I felt the pull this week too whenI was in a tizzy about our finances & work.
I read once, that eating & digestion stimulates the nervous system and can help “pull away” some of that energy that is making us anxious & stressed.
Meaning, your body really does feel temporary relief.
Other tactics are temperature shocks. Going for a walk in the cold, taking a hot or cold shower. Exercise, of course.
Anyone else have tips to relieve stress and the itch to stress-eat?
Definitely no overhead kettleball squats! I do goblet squats when I do them, ball held close to my chest, but mostly I do squats with dumbells at my side that I combine with overhead. (Maybe I shouldn’t?) I’ve never gotten hurt doing them. Thankfully, as long as I don’t lean forward too much I’m fine. I think I just pulled a muscle a little bit. No problems walking around at all. I have a TRX, it’s attached to a pullup bar my kid attached to the basement ceiling joists. It’s in a particularly icky part of my mostly unfinished basement without any mat on the floor, so it always makes me a bit nervous to use them.
Im in a constant tizzy about finances and work. Im fulltime at a university plus working a second job yet. Been divorced 10 years but my lovely ex decided to waste the last 2 years of my life and 30k of my dollars on frivolous crap and lawyers fees(cue extra stress there in relation to mental health and also finances). Cue ex deciding hes not contributing to oldest sons college so left me scrambling last minute to pay (hes in his second semester and Im paying 100% of it all right now as child is now looking for a job only just now as academically and emotionally he needed some time to adjust). I struggle with deciding if I should quit the second job as its physically and mentally killing me but I need the money. My body hurts every minute of every day as I stand and walk 10 hours each day. I barely get a few hours of sleep each night as I start work at 5am and my kids are busy in the evenings so I dont even get home until after 9pm some nights with mom taxi (we have limited carpool options as we are out of district).
The positives. I have a wonderful fiance who I have known for 9 years and we are finally getting married this fall (although wedding planning stress is mostly financial for me). He picks up the kids from school most days and helps with driving when his work allows. My oldest is succeeding at tech college after barely graduating high school (he graduated on a 504 plan with LD’s). I get massages every 3 weeks. I love my NordicTrack bike and I try to get on it 2-3 times a week right now. I would love to do more but its baby steps right now.
The negative. I have limited mental energy to meal plan or eat well. My fiance does all of the cooking and hes agreed that we will start planning better in March (the next 2 weeks are still chaos with the kids). Weight loss is all diet for me. Ive lost 30 lbs before but gained it all back so I know I can do it. I dont want to be a fat, old bride so I have to get my healthy eating mojo back!
Ok, my vent is over. Thanks for letting me release some steam. 
Im on this thread to get some motivation!
If you don’t have the mobility for overhead squats, and I’ll bet most people do not, then I’d suggest to NOT do them, unless under the guidance of a trainer. You can hurt yourself. They’re one of the most difficult movements to do. I recommend using the goblet, suitcase or front rack position with the dumbbell or KB.
If you want more info on the OH Squat, Google “the dumbbell overhead squat,” since I don’t think you can post links to utube videos here. I like the CF videos because they’re 1 minute in length, clear and concise. I often use them to brush up on the important points of various movements before performing them.
Most importantly, keep squatting! It’s really one of, if not, the best single movements us humans can do to keep us strong and healthy.
A +1 to getting outside for fresh air for 20 minutes or more to relief stress/wanting to down a bag of chips.
Or a good/bad snack. Chips and dip would be a bad idea but is what I want. I’ll settle for raw veggies and dip. I can end up as satisfied.
I went from running almost 40 miles a week for over 400 days to no running at all. I can do a little stationary cycling and elliptical. My response to all this is to put my hand in every candy jar I see and raid the donuts! Not a smart move…
I don’t and won’t do dumbell overhead squats, what I do is squat with dumbells at my sides (crossfit level one), stand up pause, then do an overhead press.
I also do squats without weights every day.
Sorry @mathmom I misunderstood your earlier post.
Speaking of stress. Last night I arrived and quickly noticed that my gym changed configurations once again. They’re slowly killing me. I think that’s their plan. 
Yeah, overhead squats are brutal and, as @sushiritto states, a very advanced move that could result in serious injury if not done correctly. I’ve played around with them using kettlebells in a bottoms up position (holding the bells by the handles, upside down, overhead). Incredibly demanding on grip strength, wrists and forearms and shoulder stability. At least with the kettlebells, if you lose it, you can “toss” them and run in the opposite direction, lol.
But for those who want to safely play with overhead squats, TRX provides a way to do so. Adjust the straps to mid-length, face the mounting point, insert your open flat hands in the cradles of the straps (not the handles) with the tops of your hands facing you, extend your arms straight overhead. As you squat and return, pull against the straps as hard as you can like you are trying to pull them off the mounting point. Keep the tension constant as you do the squats. Guaranteed to light your core on fire as well as work your shoulders and back. 3 sets of 12 will leave you shaking.
@MichaelNKat would you have a suggestion for an exercise bike for home use. My daughter who used to be a regular exerciser has been suffering from debilitating migraine headaches since October. She is working with a neurologist to get them under control but hasn’t had a lot of luck. Just when she thinks she might be able to get back into the gym she gets another bad headache. She thinks if she had a bike at home she could at least get some exercise in. She used to go to gym on her way home from work. Between not exercising and some of the meds she has gained a lot of weight and feels terrible. Overall in spite of being overweight she is strong. Any recommendations for something that won’t break the bank? Her old gym had Rogue bikes which she liked but she hasn’t found any used ones in her area.
