Fitness

The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise, according to a Fitness Expert

Published

1 year ago

May 17, 2023

The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise, according to a Fitness Expert

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and The Houstonian Club, Houston’s premier luxury fitness facility, is on a mission to raise awareness about exercise’s crucial role in supporting mental well-being.

While The Houstonian Club boasts over 180 group exercise classes led by highly trained fitness professionals each week, it’s not just about physical fitness. According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can also significantly benefit mental health.

The benefits of quality sleep are essential to overall health and wellness. For those who struggle with getting enough shut-eye, Emmerson recommends incorporating exercise into their routine.

Exercising regularly helps with anxiety and depression by improving sleep quality, boosting confidence, releasing endorphins, and increasing energy.

A fitness expert at The Houstonian Club shares the mental health benefits of exercise during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Exercise can happen anywhere and doesn’t have to be planned. Some people make the mistake of doing an hour of exercise and then not moving much for the rest of the day. It’s better to keep moving.”

— Connie Emmerson, B.S., ACSM Wellness Coach, NSCA, ACE personal trainer

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, May 16, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and The Houstonian Club, Houston’s premier luxury fitness facility, is on a mission to raise awareness about exercise’s crucial role in supporting mental well-being.

As part of their commitment to supporting their members’ overall health and wellness, The Houstonian Club highlights the mental health benefits of exercising. To share her expertise on the subject, The Houstonian Club turned to Connie Emmerson, B.S., ACSM Wellness Coach, NSCA, ACE personal trainer. Emmerson is a seasoned fitness and wellness professional with nearly four decades of experience in the industry.

Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health

Decreases stress

“Exercise decreases stress by releasing endorphins in your brain,” explains Emmerson. The endorphins send signals to the body that improve mood, reduce stress or relieve pain. According to Emmerson, light exercise is recommended for stress reduction because more challenging workouts can mimic stress by increasing sweating, heart rate, and heavy breathing.

Improves sleep

The benefits of quality sleep are essential to overall health and wellness. For those who struggle with getting enough shut-eye, Emmerson recommends incorporating exercise into their routine. “Regular exercise improves sleep by regulating your circadian rhythm, which calms the body and allows people to have a deeper, more productive sleep pattern,” she says.

Helps with depression and anxiety

According to Emmerson, exercising regularly helps with anxiety and depression by improving sleep quality, boosting confidence, releasing endorphins, and increasing energy. She also highly recommends exercising outside in the sunlight.

“Exercise and sunlight release the feel-good chemicals serotonin and endorphins,” says Emmerson. “Walking outside is a great way to get in a light workout with the added benefits of sunshine and a great view. The combination can be very uplifting.”

How to incorporate exercise into a regular routine

Emmerson recommends that her clients exercise as often as possible and believes exercise doesn’t have to happen in a gym or structured environment. She encourages movement throughout the day and stresses the importance of weightlifting and resistance training at least twice weekly. “Exercise can happen in a store while shopping, in the kitchen while cooking, in a park, or at a gym. It doesn’t have to be planned,” says Emmerson. “Some people make the mistake of doing an hour of exercise and then not moving much for the rest of the day. It’s better to keep moving.”

The best type of exercise for mental health benefits

What is the best type of exercise to help increase mental health? According to Emmerson, the best exercise is one that people enjoy and will stick with. She also recommends activities that increase heart rate and move several muscle groups simultaneously to ensure an endorphin release.

Photos are available here.

