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It is widely accepted that exercise benefits people suffering from depression, but rarely do depressed people feel like donning their lycra outfit and bouncing out the door for a workout. So how do we as friends, loved ones, or sufferers break that downward spiral caused by depression and the lethargy that goes with it?

Depression affects one in five people, so chances are either you, or someone close to you suffers this debilitating disease. More and more studies are revealing that what has historically been thought of as the cause, a chemical imbalance, may not be the main culprit but rather it can be caused by an individual’s interpretation of certain events in their lives, and the way they choose to deal with them (The myth of the chemical cure).

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Tagged As: Beyondblue, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Major depressive disorder, Mental Health, Personal trainer, Physical exercise, Weight loss

We spend 40+ hours per week at work so imagine the positive effect a health conscious workplace would have on us! In the US, businesses are jumping on the band wagon of health and fitness, recognizing that health care costs their country 15% of its entire output (GDP). Surely prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure. Some of the initiatives companies are doing include;

• Lifestyle coaches
• Seminars
• Health fairs
• Onsite classes
• Weight loss programs
• Sporting events
• Web resources
• Incentives for healthier lifestyles

Some of the biggest challenges in setting up these initiatives are money and cultural differences, but on the whole these programs are welcomed into workplaces. Cost shouldn’t be an issue considering a high risk 45- 54 year old man costs a company $5813 compared to less than half that amount ($2081) for a low risk man of the same age. This doesn’t even include productivity loss or time off work.

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Tagged As: Business, Corporation, GDP, Gross domestic product, Health, Health care, United States, US, work

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Do you spring out of bed in the morning, ready to face the day, or is life one long struggle and you feel tired all the time? No you’re not just getting old, no it’s not the weather, your hormones, or that bottle of red you downed last night (actually, that may have something to do with it!). Lethargy is a terrible feeling and one that can be drastically improved with some modifications to your lifestyle. Follow these 6.5 ways you can inject some spark back into your life.

1. Get a good night’s sleep
For many people, the night is only young at 10:30, but if you need to work normal hours tomorrow, it is imperative to get your sleeping patterns on track. For the night owls out there, you may lay awake the first few times, but if you follow point number 2 as well, it won’t take your body long to adjust to the new time. Reading a book before bed helps, or check out these 33 secrets to a good night’s sleep.

2. Wake up between 5:30am and 6:30am.
It has been proven that there are hormones secreted around this time to wake you up, and if you don’t actually wake up at that time, they slow down, meaning it is much harder to wake up between 6:30am and 8am. Try it, you will be amazed!

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Tagged As: energy, fitness, Health, Motivation, Physical exercise, Physical fitness, Television program, Wellness

You know those times when you feel completely stressed and if your head was a kettle, steam would be whistling out of your ears? Or when a loved one is frustrating you so much you either need to scream or laugh. It has been documented that breathing can slow down or halt the hormone responses that cause such a stressful reaction.

Correct deep breathing will:

• Increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, and body.
• Stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to bring the body back to a resting state,lowering blood pressure, and heart rate.
• Relax the muscles involved in shallow breathing that causes headaches and back issues

Steps to correct breathing
Place one hand on your stomach over your belly button. Take a deep breath in and as you do allow your stomach to expand as the air rushes deep into your lungs.
When you breath out, your stomach should draw in towards your spine, as your muscles squeeze the air out of your lungs. It’s like a bagpipe having the air squeezed out of it.
When you breathe in, observe your shoulders. They should stay perfectly still, no shrugging, lifting, rotating. The same goes for your upper chest. If those areas are moving, you are still breathing shallowly.

Closing your eyes and taking ten super slow, deep breaths does wonders to alter your mood. Try it in when you feel stressed, when you are about to go to sleep or after a big meal. Try it right now. Do you feel different after ten deep breaths?

*** Are you running on adrenaline? Click here to find out if you are an adrenaline junkie.

Tagged As: Blood pressure, Breathing, Health, Heart rate, Parasympathetic nervous system, Shallow breathing