Fitness
Stay Fit, New Yorkers. It Will Lower Stress
New York City is the most competitive city in the country. Sure, other cities may try and go for the crown, but you know if you’re a New Yorker that if you can make it in this town, you can make it anywhere. Frank Sinatra wasn’t wrong on that one. But while the rewards of making it are great, the stress you’ll endure to succeed could be hazardous to your health. Seriously, stress is a major contributor to many ailments we may develop and make up the majority of the reasons for our visits to the doctor. Stress can cause everything from muscle pain to headaches, and, more seriously, high blood pressure, which raises your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Being a professional in New York puts you at an increased risk of stress-related ailments. Everyone under a tremendous amount of stress could suffer from ill health, but this is particularly targeted at people who work upwards of 50+ hours a week who feel like there’s no way they can properly watch their health. Maybe they tend to eat a lot of fatty, salty take-out food because there’s no perceived time to cook. When you’re at the office all day and you come home exhausted, it may seem like the last thing you could possibly want to do is go to the gym.
While keeping yourself healthy may seem like an inconvenience, you’re actually worse off if you don’t set aside the time to cook up some vegetables or get a jog in. Doing a Google search will bring up many different answers to the query, “How often should I exercise?” But as a general rule of thumb, you want to get in about 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day.
Now, before you lace up those running shoes, you should make an appointment with a New York cardiologist, especially if you’re older, to make sure you’re in good enough shape to take on that kind of exercise regimen. In many instances, people may not even be aware that they are showing signs of high blood pressure, cholesterol, or other heart issues.
However, if you’re younger or you’ve spoken with a doctor, taking up a regular cardiovascular workout routine can actually lower your stress levels. Yes, you may leave the office wanting to swing a bat through every store window you see, but after your run, you’ll feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. Another good reason for making the time for exercise is that it can play into your competitive drive. On any given day, you can see hundreds of joggers in Central Park. New York hosts its famous marathon and bike tour every year. Wouldn’t you like to be able to participate in these events and compete with the people you watch go by every year without ever thinking you’d be right there with them?
A workout doesn’t have to be intense. You can sneak out for a quick one during your lunch break. Many gyms have late hours. New York may never sleep, but you need to. Still, making the time to get some exercise and eat healthily will be hugely beneficial.