Pillar of Personal Fitness: Rest

Tips on Inducing a Natural Sleep

Latest Research on How Much Sleep You Need

Rest is often under appreciated in today's high paced world. Some people almost feel guilty if their days are not jammed full from morning to night. Unfortunately, this fast pace comes with a very high price. That price is excessive stress and its deleterious affects: poor health, damage to memory and the brain, and accelerated aging.

Incorporating rest or restful activities into your daily or at least weekly schedule can mitigate stress to some degree and its affects in the body. These activities can include: daydreaming, gardening, playing or listening to relaxing music, taking a bath, sauna or hot tub, going for a walk just for the sake of going for a walk, reading a good book, conscious relaxation, and so on.

When you rest and relax, the "fight or flight" sympathetic nervous system calms down and allows the parasympathetic nervous system to be more dominant. This allows the body to recharge and rejuvenate. Adrenaline and cortisol, 2 stress hormones, are reduced so that the harmful effects of stress is decreased. Even brain wave activity will slow down from frantic beta waves to slower more peaceful alpha waves.

Can it really be that easy to improve health and extend your quality of and quantity of life? Incorporate this Pillar of Personal Fitness and see what it does for you!