger well, though, can help you to stay healthy.  How about sadness?  Sadness effects the hormone cortisol, it also effects your immune system by depressing it, it can make you feel cold.  Do you see the effects that emotions have on the body?  This doesn’t mean we don’t want to feel these emotions.   We just need to learn to control them in a way that is not harmful to our body.  Holding in emotions can be harmful and can manifest as symptoms. 

 

Here is a personal example.  When my mom died I didn’t want to accept it or deal with it.  After losing my dad I remember the physical pain that I felt.   The emotion was so strong that I felt it in a physical way.  I know I coped better with it in the end though because I Iet myself feel those emotions.  I spent days crying and talking with friends to get through the loss.  When my mom died I didn’t want to feel that pain so I pushed it away as much as possible.  Whenever the grief started coming on I would make myself not think about it.  I also didn’t talk much about it to anyone.  As a result my body started reacting in a physical way.  I noticed that my neck was hurting and I felt a swollen gland in the back of my neck.  By not dealing with my emotions I was causing my body to get sick.  

Coping with emotions, here is a great article I found on dealing with difficult emotions.   5 Ways to Get Your Unwanted Emotions Under Control | Psychology Today United Kingdom

Essential oils are also a great tool to have in your arsenal.  When I drive in a lot of traffic, which I hate doing, I like to have Stress Away in a roll on.  Joy Essential Oil is good for when you are feeling sad.  When I did my last Zyto my main emotion was hopelessness.   I didn’t think I was feeling hopeless but with todays world it is easy to let yourself feel this way.  The oil that was suggested for this emotion was Surrender Essential oil.  There are many oils that can help you deal better with your emotions.  Again I suggest the book “Releasing Emotional Patterns With Essential Oils” by Carolyn L. Mein, DC.  She has a chart that shows pain points and the emotion that can be causing the pain plus the essential oil that helps release it.  It is amazing how our emotions can affect us in such a powerful way.  Would you like to get started with Essential Oils to help with emotions?  You can go here to get the best Essential Oils in the world!  

When I am having discomfort I always want to reach for an oil that will help with discomfort but instead maybe I should be reaching for an oil to help let go of a difficult emotion.

What are some ways you deal with emotions?  Meditation, journaling, exercise?  Do you use essential oils?  What are some of your favorites?    

Blessings,

Anna