@mom60 , what price range are you willing to spend? And what features are important to you or your daughter. There are a lot of options - friction resistance, magnetic resistance, consoles that give basic speed, cadence, distance, time info, consoles that also connect to heart rate straps, bikes that have bluetooth and will connect to online streaming programs. Does your daughter have an outdoor bike that could be attached to a rear wheel trainer - that’s another option available. Prices can range from about $600 for a basic no frills bike to $2000+ for a commercial quality bike. If you can help narrow this down a bit, I will be glad to offer some suggestions.
@mom60, this may not be what you’re looking for at all, but my D bought this 3 years ago (then for $99 - it goes on sale now and then) and she loves it. I have used it when I’m at her house. It’s perfect for someone who wants to try a piece but not spend a lot. Perfect for doing 30 minutes a few times a week. The reviews are quite good.
It’s not fancy, not with bells and whistles, but it rides smooth and doesn’t break the bank.
https://www.amazon.com/Exerpeutic-Folding-Magnetic-Upright-Exercise/dp/B007595TKU/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_rm
@sushiritto no problems, I don’t think I was clear.
@abasket that looks like the bike my son bought. He’s in apartment with a nice gym, so it’s still in our basement. It works pretty well.
On that bike, here’s a question. And it’s not for purposes of being contentious but because I don’t know the answer. Has anyone seen the outcome of it being in service 5 days/week, 45 minutes a shot, for a year? I’m kinda of the view that you get what you pay for and I can’t see how you can get a bike that will be durable, have good ergonomics, provide a consistent and responsive riding experience all for the current price of $149.99. If you really can, boy did I over spend at my group class studio! In all seriousness, if you want a legit home spinning bike, I think you need to start no lower than $600-800 depending on specific features.
MK, that’s what I pointed out (I think) - good for a 30 minute ride for a beginning/light rider who may not be serious but who just wants to get started on some exercise. Of course, it’s not going to be what someone wants to use 5+ days a week.
I wouldn’t recommend buying a $1-2K bike for someone just starting out and not even being sure if cycling is for them. I take that $$ and join a good gym instead and see what equipment you really do like.
Just reporting back on our experience. For $100 it has been a winter or hot summer day lifesaver after work allowing my D to have a small piece of equipment in an apt and it’s going on 3 years of life.
Today is the 6th anniversary of my home treadmill. I got a very high end machine, and it has been SO worth it. However, I knew it would get a lot of use and I didn’t want any downtime.
For someone who won’t use the equipment much, or who has no idea if they will like it, it’s sort of a dilemma. Do you get low end and give it a whirl and maybe upgrade later or would a less smooth and comfortable bike make it more likely that you wouldn’t like it.
My sister actually had one of those really inexpensive ellipticals for years, and it worked fine for moderate use (30-45 minutes a few times a week) and actually wasn’t too awful the couple of times I used it when I visited her.
If you have a TV or some sort of entertainment set up, a good option is to try to find a used spin bike- perhaps one that a local gym has replaced.
Thanks @abasket . I also agree that someone just starting out should be circumspect about how much they spend since they don’t know if it will stick. It kinda sounded, though, that mom60’s daughter intends to ride multiple days each week. If that’s the case, then I think you need to to spend $600-800 to get a bike that will provide a consistent, reliable and enjoyable ride experience.
I asked a few questions- she doesn’t care about online classes or heart rate monitor. She wants something that will work both upper and lower body. A bike she can up the resistance. Something she can do a really hard workout on when she is feeling better but also do a slow but hard resistance sweaty workout on it. What she likes about the Rogue is a a hard machine because it’s not low resistance with the fan. I have strong legs so that is not an issue. Budget is under $1000. Her money not mine.
Before she got sick she was a serious strong workout person. She is hopeful that whatever she gets she will use. She loves her exercise studio and would love to go back. She is spending money on a membership she isn’t well enough to use.
I asked her about buying a TRX which she has used at the gym. She feels with the visual disturbances she wouldn’t feel safe.
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-bike?prod_id=54708&gclid=CjwKCAiA1rPyBRAREiwA1UIy8F-99T798PUrsWBMbszUaKoAQNpsI88bkJ7F2Lh_5kRggJ-_RzL2ABoCzGkQAvD_BwE This is bike she is considering
So Rogue sells two bikes. The Echo, which is a their fan bike, and they also sell a Concept 2 ERG bike. I’m assuming, since your D also wants an upper body workout, she must be talking about the Echo Air Bike.
I have an Assault Air Bike, which Rogue copied with the Echo, at home and I also use an Echo bike at the gym. Great machine, well-built, I use it a couple times a week. But I wouldn’t use it for a long endurance workout. The fan bikes are typically used for shorter HIIT workouts.
If your D desires longer endurance/stamina workouts, then I’d opt to purchase the ERG bike from Concept 2, because it has a clutch where you can, if wanted, freewheel like a regular bike. Just no upper body workout, but obviously, she can do the upper body workout off the bike.
The ERG bikes are very popular at CF gyms now because they can be used as both a resistance bike and/or a longer duration freewheel ride. The Echo bikes are torture in HIIT workouts.
Edit: Oops, I was writing, editing and goofing off while you posted about the Echo.
@sushiritto I passed along your input. She used the Echo at a previous gym. I think her present studio doesn’t have bikes.
I’m going to also send her the bike @abasket linked.