What are the situations and circumstances most likely to cause stress in your life? Are you at risk from any of these? Here are the most common causes,

Work

According to a recent survey, 40% of workers described their jobs as very stressful. Because we all spend so much time at work, job-related stress can be very harmful.

You need to identify the circumstances at work that cause you the most stress and take action. You may say that’s obvious, but many people make like an ‘ostrich’, trying hard to ignore the problem, because they don’t want to face up to the consequences.

Action could mean talking to your boss or personnel manager to arrange a job transfer or change or responsibilities, or it could mean changing jobs or even careers.

Relationships

Often you don’t choose your family and many of your relationships, and you don’t always get on with everybody. Anger and emotions are often ‘stored-up’ until they explode.

Emotional stress can be relieved greatly by talking, either to a support group of friends or professional counsellors.

Pregnancy and sex

Pregnancy and sex is an emotive subject that can also cause much stress. Pregnant mothers worry about their unborn babies and spouses worry about many issues from performance in bed to infidelity and infertility.

If you suffer from these causes you will benefit by sweeping aside taboos and fears, talking openly about your problems to partner or spouse.

Yoga or other forms of bodywork, such as massage can be very effective here, especially for mothers-to-be.

Study and learning

Study and learning can cause much distress, weather it’s professional exams and qualifications or college studies. Often the problem is time-management. There just are not enough hours in the day.

Being a student can be a difficult period for many of us but there is much you can do to counteract the stressful effects of studying and exams.

Plan ahead, especially when there is an exam at the end. Allow more time than you think you need. Create a quiet space for studying where you are not disturbed. Schedule your study time and don’t allow it to be hijacked.

Health problems

Health problems can cause considerable stress and vice versa. A vicious cycle can be created. Which comes first? Or, more importantly what can you do to break the cycle?

So what illnesses and health problems are linked to stress?

Stress can affect heart disease and strokes, immune disorders, gastrointestinal problems, eating disorders and diabetes. It can cause tension, pain and insomnia, headaches, migraines and sexual dysfunction. It can also impair memory and concentration.

This is just a short selection!

Traumatic events

Serious accidents or traumatic events can be a source of stress, not just at the time of the event, but for many years after.

Traumatic events often causes ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’, which is usually treated by professionals. However, many less traumatic events can be helped enormously with simple stress relievers and stress management techniques.

Children and teenagers

Children and teenagers can be a source of much stress. And as parents it can be a double bind. Their stress is causing your distress or it could be that you have difficult or unruly teenagers making your life much harder.

In particular, teenagers are often stressed by growing pains and learning to live in an adult world. As adults, problems that you take in your stride, can be a source of great anguish to them.

Talking to them, in a non-confrontational way, to discover the source of the problem can work. Babies don’t come with manuals and we have to learn how to be good parents by experience. But there are many guides to being a good parent available on the Internet and bookstores.

Unhealthy lifestyle

Unhealthy lifestyles are the modern stressors. Drinking, smoking, drugs junk food and vegetating in front of the TV, all contribute to stress much more than you may realise.

Our bodies and minds are like machines. They need to be used to regularly in order to function in peak condition. We need to feed them with the correct nutrients, exercise them properly and not abuse them.

Understanding what causes you stress will help you greatly to take back control of your life. Start learning about stress and seek out solutions that strike a chord with you.

And it doesn’t have to be medications or pills. There are many effective techniques and strategies that are completely natural and kind to you and your health.

Selecting the best combination of techniques, to either reduce or eliminate your stress problem, is really a personal choice.

Whatever you do, start your search today.

One of the most common questions coaches hear is from athletes wanting to quickly and easily increase their vertical jump. This article will reveal some powerful power coaching tips.

Your jump can be defined as your jump minus your standing reach. The standing reach is performed with both feet together and flat on the ground and with your arm extended as high as you can above your head.

A true vertical measurement test is always taken without taking any kind of step first. It is possible to increase vertical jump through stretch and power training like the methods I’m about to reveal below.

One of the best strength exercises to quickly and easily increase your jump are step ups, lunges and squats. These are all compound movements that are very effective when performed correctly.

Step ups for increasing vertical jump are performed in an upright position and holding dumbbells and simply stepping up to a bench a step or a step up box which is ordinarily 16-18 inches in height. It is critical that you perform this step up exercise with your knee at a ninety degree angle.

Squats for increasing your leap can be downright dangerous is they are not performed correctly. However, they can do a lot to strengthen and increase your leap if done with care and by following explicit instructions. If a squat is performed incorrectly it will lead to injury rather than any increase in vertical.

Low back injuries are caused by the athlete leaning too far forward in the upper body. Knee problems come about as a result of too much forward movement of the knees.

How to perform a squat correctly

The bar should be across your upper back and not your neck. Your chest should be out with only a very slight lean forward and your back tight. Your knees should be directly above your feet at all times with no exceptions.

Keep your weight on your heels at all times. For best results I would suggest that you get a trained coach, athlete or gym staff member to analyze your squatting technique in order to avoid any injury. Lunges to increase vertical jump can be done with or without dumbbells or, alternatively, with a bar across your upper back.

In order to perform a lunge correctly stand in an upright position and step as far forward as you can until the front knee is at a 90 degree angle. Be sure not to lean forward at any stage. It’s best to perform these lunges ten times with one leg and then ten times on the other leg.

There are also power exercises that will help you give explosive and fast movements upwards. These power exercises include plyometrics, power cleans and also weighted box jumps.

With consistent power training methods athletes can increase their vertical in a matter of weeks.

If you are serious about increasing your vertical jump you need to find the right program that will meet your needs.

The best program for you will be able to be customized to your own individual and athletic needs and circumstances. Programs customize their workouts differently. One may concentrate on an individual’s weaknesses, while another vertical jump program will customize its program through performing repetitious exercise.

The best program will be able to customize your workout precisely according to your needs and not someone else’s. It will also be able to individually take into account your weight, your height, your health, your fitness level and ultimately, your vertical jump goal.

It will also offer multiple different training levels. The best vertical jump program will increase your vertical jump strength through both weight training and plyometrics.