The holidays are a high point of the year for many—a time to reconnect with family and friends, eat good food, and attend seasonal celebrations. But they may also come with a fair bit of stress; constant shopping, cooking, traveling, hostessing, and more can wear on even the most grounded individuals. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of exercises and amenities that Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club members can add to their wellness routine to help recharge their batteries
Stress Busting Exercises for Your Wellness Routine
By now, we all know that physical activity is an effective way to combat stress and anxiety.
It increases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and provides a healthy outlet for difficult emotions that naturally accumulate during the day. However, everyone has different needs and exercises that suit their personality or de-stress style.
The Venter: You need to release your frustrations healthily before they overwhelm you. Try:
- Battle Ropes: Whipping ropes around doesn’t sound particularly tough, but the ones you’ll find at the gym are heavy and provide a great cardio and weight-training workout. Channel your inner Spartan warrior and wave those bad boys like you’re beating drums.
- Tire Flipping: Flipping a giant tire is a full-body workout using nearly all your muscles. Visualize the tire as the weight of your stress, and flip it right out the door!
The Escapist: You need a workout that stops the stress loop constantly playing in your brain. Try exercises that engage your mind and demand focus so you’re not occupied with intrusive thoughts. Try:
- Tennis: This challenging sport requires players to watch the ball at all times and develops their hand-eye coordination. The latter generates neuroplasticity, which can help you cope with stress by creating new neural pathways and thought patterns. Plus, indulging in stressful brain chatter is nearly impossible when absorbed in a tennis match.
- Stairmaster or Jacob’s Ladder: Believe it or not, these classic pieces of gym equipment take much concentration. Both entail coordination because the machines are moving, but your environment is not. That’s enough to make you feel unsteady and devote your attention to maintaining balance and rhythm. In fact, it’s easy to become so immersed that you’re not even aware of the excellent low-impact cardio and core workout you’re getting!
The Solace-Seeker: Stress has tightened your muscles and disconnected you from your breath. You need a routine that restores your mind-body connection and allows you to be quiet and go inward. Try:
- Yoga: Yoga grounds you in the present moment, balances your parasympathetic system, relaxes muscles, lowers stress hormones, and unifies breath and movement to activate the mind-body connection. Try a gentle yoga or yoga flow class to get a much-needed moment of respite from the chaos of modern life.
- Swimming: Water makes us feel weightless and muffles sound. It’s more peaceful than a group class or noisy gym and offers a low-impact way to get your cardio in!
Take Advantage of Other Gym Amenities
Our gym has plentiful amenities like a sauna or steam room—use them! Both have been shown to reduce stress, loosen stiff muscles, and improve cardiovascular health. Additionally, it gives you a break from using devices or taking calls. Your only job is to relax, soak up the heat, and stay hydrated!
Upgrade Your Wellness Routine With Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club
Our members have access to spa-like amenities, fitness classes, sun-drenched tennis courts and pools, and world-class facilities packed with everything you need to round out your wellness routine. Visit our website to learn more about our membership perks, and sign up for a complimentary tour!