Stress Relief: Exercise

Working Out

Aside from the mind and imagination, the voice and body are among the actor’s greatest tools.  Not only does exercising help us to keep in shape, it is also an amazing stress reliever.  For those of us who love theatre, it’s nice to know that we can even incorporate it into our workouts.  There are many ways that you can exercise and lots of items to make it more enjoyable.

Walking

If you’re new to working out, walking is a great, low impact option to start with, and it doesn’t require any special skills.  You could work your way up to jogging if you want, but I’ve seen friends achieve amazing results just by walking 3 miles per day.  If you decide to walk or run, when the weather’s warmer, you might want to go earlier in the morning before it heats up.  Although I am most definitely not a morning person, I find that it really jump starts my day.

Motivation

The best motivation I’ve found for working out is having a workout buddy.  For example, if we decide to meet before work for a morning walk or jog, we don’t want to let the other person down by not showing up.  However, for times when exercising with someone else just doesn’t fit into our schedules, the next best thing for passing the time while working out is good music.  For walking you might want to try the Broadway Walking Workout which provides a 60 minute nonstop workout mix.  It has 27 Broadway numbers created with a Power Remix that sets a great pace for walking (or for any other type of workout you might like).  Another good option is Musicals for Your Workout with 39 upbeat hits that are sure to have you moving and grooving in no time!

Stay Hydrated

No matter how hard you work out, you’ll feel sluggish if you don’t stay hydrated.  Also, waiting until you’re thirsty to drink can lead to dehydration.  Aside from thirst, although not a pleasant topic of conversation, another tell-tale sign of dehydration is the color of your urine.  The darker the color, the less hydrated you are.  While you can buy all sorts of fancy sports drinks (Gatorade Thirst Quencher Frost, Glacier  Cherry is my favorite), water is best and simplest thing you can drink.  Be earth conscious about quenching your thirst by using a refillable bottle.  You can even get BPA free bottles like the Stainless Steel one from CafePress – Its A Theater Thing.  Whether you workout or not, actors should drink plenty of water in order to maintain their vocal cords and keep their minds sharp. Here are some more water bottles that you might enjoy.

Exercise Clothes

Just like rehearsals, it’s important to wear comfortable clothes that you can move in when you exercise.  I personally like going for walks and jogging and have to keep the weather in mind for my outdoor workouts.  For cold weather, I really like the Under Armour Storm series.  They are water resistant, wick away sweat and are breathable.  I have the 1/4 zip top, black pants, and white jacket.  For additional warmth, I chose a Under Armor’s storm jacket (in white so that it would stand out in the dark on my early morning runs).  For everyday wear, I love Nike Women’s Dri-Fit. I generally run in a tank and running tights.  The running pants come in capri’s also.  Nike Dri-Fit shorts are great for really hot days, though.  Plus, you can wear them over your pants if you’re feeling self conscious.  Oh, and I prefer the front zip sports bra because I hate the struggle of taking off a regular sports bra.

Cold Weather Wear

Everyday Wear

Track Your Progress

Once you start exercising, you’ll want to track your progress.  When I first started walking/jogging and cycling, I used my phone to track my miles and time using the following apps: Samsung Health and Charity Miles.  I really like that Charity Miles will donate a certain amount per mile to my chosen organization.  I’ve recently upgraded to the Fitbit Flex.  It even tracks my sleep for me.

Getting Enough Sleep

Speaking of sleep, getting enough quality sleep will affect your overall energy and ability to think.  When I don’t sleep well, I don’t really feel like working out.  You should ideally get 7-8 hours of quality sleep.  Since we spend a great deal of our lives in bed, it’s important to invest in a quality bed. This last year my husband and I had to get a new bed and decided to try out the Sleep Number bed.  It’s pricey, but well worth it.  Like the Fitbit Flex, it will track your sleep for you, and it has a few more bells and whistles, like a nightlight for when you need to get up in the middle of the night, dual temperature control, and an adjustable base. 

Maintenance

After I started exercising pretty regularly, I noticed that my legs were getting tense.  Getting a massage helped a lot, but this wasn’t feasible after every run, so I asked a friend of mine who runs marathons for some advice.  She recommended that I get Massage Bar to help relieve sore, tight muscles, to help prevent cramps, and to release tension.  I picked one that didn’t have big bumps on it so it wasn’t so intense.  I also picked up a Stretch Rope to help stretch out my calves.

Storage

Last, but not least, you’ll want something to keep all of your exercise gear together.  Sure, you could use a drawer you already have, but since I sometimes get up really early in the morning to get ready, I have my bag of gym clothes in the guest bedroom so that I don’t wake my husband.  Choose something small and lightweight for when you’re on the go (like a Drawstring Bags) and something more substantial (like a Duffle Bag) for at the house to store you workout clothes.

     

In Conclusion

Exercising is an excellent way to relieve stress, and staying in shape is a key component to having enough energy to perform your very best (whether it’s in theatre or life in general).  For more stress relieving ideas, check out my article Stress Relief: Coloring.

Stress Relief: Coloring