Feeling stressed? Most of us are, with uncomfortable results. Our bodies rebel with symptoms like headaches, muscle tension, troubled sleep and poor concentration. Stress can even create serious medical concerns like high blood pressure. This pesky emotion, which can spring from bad events like getting fired or joys like getting married, is indisputable proof that we can’t divide mind from body. It’s a simultaneous emotional, mental and physiological event.

Under stress, our heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar rise, contributing to a keyed-up, on-edge feeling. Blood, which clots more easily under stress, is drawn away from the digestive system to large muscles. The immune system slows down. We often feel anxious, may have trouble turning off our thoughts or, conversely, difficulty concentrating. These changes make perfect sense from an evolutionary standpoint. Energizing some body functions and disabling others helps us decide wisely under crisis. It also delivers enough energy and strength to fight or run, which is the classic “fight or flight” reaction.

Stress can be practical and it isn’t hurtful as a periodic visitor, but we suffer when it’s a constant companion. Two services at the Health and Wellness Center by Doylestown Hospital help people usher out this too frequent guest. Fitness center members and guests at The Spa can calmly seek peace in this community wellness space and discover lasting physical and psychological benefits.

Welcome Om
Bodies begin to downshift when they enter a meditative state: heart rate and breathing slow, blood pressure stabilizes and levels of stress hormones like adrenaline fall. Meditation’s effects on the mind are equally advantageous: concentration improves, anxiety decreases and mild depression may ease, among other benefits. Practitioners engage fully in this spiritual practice by adopting proper posture and deep diaphragmatic breathing. Techniques such as repeating mantras (positive phrases) encourage focus as does visiting peaceful places through guided visualization. Those who meditate regularly learn to live more in the present, change their views of daily events and broaden their perspectives.

Reaping meditation’s many plusses, however, requires practice. Jean Westbrook Finch, certified meditation instructor, guides fitness members toward this goal by leading meditation twice weekly. Many in these classes experience both mental and physical transformation. “Meditation allowed a student with constant pain in her hips to sleep peacefully,” Finch comments. “Another man believed he needed surgery to relieve his back pain but improved so much he now feels he no longer needs it.” Many students have high blood pressure and find that regular attendance at meditation classes appears to help manage the condition.

Stress Drains Away
Stress also drains away as members enter the center’s healing pool for classes. Its body-warm temperature is a draw: a steady 93 degrees F attracts members who mellow during lengthy stays and reap the soothing benefits that water provides. Water also supports achy joints and helps those with arthritis or less strength move more easily.

As with any exercise, participants in sessions like these release endorphins, the body’s home-grown “feel-good” chemicals. These delightful neurotransmitters are powerful painkillers that not only act as natural opiates, but also produce a pervasive happiness. Highly trained fitness staff can help keep endorphins flowing by advising on additional exercises and tracking progress. “Professionals at our center excel in their disciplines, so if members take a yoga class, for example, they target the tension people carry in their bodies — that stress-tightened neck or back — with proper stretching technique,” says Amber Connors, executive director of The Fitness Center and The Spa.

Slowing Down, Shifting Focus
Sure signs of stress relief often appear as fitness sessions conclude. Participants tend to talk and move fast before exercise or mindful practices like meditation, then become noticeably quieter with slower movements afterwards. It’s not surprising that personalities appear to change. Most exercise is rhythmic, repeated motion that clears the mind and shifts focus off a crazy workday or a rushed home life. The connections people feel as they communicate fight stress, too, and build social networks that may keep stress at bay.

Many center members look forward to regular sessions for these kinds of reasons, with some scheduling greater interaction through personal training. As members pursue individual fitness goals, personal trainers provide friendly, empowering encouragement. “Stress can stem from negative thoughts such as ‘I’m not strong enough’ or ‘I’m over my ideal weight,’” explains Janelle Shoup, operations director. The accountability and motivation from personal training can change these conditions and thoughts, thereby lowering stress levels and improving self-esteem.

Choosing to Lower Stress
Sometimes effective stress relief comes from handing the hard work to somebody else: a massage therapist. The seven licensed and certified massage therapists at The Spa at The Health and Wellness Center have invested hundreds of hours studying anatomy, biology, physiology and movement, equipping them to not only reduce stress but also to soothe nagging conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. Much more than simply a feel-good experience, massage is a be-healthier choice that researchers find reduces heart rate, improves circulation, relaxes muscles, extends range of motion and relieves chronic pain through endorphin release. Buoyed by such convincing medical findings, many visitors to The Spa schedule regular massages rather than just the occasional session. Connors views stress reduction holistically. “Your overall condition may lead to stressful situations: if you’re overweight you might sleep poorly or if you don’t leave time for the grocery store, you won’t have nutritious food to eat. Value yourself,” she summarizes. “Adopting a healthier lifestyle and planning how to meet obligations can reduce and prevent stress.”