24 Hour Fitness offers tax day stress relief

DON'T STRESS OUT, WORK OUT!

San Ramon, Calif. – Let's face it, with busy schedules and the tax deadline rapidly approaching, we could all use a little stress relief right about now. 24 Hour Fitness, a global leader in the health and fitness movement, is offering exercise tips and strategies to help lower stress levels the fun and natural way. Regular exercise helps maintain good physical health, lowers the risk of diseases, and is a proven mood enhancer and stress reliever. But even those who don't have time to hit the gym even a few days a week, can find the time to do a few simple things during the day to reduce the effects of stress.

Did you know that up to 90% of doctors visits are due to stress? Americans are busier and more stressed out than ever, so 24 Hour Fitness has some exercise tips to help them manage stress, instead of just coping with it. Exercise is the only all-natural, fun way to lower stress levels, but it has other benefits as well. It can also help you look better, sleep better, help you remember more and increase your productivity. Exercise also helps decrease depression and can greatly improve your sex drive.

Even if you don't have time to hit the weight room on a regular basis, 24 Hour Fitness suggests the following tips and tricks for relieving stress throughout a busy day…especially the nearing (and dreaded) Tax Day.

Walk it off: Take a 15 minute break to go outside and take a stroll to blow off some steam.
Waiting to exhale: Sit up straight, close your eyes and breathe in slowly, deeply through your nose. Hold for three seconds, and then exhale from your mouth.
Wrist and shout: Relieve tired forearms and wrists from the computer by holding a pen in your clenched hands and with your arms straight in front of you and palms up, pull your wrists toward you and hold for two seconds.
Roll with the flow: Muscle tension often builds in the neck and shoulder region due to stress. Take 10 seconds to close your eyes and roll your shoulders.
Point your toes: Whether you're patiently standing in line or sitting at a desk, revive tired calves and ankles with a simple stretch.
Strike a pose: Calm the brain and relieve stress while gently stretching the back, hips and ankles with the Child's pose, a simple yoga technique. Kneel on the floor, knees shoulder width apart and big toes touching. Gently rest your belly in between your thighs and forehead on the floor.

"New research continues to re-affirm what 24 Hour Fitness has known for decades," says Josh Lyon, 24 Hour Fitness spokesperson and resident "stress accountant." "Incorporating a fitness routine into daily life works. The benefits of fitness span the continuum from preventing heart disease and certain types of cancers to sleeping better, controlling weight and even making you smarter."

Today, health clubs like 24 Hour Fitness continue to break down fitness barriers by innovating exercise routines to fit into consumers' hectic lifestyles. Recent innovations include:

Xpress Classes: The ultimate group exercise workout in just 30 minutes.
Speed Round: For those cycling and kickboxing fanatics, a 30-minute version of your favorite class.
Xpress Zone: A quick and efficient full-body workout in just 30 minutes.

Aside from designing 30-minute classes to fit into America's busy lifestyles and putting clubs where you can really use them, 24 Hour Fitness clubs also provides a personal training program called, Solutions. Working directly with a personal trainer, members can create the right routine and schedule to fit into their timetable and help them meet their fitness goals.

about 24 Hour Fitness
24 Hour Fitness, a long time fan of the Olympic Movement, officially became an U.S. Olympic Team sponsor in April 2003, with the sponsorship lasting through 2008. For more than a decade, 24 Hour Fitness has cheered for and rallied behind the Olympic movement in the U.S. by sponsoring 11 National Governing Bodies, including USA Cycling, USA Gymnastics, USA Judo, USA Rugby, USA Softball, USA Speed Skating, USA Track & Field, USA Volleyball, USA Water Polo, USA Weightlifting and USA Wrestling.

Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness, an innovative leader in the health and fitness industry, serves more than 3 million members in over 350 clubs across 16 different states and four countries in Asia. Founded in 1983 as a one-club operation by Chairman and CEO Mark S. Mastrov, 24 Hour Fitness pioneered the concept of making fitness accessible, affordable and a way of life for everyone. Supporting the communities it serves, 24 Hour Fitness sponsors many charitable events and organizations including the 2004 - 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams and the Magic Johnson, Andre Agassi and Lance Armstrong Foundations. Please call 1-800-224-0240 or visit www.24HourFitness.com for more information and to find the location nearest you.