The Healing Power Of Exercise

By Pat Robinson ISBN: 978 1846930485 Published: 2007 Pages: 72 Key Themes: self estime Description Depression is one of the most common health problems of modern times. At least one in six of us will suffer from it at some point in our lives. This book is about ordinary people who have enhanced - and in some cases transformed - their lives through regular exercise. The contributors to this anthology talk openly and frankly about their experiences and their triumph over depression, drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders, grief, HIV and low self-esteem. Their stories are positive and inspirational, demonstrating that even if you have reached rock bottom mentally, there is a way upward. About the Author Pat Robinson lives in Nottingham where she works primarily with clients with learning difficulties and/or mental health problems. She has also worked in prisons and with drug and alcohol abusers, using drama as a form of therapy. Having suffered depression since the age of thirteen, Pat took up running in her early fifties to help her get through a particularly bad patch. Amazed by the incredible sense of release that it gave, she is now a dedicated runner having completed thirteen marathons and four triathlons to date. "The 'black dog' has never completely disappeared, but when I see it coming I know I can chase it away!" She compiled this anthology in the hope that others might be inspired to take up exercise as a cheap and effective way of combating many of the symptoms of depression

LEARN HOW EXERCISE CAN . . . * Increase bone health * Offer relief for arthritis and back pain * Lower your risk of developing certain cancers * Lower high cholesterol and improve triglyceride levels * Treat heart disease * Slow (and even reverse) aging * Burn fat and build muscle * Reduce your risk of developing glaucoma * Elevate your mood and fight depression * Boost your energy level Do you have the time to exercise 90 to 120 minutes a week (that's just 30 to 40 minutes three times a week)? If you do, medical studies indicate that you can accomplish a death-defying act. You will feel better, roll back your physiological clock, and gain more benefits than from any potion or pill ever invented. In The Healing Power of Exercise, Drs. Linn Goldberg and Diane Elliot--two of the top medical experts in the field of exercise therapy--share with everyone their vast knowledge about the medical benefits of physical exercise. This book is based on the authors' groundbreaking medical textbook, Exercise for Prevention and Treatment of Illness, which opened eyes in the medical industry to the benefits of exercise. Packed with fascinating true-life stories and engaging writing, The Healing Power of Exercise explains exactly why "exercise is the best medicine." The authors cover more than ten common illnesses, discussing how exercise can help prevent or treat them. They clearly show you which exercises (and how much) are right for what ails you. With fascinating and informative medical sidebars, step-by-step photos, and detailed advice, Drs. Goldberg and Elliot help you tailor your own personal exercise program and get you motivated to start on it--and stay on it. For life.

This practical guide to understanding the cranial nerves as the key to our psychological and physical well-being builds on Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory—one of the most important recent developments in human neurobiology. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience as a craniosacral therapist and Rolfer, Stanley Rosenberg explores the crucial role that the vagus nerve plays in determining our psychological and emotional states and explains that a myriad of common psychological and physical symptoms—from anxiety and depression to migraines and back pain—indicates a lack of proper functioning in the vagus nerve. Through a series of easy self-help exercises, the book illustrates the simple ways we can regulate the vagus nerve in order to initiate deep relaxation, improve sleep, and recover from injury and trauma. Additionally, by exploring the link between a well-regulated vagus nerve and social functioning, Rosenberg’s findings and methods offer new hope that by improving social behavior it is possible to alleviate some of the symptoms at the core of many cases of autism spectrum disorders. Useful for psychotherapists, doctors, bodyworkers, and caregivers, as well as anyone who experiences the symptoms of chronic stress and depression, this book shows how we can optimize autonomic functioning in ourselves and others, and bring the body into the state of safety that activates its innate capacity to heal.

Recent clinical studies show that exercise rather than rest may be the best therapy for someone undergoing cancer treatments. The Healing Power of Movement addresses this significant shift in care recommendations and clearly illustrates fifty specific exercises-from simply sitting up or moving in bed to walking or lifting light weights-for different stages of cancer treatments, and for many different types of cancers. Written in consultation with a leading oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in Manhattan and based on practical advice gleaned from the front lines of the author's physical-therapy practice, The Healing Power of Movement will be recommended and empowering reading for all cancer patients, whether they are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, or are recovering from surgery.

Conventional wisdom has always held that when we help others, some of the good we do flows back to us. That satisfaction has always been thought to be largely emotional—feeling good when you do good. Now important, widely discussed research shows that helping others regularly produces significant health benefits as well—in fact, it has effects similar to those many of us experience when we exercise. It is almost impossible to read this book without wanting to do good. Both for those who are already volunteering and for those who are considering it, this valuable personal guide tells you how to choose an activity that’s right for you, how to maximize the health benefits, and how to overcome the main obstacle to getting started: lack of time. The Healing Power of Doing Good reaffirms and explains that when we care for others we care for ourselves. It is an important book for those suffering from chronic health problems as well as the health conscious, anyone interested in how our mind affects our body, and people in the helping professions. And it reminds us that never has there been such a need for caring as there is today.

Recent clinical studies show that exercise rather than rest may be the best therapy for someone undergoing cancer treatments. The Healing Power of Movement addresses this significant shift in care recommendations and clearly illustrates fifty specific exercises-from simply sitting up or moving in bed to walking or lifting light weights-for different stages of cancer treatments, and for many different types of cancers. Written in consultation with a leading oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in Manhattan and based on practical advice gleaned from the front lines of the author's physical-therapy practice, The Healing Power of Movement will be recommended and empowering reading for all cancer patients, whether they are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, or are recovering from surgery.

A drug-free, side effect-free solution to common stress and mood problems—developed by two physicians The audio exercises included with this book can be accessed online at www.shambhala.com/healingpowerofthebreath. Access instructions are also provided within the book. Millions of Americans suffer from mood problems and stress-related issues like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD. Far too many of them are taking medications that have troublesome side effects, withdrawal symptoms, and disappointing success rates. In The Healing Power of the Breath, Dr. Richard P. Brown and Dr. Patricia L. Gerbarg provide a different way to treat stress: breathing. Drawn from yoga, Buddhist meditation, the Chinese practice of qigong, and other sources, their science-backed methods activate communication pathways between the mind and body to positively impact the brain and calm the stress response. Their anecdotes and easy-to-follow exercises will show you how to apply breathing techniques to help relieve: · Anxiety and depression · Trauma-related emotions and behaviors · Post-traumatic stress disorder · Insomnia · Addiction-related behaviors Complete with an audio download, this book gives you the coping tools you need to lead a calmer, more stress-free life.

The true nature of our minds is enlightened and peaceful, as the depth of the ocean is calm and clear. But when we mentally grasp and emotionally cling to our wants and worries with all our energy, we lose our own enlightened freedom and healing power, only to gain stress and exhaustion, suffering and overexcitement, like the turbulent waves rolling on the surface of the ocean. Our minds possess the power to heal pain and stress, and to blossom into peace and joy, by loosening the clinging attitudes that Buddhists call "grasping at self." If we apply the mind's healing power, we can heal not only our mental and emotional afflictions, but physical problems also. This book is an invitation to awaken the healing power of mind through inspiring images and sounds, mindful movements, positive perceptions, soothing feelings, trusting confidence, and the realization of openness. The healing principle on which these exercises are based is the universal nature and omnipresent power envisioned in Mahayana Buddhism. Yet for healing, we don't have to be believers in any particular faith. We can heal body and mind simply by being what we truly are, and by allowing our own natural healing qualities to manifest: a peaceful and open mind, a loving and positive attitude, and warm, joyful energy in a state of balance and harmony.