That’s right, I said it. September is rapidly coming to a close and the stress of the holidays will be upon us all before we know it Christmas. The increased snacking on garbage candy because there is Halloween candy lying around and you are a sucker for a tiny Kit-Kat or Reese’s Cup sets the stage for cookies and baked goods in the months to come. Oh, the joys of entertaining family at Thanksgiving. Make sure the meal goes just exactly right. The glorious experience of having to attend multiple meals because of divorce or because your parents and in-laws don’t want to combine them. The historic Black Friday madness and internet crashing Cyber Monday mayhem were designed to send us all into poverty. Late nights wrapping, planning, decorating. Cold mornings. Sick kids. Sick parents.
BRING ON THE CORTISOL, the stress hormone that leads to weight gain and kicks the crap out of your adrenal glands!
Is your heart racing a little bit? I know mine is as I write this. But have no fear, there is hope. This year, you have a plan. You are not going to be fried on Christmas morning and exhausted on New Years’ Eve because you are smart enough not to repeat the same mistakes. The Ghost of Christmas Past has shown you where you went astray in previous years and that it doesn’t have to be that way again this year.
You are going to break with tradition and have a plan to combat this year’s holiday season by making your New Year’s resolution to live a better life TODAY! The old adage that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” rings truer in your heart this year than it ever has before and you are going to be proactive.
Here’s the plan, gang. I want you to start thinking about bodyweight exercises. I do. Notice, did I say the word Gym? No, I did not. Did I say anything about spending money? No. Did I mention running or lifting weights? Again, no. Today I am going to introduce you to the world of Isometric and Isokinetic exercises.
“But Doc, I thought you were writing about holiday stress and now you’re talking about exercise. Why the bait and switch?” Nothing deceptive here, they could not be more connected. The short answer is this, stress increases cortisol. Cortisol causes an increase in blood sugar and weight gain. Exercise lowers blood sugar. Exercise decreases stress. Exercise facilitates weight loss. Get it?!
There are literally dozens of exercises that you can do in your own home that require nothing more than a few minutes and a tiny drop of dedication. I find that the problem that most people run into is coming up with exercises to do that aren’t going to be so strenuous that they hurt themselves, well I’ve thought of a few to get you and there is a link below to get you started.
BONUS INFO: We have a supplement at the office called AntiCort that is clinically proven to reduce your blood serum levels of cortisol! Swing by or call and ask me all about it