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Located in the heart of Houston, The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa is a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star secluded retreat adjacent to the city’s iconic Memorial Park and minutes from downtown, the Galleria, and Energy Corridor. The Houstonian recently completed a $70 million master plan renovation and was named in Travel + Leisure’s World Best Awards as the #1 Resort Hotel in Texas. The resort is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts and is known for its timeless nature, elegant décor, private fitness club, and its involvement in Houston’s historic events and celebrations. Guests at The Houstonian Hotel may relax and rejuvenate on a 27-acre oasis, with floor-to-ceiling wooded views in its 280 newly renovated guest rooms and suites, including a new Bush Suite with memorabilia from President George H.W. Bush’s time at the property. TRIBUTE restaurant serves authentic Tex-Lex cuisine with an impressive wine list, The Bar & Patio is a classic local favorite, and the Coffee Shop serves guests in the elegant hotel lobby. The hotel has 33,890 square feet of indoor meeting space and 87,349 square feet of outdoor meeting space with a “Houstonian Experiences” menu for corporate and social groups, meetings, and celebrations. The 185,000-square-foot Houstonian Club offers over 180 weekly group exercise classes, aquatic programs, indoor and outdoor tennis, a resort pool with a rockslide, a 25-meter sports lap pool, and a quiet garden pool. Houstonian Club Members and Houstonian Hotel guests enjoy the club’s luxurious locker rooms and wet areas, a fully equipped fitness floor with over 300 pieces of equipment, indoor turfed fitness zone, enhanced group exercise fitness studios, cycle studio, a private yoga studio with aerial silks, and an indoor basketball court. The club also provides 2 areas for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years, kids camps, and special events and programming plus an outdoor playground and butterfly garden. Poolside dining is available at the expansive Arbor Grill, with wood decks, TVs, and a fire pit, and the club’s grab-and-go called Refuel offers light fare and Starbucks Coffee. The club offers a full-time registered dietitian, and a wellness therapy suite called The Covery by The Houstonian Club. At 26,500 square feet, the new Trellis Spa at The Houstonian is the largest luxury spa in the state of Texas. From the outside, it resembles a magnificent European Villa with statuesque architecture and luscious gardens. On the inside, soothing, nature-inspired hues complement a grand, light-filled reception, renovated treatment rooms, sauna and wet areas, a scenic treetop dining room, an indoor Reflection Pool, and tranquil lounging areas. Trellis offers a Skin Care Clinic and a resident celebrity makeup artist. Its outdoor Soaking Pools and Garden provides an authentic contrast bathing experience with open-air cabanas, rocking chairs, a fire pit, and a butterfly art installation. The Houstonian also includes Sage ‘n’ Bloom Floral Studio, providing bespoke floral services for weddings and celebrations, client experiences, and corporate installations on-property and to the public.

One of Houston’s historic gems, the property is known for its grace, comfort, and unparalleled guest experience.

http://www.houstonian.com/the-club

The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa / 111 North Post Oak Lane / Houston, Texas 77024

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Gabi De la Rosa
The Houstonian Hotel Club & Spa
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Fitness

Swimming vs. running: Choosing the better exercise for your body

Published

6 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Swimming vs. running: Choosing the better exercise for your body

Anyone picking a new exercise routine won’t lack for opinions from among the tens of millions of runners and swimmers in the U.S. There are passionate communities on both sides that will tell you their sport is superior.

Better to ask someone who does both.

“I tolerate swimming to be able to do sports we like, to travel to cool places and race together,” says Jacob Gilden, a 36-year-old competitive triathlete and swimrunner. “But if I was less injury-prone, I would probably be doing a lot less swimming and a lot more running.”

His wife, Liz Gilden, a former professional triathlete herself, also loves running, but the 36-year-old says that age has changed the equation. Swimming isn’t as hard on the body, she says: “We can’t really run as much as we used to. So supplementing swimming really helps preserve that aerobic capacity.”

We all know the basics: Both running and swimming can boost your cardiovascular and mental health. Doing either is generally better than doing nothing.

How to decide which is better for you? We talked to experts to determine the factors—including your training, injury history and natural affinity—that play into the decision.

Born to run

Contrary to popular belief, running doesn’t have to destroy your knees and can actually benefit them. Some exercise scientists and researchers say that, with the proper routines, people can continue running into their 60s and 70s—or maybe even later.

Careful and informed training for a marathon can have a protective effect on knee joints of sedentary people without prior knee pain or issues, according to a pair of published studies from 2019 in the BMJ and 2020 in Skeletal Radiology.

Using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, researchers analyzed the knee joints of dozens of middle-aged, first-time marathoners. Many people assume that joints, bones and muscles wear down over time like car parts, says Alister Hart, a professor of orthopedics at University College London and the chief investigator of the studies.

But our body parts are biological, he says. “By doing exercise, they actually repair, renew and improve.”

Because running is a load-bearing exercise, research suggests it can build bone health. “We know that bones respond to force,” Hart says. “Running improves your knees by improving the quality of the bone on either side of the knee joint.”

But runners shouldn’t do anything too vigorous or bear too much weight until their bodies are able to manage. Instead, they should start out with easy runs and gradually increase the intensity and mileage.

“We don’t want someone who’s not conditioned to run to jump into running,” says Laura Richardson, a clinical associate professor of applied exercise science and movement science at the University of Michigan.

That includes people with arthritis and joint pain or those who are recovering from an injury or surgery. They may want to opt for swimming instead of running, researchers say.

“If you had a soccer injury at a young age, and you ruptured your cruciate ligament, and you never had it repaired, you’re going to be running on a joint that’s going to be not moving normally,” Hart says. “Your risk of developing joint damage is real.”

High-water marks

Proponents of swimming point to the fact that it activates muscles throughout your body, while running mainly works the lower body.

