Many people struggle to set aside the time to exercise regularly because of the hectic pace of modern life. The lack of proper exercise adds to the problems created by the fast pace and stress of how we live and our health starts to suffer. This article is designed to show you a 15 minute workout that can have amazing positive effects on your health, even if you can only fit it in a couple of times a week.

The common assumption is that you need to workout for long periods, most days of the week, in order to have an impact on your health and fitness. This is actually a false assumption. Short regular workout sessions are effective at increasing strength and fitness, burning body fat and improving your general health, energy levels and mood.

The key to a short but effective workout is the type of exercise you do. Keep to simple exercises that can be done in the same place and don’t require any special equipment. The benefit is obtained by the continuous activity and alternating the muscle groups used. This gives you a combination of the benefits of aerobic and strength exercise.

This is an example of a 15 minute workout. You will need a timer or stop watch to be accurate, but glancing at your watch or a clock will do just as well.

• Warm up by jogging or high-knee stepping on the spot, swinging your arms across the front of your body and out to the side. Time: 3 minutes.
• Squats - continuously for 2 minutes.
• Sit-ups - continuously for 3 minutes. This could be crunches instead.
• Push-ups - continuously for 2 minutes, using either your knees or your feet.
• Run up and down a flight of stairs. Time: 3 minutes. If you don’t have access to stairs, run on the spot with your knees up.
• Cool down - walk around the room, stretch with lunges, calf stretch, hamstring stretch. Time: 2 minutes.

You may need to start slowly, but gradually increase the intensity doing the workout without any breaks, for maximum impact. It is best if you change the order of the middle three exercises every workout and you can substitute different exercises for these if you like. This 15 minute workout can be adapted for different goals.

• If you want weight loss, you will need more cardio to burn fat, so substitute 2 of the strength exercises for jump rope or jumping jacks.
• If you want to tone and strengthen a particular group of muscles, put specific exercises in place of the others.

The best workout program in the world will not be effective if your diet consists of hamburgers and pizza every night. Gradually introduce changes to your diet by cooking your own food, eating fresh fruit for dessert, substituting a salad for lunch once a week and snacking on nuts or fruit instead of donuts. You will find that you will less hungry than before.

This workout will prove to you that you don’t have to hit the gym for hours to get fit and lose weight. Fit this 15 minute workout into your schedule whenever you can. You might start with only one or two workouts a week, but you will still see the results - weight loss, toned muscles and improved health and energy levels.

Relieve Stress with Relaxing Rituals

Everyone experiences some stress from time to time or we become upset; it is a natural part of life. There are some people who suffer from more serious anxiety which starts to impact on their lives. Relaxing rituals are an effective way of dealing with stress and anxiety.

Rituals are a set of behaviours that are practised in a certain order, regularly, through your daily life. Some rituals are kept for when an anxiety attack occurs. As long as the ritual doesn’t become compulsive and more important then the benefit received from it, rituals are soothing and calming to the person feeling stressed or anxious. A ritual allows you to substitute an alternative to the stressful situation which releases the built-up tension and allows you to gradually relax.

There are numerous types of calming rituals which you might find beneficial. Give several different rituals a try so you know which ones offer you the most relief. You might find that different ones work best at different times, so have 2 or 3 that you can use, which prevents one ritual becoming obsessive.

• A warm bath - make sure the water is not too hot as this is stimulating instead of calming. A warm bath relaxes your muscles after an active day, and by adding essential oils to the water you will feel relaxed, refreshed and calmer in your mind.
• Music - choose some soft gentle music to soothe and relax. Find somewhere comfortable to sit or lie and play gentle music in the background. Close your eyes and focus on the music to feel yourself calming down.
• Meditation - there are many guided meditations available for download or sale that will give you something to focus on while your mind and body relaxes. Find one that is specifically for relaxation or anxiety for the best benefits.
• Puzzles - many people find puzzles relaxing, but they can also give your mind something else to focus on, the replace whatever caused you stress or made you anxious. Try crosswords or number puzzles, jigsaws, computer games or solitaire - anything that will keep your mind active.
• Quiet time - many people find that spending 5 or 10 minutes of solitude and quiet contemplation every day helps to get things sorted out in their mind. Visualization is a strong tool for developing habits of success in your life. Just spending some quiet time alone helps you to listen to your own thoughts and calm your mind.
• Exercise - exercise relieves stress and makes you feel happier. It improves your general health and fitness and gives you more energy. Activities like yoga are particularly helpful because it trains the body and mind, so you can learn to control your mind when it is racing with stress.
• Keep a journal - writing down your thoughts is very therapeutic; it enables you to unjumble what is going on in your head and helps you make some sense of it. Make sure you journal the good things that are happening in your life and list 5 things you are grateful for each day.
• A hot drink - nothing calms and soothes like a nice cup of tea, but some people might prefer a hot chocolate. Herbal tea can be beneficial for calming, soothing nausea and relaxing. Green tea is high in antioxidants that will make you feel better. Avoid stimulating beverages like coffee.

Try some of these rituals and any others that you might read or hear about to give yourself a really effective tool for fighting anxiety and stress. Whether you need to relieve the symptoms of an anxiety attack, remove stress after a hard day or just unwind so that you can get a good night’s sleep, these relaxing rituals will be very effective for you.

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