Submitted by
Yellowhead Community Services
Yellowhead Community Services is presenting Relax Class beginning Nov. 6, 2013. It will run each Wednesday evening from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. for four weeks.
The class is designed to help people relax and de-stress from their busy days. It is not an exercise class, bur rather a time to learn simple methods to help with relaxation.
Statistics Canada reports “Stress carries several negative health consequences, including heart disease, stroke,high blood pressure, as well as immune and circulatory complications.”Exposure to stress can also contribute to behaviours such as smoking, over-consumption of alcohol, and less-healthy eating habits.
In 2010, 23.5 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older reported that most days were ‘extremely or quite a bit stressful’, up from 22.3 per cent in 2008.
Daily stress rates were highest in the core working ages (35-54), peaking at about 30 per cent in the 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 age groups. People in these age groups are most likely to be managing multiple career and family responsibilities.
Workplace Wellness reports that ‘Stress is not unusual or abnormal. It’s an everyday occurrence that your body reacts to in either a positive or negative manner. It’s basically the preparation of your body to physically move. Year heart rate increases and your breathing becomes faster in anticipation of muscular activity.
“Stress is the effect your body experiences as it adjusts to ever-changing circumstances. As a positive influence, it can fill you with excitement and propel you into action or provide you with a feeling of happiness. Stress can be a very motivating factor. It allows you to accomplish tasks and set goals and see them through to completion.
“Good stress, also called eustress, is caused by the release of chemicals such as adrenalin, endorphin, serotonin and dopamine, which are produced in your body and act as natural anti-depressants and pain-relievers.
“However, if you don’t use up the adrenalin that gets pumped through your system in response to stress, sooner or later it will physically manifest itself in such negative conditions as muscle tension, headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure and heart disease. It is estimated that 75 percent to 85 percent of all medical problems are related to stress.”
“Over 50 per cent of lost work days are stress related, which keeps about one million people per day from attending work. Stress accounts for $26 billion in medical and disability payments, and $95 billion in lost productivity per year.” - Occupational Health and Safety News/National Council on Compensation Insurance.
Come to Relax Class and learn new ways to relax and overcome stress. Fees are $40 for the set of sessions. Call Yellowhead Community Services at 250-672-9773 to register before Nov. 1, 2013. First come, first served.