And because moving through water can be less harsh on the body than pounding pavement, swimming is often useful for rehabbing from injuries—including overtraining in running—and for those seeking joint-friendly exercise, says Scott Trappe, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University. Regular swimming has been found to reduce joint pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis.

Other health benefits have gotten less attention.

Researchers found that masters athletes, including swimmers, cyclists and triathletes—with the average age of 57—had more satisfying sex lives and better sexual function than the general population. The study’s subjects mostly consisted of swimmers but a small percentage of participants took part in other activities such as running and rowing.

“The take-home message is that swimming can enhance sexual function to an older age,” says Hirofumi Tanaka, the director of the Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin and senior author of the 2023 study, which was published in the International Journal of Sexual Health.

One potential downside of swimming, exercise scientists say, is that it might require more training to get the benefits.

“You have to have a good skill to raise your heart rate up,” Tanaka says.

‘Intrinsic excitement’

Running and swimming can both be physically demanding and even risky, so experts recommend easing into both.

The trick is determining what intensity of an aerobic activity you can maintain in a continuing program, says the University of Michigan’s Richardson. “It’s a matter of finding that sweet spot.”

And when it comes to picking one or the other, the best choice is probably the one that you’ll stick with consistently. “If putting on your shoes and running outside seems like a challenge, then maybe you need to pack your bag and go to a local pool,” Richardson says. “So whatever feels like you have a little intrinsic excitement about doing, that’s the one you’ve got to do.”

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Swimming vs. Running: Choosing the Better Exercise for Your Body

Fitness

Workout Wednesday: Exercises using a chair

Published

13 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Workout Wednesday: Exercises using a chair

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A few exercises can really help your core.

In this week’s “Workout Wednesday,” fitness trainer Rhonda Murphy shares a couple of ways you can get more for your money, using a chair.

Fitness

Jessica Biel on Justin Timberlake as a workout buddy: 'So much more fun'

Published

20 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Jessica Biel on Justin Timberlake as a workout buddy: 'So much more fun'

When it comes to her workout routine, Jessica Biel seems to have an enviable mantra: Can’t stop, won’t stop.

The actor regularly inspires fans with videos of her intense sweat sessions and she exhibits laser focus while executing tricky moves like single-leg pistol squats.

It appears nothing can distract Biel from her fitness goals — not even her husband, Justin Timberlake, who has been known to bust a move to make her laugh while she’s working out.

Wondering where the star’s dedication to fitness comes from and how she stays red carpet ready? Here’s everything the 42-year-old has said about her workout routine and diet.

Yoga is a big part of her life

Yoga can help tone and strengthen your body, but it can also refresh your mind, and that’s one of the many reasons Biel was initially drawn to yoga in her twenties.

“I was searching for my identity as a person, and what defines me,” she told Women’s Health. “And yoga became a space where I can really touch back into myself and my spirituality.”

The star quickly found a sense of community while attending classes and she continues to practice yoga 20-30 minutes each day when she can.

“It’s become so much more than an exercise—more of a stress reliever and a life calmer,” she said. “It just helps me with everything that I have to do in my life.”

Of course, Biel also enjoys the physical benefits of yoga and told Elle it keeps her muscles “long and flexible.”

The actor has dabbled in several forms of yoga, including Ashtanga yoga, a practice that emphasizes synchronized breath and movement.

“You put in effort to learn and memorize all these movements, and then you can be in almost a completely meditative state when you’re going through the process, because you’re going at your own pace and the speed of your own breath,” she told Self in 2018. “It’s been a wonderful way to practice my at-home yoga.”

She loves working out with her husband and sons

Finding the motivation to go to the gym is a lot easier when you’re working out with someone else. Luckily for Biel, her husband is a ready and willing exercise partner.

“We’ll work with a trainer and just do different circuits and do different types of cardio training or sprinting, just different things depending on what we’re working on and goals we’re trying to hit at the time,” she told Self in 2018.

Biel told Women’s Health she adores exercising with her hubby, saying, it’s “so much more fun to do it with someone else.”

The couple’s two sons also get in on the action from time to time.

“We work out together a ton,” Biel told Women’s Health.

The actor’s trainer will teach her eldest son, Silas, a modified version of his parents’ routine and will have her youngest son, Phineas, stretch or walk on the treadmill.

“He’ll give Silas what he’s doing, Justin’s doing something, I’m doing something,” she said. “We’re all doing it together and it’s really fun.”

She avoids workout ruts by trying a variety of exercises

Yoga holds a special place in Biel’s heart, but she also enjoys switching things up and trying different workouts, including boxing, martial arts, snowboarding, hiking and more.

