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Don't Panic - You Can Control Panic Attacks
By Nelson Gerarino

When we panic (or have anxiety attacks) a number of things happen to us. And we should know that in panic and high anxiety the symptoms that we experience are the same. The difference lies in the build up: anxiety usually builds up slowly, getting stronger and stronger until it becomes a full-blown attack; panic occurs instantly, usually in response to a clear and imminent threat or danger. An anxiety attack is, in effect, panic.

In both anxiety and panic we become jumpy and jittery, on-edge, charged with energy, ready for action. We feel 'in a rush', needing to do something. This can also be seen at times when we are not anxious or panicked, but actually in a rush, for example when we are late for something. In such situations we often feel anxious and 'panicky'.

This charge of energy within our body comes from two main things: our breathing and heartbeat - they both become considerably faster. We breathe faster to get more oxygen into the bloodstream to feed the main muscles for action (arms, chest, and legs) and the heart speeds up to get this oxygen around our body to these muscles more quickly.
This 'rush', this charge of energy for action lies at the heart of anxiety attacks and panic. And when there is no real danger or threat (one we need the 'rush' to escape from) in order to calm down, we need to slow down and slow our body down.

The one way that we can actually reverse this process is by slowing down our breathing. Here, we, ourselves, can positively influence our nervous system by the physical action we take. By learning to breathe more slowly and deeply we can calm down.

And it's not just the speed of our breathing that is important but also how deeply we breathe. Fast shallow breathing reduces the level of Carbon Dioxide in the blood and can lead to further panic inducing symptoms. (This is why some people breathe into paper bags).

By replacing the fast, shallow breathing of anxiety and panic with deep slow breathing, where we breathe from the diaphragm (the muscular wall separating the lungs from the stomach) we redress the oxygen-CO2 balance in the body and promote a feeling of calmness.

Try diaphragmatic breathing:-

• Take a deep breath in through your nose for a slow count of four (imagine the air filling your stomach, not lungs, and feel it expand)
• Hold for a slow count of four
• Breathe out through your mouth for a slow count of four (imagine your stomach pushing the air out)
• Hold for a slow count of four
• Repeat 3 or 4 times, no more
  

With practice you can use this technique to calm down in those times you feel anxious or panicky where there is no real danger.

A very important thing to realize about the above is that knowing what is happening and why dramatically increases the power of the technique. Just telling someone who is panicking to breathe more slowly and deeply doesn't have the same effect.
With anxiety and panic we need to know what is happening and why to be able to take real control.

"Nightclub Cardio"
By Lisa Davenport

Sidestepping under strobe lights , hopping to Rihanna, working up a sweat, I took a class of Nightclub Cardio, the newest fitness trend to hit LA. It's fantastic. Get ready to work your buns, plunge and lunge to catchy music in a place that's got cool ambiance and style---Level 3 Nightclub at the Hollywood & Highland Center.

Nightclub Cardio was a "dream" of founder Jennifer Brugh launched in March 2009 in Houston, where it's all the rage. Her friend Gini Trask brought it to LA this January. Gini remarked that Jennifer liked the idea of "sneakers and sweatpants" at a nightclub-- combining fitness with a DJ. The philosophy: go "back to basics" with "dance and exercise" at a place where people love to dance. It's "changing working out by changing where you work out," and there are no mirrors. The format: "simple dance steps" and "recognizable aerobics" instead of complicated choreography. It effectively fills different needs: it's for "people intimidated by the mirrors" and the "super-hard bodies" at the gym, or anyone who's "bored with the treadmill" and wants something "new and different". All "shapes, fitness levels, and sizes" can participate. The "beautiful … atmosphere makes you feel … less self conscious." With music from disco to hip-hop and top 40, "you can be yourself … let it all hang out." And you'll burn "600 calories per hour!"

For Gini, LA seemed like the "perfect place" to expand--it's " on the cutting edge of fitness. People here take fitness to a whole new level." And Level 3 seemed "ideal" with convenient parking and lots to do. Wendy Parker, Director of Special Events for Level 3--herself a dancer who danced with Alvin Ailey--loved the idea of Nightclub Cardio and became excited about introducing something dance related to the Highland Center. It's "out of the ordinary, no one would be judging anyone, and you're not judging yourself". Highland employees even get a discount. The inviting venue makes you dare to swap the fitness center for the dance floor.

Significantly, each instructor has "extensive background in aerobics and dance" and must complete a certification program before they can lead a class. Instructor Ashley Marriott trained as a dancer for ten years and works as a personal trainer. She conducts an invigorating workout. With no spotlight on you, you can mesh with the music and focus on yourself. She describes it as the" feeling of going to a club" where "everyone is dancing… free and fun." And it's interactive-- you'll join a soul-train line while DJ "Rad Ryan" rocks it out with a music mix that's "never the same every time." For our class, we heard George Michael, Lady gaga, and lots more. You can put in a request for a song too. If Rad Ryan plays your song, you'll receive a door prize.

Another instructor, Ashley Dedear , a dancer from Houston, encourages networking and outreach through media like Facebook and Meetup.com to bring more people into the mix in LA. Gini also wants to promote fitness awareness because problems like childhood obesity have become a top health concern in the country. One of their goals is to "create an environment that helps people combat" obesity and a variety of other health issues. Look for Nightclub Cardio to partner with the Diabetes Foundation and Art for Life in the upcoming months. Martha Lowe, a participant in the class, mused that the workout was "everything I expected it to be… The music will get you going. You don't feel pressure to do more than you're capable." You'll test yourself--push yourself to whatever level you want to. Come right after work, pick up a smoothie, check out the Hollywood sign, or even catch a movie. Marriott avows: "If you can hear the music, if you like the music, then you can do it."

Schedule: Wednesdays:--6:30-7:30.

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