Getting Physical!

Sometimes you just have to get physical.  Nothing else will do.  Your body craves it; your soul needs it.  Okay...I'm not talking about having sex (although of course, humans -- women as well as men -- need that too).  I'm talking about working out -- sweating out those toxins, flooding your body with endorphins. 

                Lots of ways you can do it.  When I'm not swimming, my favorites include riding my very old (found for free on the curb) stationary bike, interspersed with a little weight lifting, followed by a quick sprint, closing with some of my preferred Yoga poses --  Warrior and Downward Dog and Tree.  (Is it evident that I just had a good workout??)  A satisfying Yoga class in a good studio can also work wonders.  Some people love Pilates.  A bike ride is also fun and satisfying.  Lots of choices.

                The point is to do something, let the physical activity take over, let your brain have a mind of its own without you controlling it, let the thoughts go wherever they go.  As you start working up a sweat, you actually sweat out toxins, and magically while all this is happening, your body becomes flooded with endorphins and other neurotransmitters. 

                When you've finished, you feel like you could solve every single problem that the world might have -- and if you're a concerned citizen and/or if you're going through a messy or heart wrenching divorce, you have plenty of problems to choose from.  As a divorce attorney and family law mediator, I can't guarantee you any results but I can pretty reliably assure you that you will feel better, more centered, more balanced, more able to handle whatever comes your way.

                Multiple scientific studies show that in addition to working out tension, exercising increases our resilience, which helps to sustain us, for example as we're going through a long and difficult divorce.  Exercising also seems helpful in reducing extreme stress and also depression -- both common for people going through a divorce.  To thrive during and after your divorce, I recommend:

• regular exercise -- at times pushing your physical limits
• a good support network -- old friends, new friends, family
• a great divorce attorney and/or family law mediator -- a lawyer who listens to you and who you trust

Sources:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-exercise-make-us-feel-good/

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/13/health/endorphins-exercise-cause-happiness/

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/06/how-exercise-shapes-you-far-beyond-the-gym.html