Prior to teaching Pilates and running The Balanced Life, I worked in commercial real estate. It was a fast-paced job, I was fresh out of college, and newly engaged.
Life was good – but something was wrong. I had mysterious symptoms:
- neck pain
- body aches
- fatigue
- acne breakouts
- bloating
- weight gain
- stomach aches
I went to doctor after doctor, but couldn’t get any answers. I went through test after test, only to be called an “enigma.”
After months of appointments, tests, prayer, and google searching, I finally demanded a specific test that found an infection in my stomach. I was thrilled to have an answer.
While that cured my stomach issues, a variety of symptoms still persisted. The aches, pain, and fatigue started to interfere with my ability to live life well.
One day, in a desperate attempt to ease my aching body, I went to a Pilates class…and everything started to change.
The instructor led me through an exercise designed to release tension from my body and right then and there, I got a tiny glimpse of the tension I had been holding inside.
After a few months of Pilates classes and eventually meeting with a counselor who set me up with practical skills to reduce stress (such as taking 20 minutes after work to unwind with Pilates and calming music alone in my room), my pain disappeared, my skin cleared up, my energy increased, and I felt like a new woman.
Much to my surprise, it turned out that the cause of my mysterious aches, pains, and fatigue…was stress.
Stress was manifesting in real, physiological ways – even though I didn’t feel stressed on a day-to-day basis.
Research shows that chronic stress can cause depression, anxiety, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and a whole host of other health issues.
But one of the biggest problems is that most of us don’t realize just how stressed we really are.
It’s just life. It’s just how we operate. We’re just making it through each day, holding tension and stress inside our bodies without even realizing it, and not pausing to consider the effect it may be having on our health.
PAUSE RIGHT NOW: Notice if your shoulders are tense. Take a big deep breath, relax your shoulders, and keep reading because I have good news for you…
Pilates is one of the most effective ways to manage stress while also building strength.
In one short workout (that you can do from home), you can release tension, increase blood flow to the brain, boost your immune system, improve your mood, and get in phenomenal shape. It’s incredible.
I’ve been working on something REALLY exciting the past few months that I’m so excited to share it with you!
If you want to manage your stress, improve the way you feel each day, and build strength, it will be PERFECT for you.
Introducing…the Pilates Strength + Stress Relief Challenge! Kicking off on March 9, 2020! This challenge is 5 days of 15-minute Pilates workouts + stress-relieving strategies to help you build strength, release stress, and feel amazing!
CLICK HERE to sign up – I can’t wait for you to experience these benefits!
xo,
The post the silent issue that’s leading to weight gain, breakouts and more… appeared first on The Balanced Life.