Do Fitness and Relaxation Go Together?

You bet!

Fitness can be defined as the ability to respond to environmental and personal challenges in a proactive, not a reactive, manner. Being a biological organism, we are governed by circadian rhythms: the sun rises and we become active, the sun sets and we become more sedate. Or do we? In this age of artificial light and devices that keep us connected 24/7, it behooves us to tune into our own personal rhythms.

In a landmark 20-year study conducted by the University of London, "unmanaged reactions to stress" were deemed a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than cigarette smoking or eating high-cholesterol foods. I love this quote from Larry Dossey, MD in his book Space, Time and Medicine: "Just as Pavlov's dogs learned to salivate inappropriately, we have learned to hurry inappropriately. Our bells have become the watch, the alarm clock, the morning coffee, and the hundreds of self-inflicted expectations we build into our daily routine. The subliminal message is: time is running out, please hurry!" This was written before the internet and smartphones; I wonder what he would say now. The good news is there is an antidote to stress: relaxation.

How do you define fitness? For an older adult it may mean continuing to walk without a walker; for an aspiring triathlete, finishing the race in a desired time. What is the difference between reaction and response? In sports we want quick reactions. However, if every little traffic incident induces a stress reaction, a release of cortisol, we could be weakening our systems.

Stress hardy: A study was done on rats. Rat A was given periodic shocks but had a button it could push to stop them. Rat B was given shocks with no button. Rat C received no shocks. Which was healthiest? Rat A, termed "stress hardy," was healthier than Rat B. We, like Rat A, get shocked in life; learning to turn off the negative stimulus, and being proactive, is a key to a healthy lifestyle.

Psychologists Kobasa and Maddi studied 200 business executives at Illinois Bell during a difficult time, when half became ill. They found the group that stayed well shared what they termed "hardiness": challenge, commitment, and control. By viewing shocks as challenges and committing ourselves to meeting them, we gain control.

Ralph La Forge, MS, a physiologist at Duke University Medical Center, defines the scientific reasons for exercise as reduced body fat, reduced blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced stress hormones, displacement of unhealthy behaviors, and reduced stress reactivity. We all know the post-exercise endorphin rush. Learning how to relax is a necessary skill.

Herbert Benson, MD coined the term "the Relaxation Response." He discovered that during relaxation, heart rate decreases, respiratory rate decreases, tight muscles ease, blood pressure falls, and brain waves become slower and more synchronized. Benson and others, including James Gordon, have found that regular relaxation not only decreases stress hormones but also improves immune functioning, diminishes chronic pain, improves mood, and even enhances fertility.

We have a built-in mechanism to elicit the Relaxation Response: the breath. By breathing consciously, by fully exhaling, we can relax. Active imagination and relaxation are components of fitness. Fitness and relaxation are synonymous.

Whispers of the Breath Diva:

Notice that as you inhale, you activate. Feel your chest widening as you inhale. Breathe in, filling with energy. Exhale and let go, give back. Notice every nuance of your breath.