“It is really in ourselves, in our emotions and in our memories, that we can each find our healing space.  For the most powerful of healing places is in the brain and in the mind.” - Esther Sternberg, MD

And Vice Versa.  According to the Center for Disease Control, people with phobic fears and severe anxiety issues have a greater risk of heart disease.

Scientists have found that people with excessive fear of social situations, animals, or the outdoors are 30 or 40 times more likely to have the extreme tension that may create heart disease and cause an attack.  

According to this month’s Idea Fitness Journal; Dr. Esther Sternberg, MD, section chief of neuroendocrine immunology and behavior at the National Institute of Mental Health, is quoted as saying that “one-third of Americans are living with extraordinary stress and that 90% of us live with stress on a regular basis.”

Are we doomed?  Not so, states Sternberg.  It is unlikely that many of us can walk away from our stressors, but becoming “resilient” and learning to cope is essential.  Finding our “bounce” and strengthening our ability to put things in perspective are key.  In the article, Sternberg suggests that help from fitness professionals is vital, as is walking, meditating several times a week, and a healthy Mediterranean diet.

Qualified fitness professionals are designed to deliver heart-saving lifestyle changes to your employees.  Wellness programs educate and provide the tools to teach your company to take baby steps until wellness becomes a habit.  Presenting people with the reality that they do have power over their lives is invaluable.