“I love working out with a trainer, doing circuit work and strengthening. I think the lengthening and internal breathing you get from yoga, (in addition to) strength training of weights and circuits and cardiovascular, to me that’s the perfect combination,” she told Women’s Health in 2018.

Her squat game is on point

Squats seem to be Biel’s workout superpower and the fitness buff has shown off her perfect form on several occasions.

In 2018, Biel tried her hand at single-leg pistol squats and totally nailed the tricky move.

The following year, Biel mastered the art of skater squats and her personal trainer Ben Bruno showed off her handiwork on Instagram as she performed six reps.

“This is just nuts. This isn’t something we did one time for the video either; this was her third set and I have her do these routinely. It’s really a wonder she hasn’t fired me yet,” he captioned the post.

She tailors her training based on her current goals

Biel certainly has go-to workouts that she loves, but she often switches up her training depending on the project she’s working on or a goal she wants to achieve.

For instance, the star walked a lot with a 30-pound backpack on an incline when she hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2010 to raise awareness about the global water crisis.

“I also tried to spend as much time in altitude as I possibly could, which was really key. Altitude really affects you in weird ways,” she told the Los Angeles Times.

Before the 2024 Met Gala, Biel focused on arm moves such as tricep pushdowns and lat pull-downs so she could highlight certain features based on her outfit. Additionally, the star snuck in plenty of cardio, squats and lunges before the event.

“What I’m wearing will be all upper body-exposed, like arms, collarbone, shoulders, upper back, lats,” she told Women’s Health. “There’s an emphasis on just toning there.”

She doesn’t mind staying up late to work out

Biel prefers to work out in the morning to “get it out of the way,” she told Self. However, she’s not opposed to nighttime sweat sessions.

“I’ve definitely been known to be in the gym late night, even 10 or 11 p.m. Keep in mind, that is ‘late night’ for me these days,” she said.

When she’s working out at night, Biel usually opts for a circuit workout or yoga.

“Sometimes, you just gotta do it and fit it in when you can,” she said.

She sticks to ‘boring’ but effective fitness tricks

When it comes to fitness, there’s no such thing as a magic trick to whip us all into shape. But we can learn a thing or two from Biel’s simple, yet smart fitness habits.

“For me, getting enough sleep, drinking lots of water, having a healthy diet, and staying away from alcohol are musts. It’s so boring, I know, but doing those things really helps,” she told Elle in 2011.

Her perspective on fitness has evolved

With age comes wisdom, and Biel has shifted her mindset on fitness over time.

“When I was in my twenties, it was important to me how much I could bench press and how ripped my shoulders are, and all that stuff is less important to me now,” she told Women’s Health in 2024. “What’s important to me now is mobility. I don’t want to be living with pain.”

For this reason, the actor is a fan of Pilates since it helps gain strength and enhance joint health.

Her diet is all about ‘balance’

Too much of a good thing is never great, and Biel told the Los Angeles Times her diet mantra is all about “creating a balance.”

“I just try to eat really healthy. I mean, of course I have cheat-days and will go out and have, like, cookies and pizza. If I’m training maybe I up the protein intake…. I don’t do so much eating for training unless I’m really training for something specific,” she said in 2017.

Biel did acknowledge that she feels “better” when she avoids gluten, wheat and dairy.

“My digestion is better, I feel better, I have more energy,” she said.

The star also tries to load up on greens from her home garden and said she enjoys making salads with spinach, radishes and other healthy options.

“If I’m home for lunch, I run out to the garden and grab some leaves and throw together a quick salad, maybe throw some quinoa in there or something, or I like these veggie burgers that you can get from Whole Foods or Erewhon and you can grill it up and throw it on top with some nuts… and then some kind of snack during the day — maybe gluten-free pretzels with this really yummy almond cheese dip. It almost tastes like cream cheese, but no dairy,” she said.

She encourages her kids to eat healthy but isn’t unreasonable

Getting kids to eat their fruits and vegetables can be a struggle, but Biel is trying to lead by example.

“We all eat healthy — I mean, we try to. Silas (her oldest son) is a kid, so sometimes he doesn’t want to eat that broccoli or eat that spinach, so you go, ‘All right, pasta it is,’ or ‘French fries it is,’” she told the Los Angeles Times.

Biel and Timberlake try their best to encourage their kids to eat healthy foods, but they’re also not militant on the matter.

“We were talking about it yesterday and Justin said, ‘Do our kids need to eat more vegetables?’” she recently told Women’s Health. “I was like, ‘Yeah, but everybody kind of needs to eat more vegetables! Everyone in the whole world.’”