Three Ways Walking Can Help Alleviate Stress

An accomplished health care finance executive and resident of Gladewater, TX, Janet Andersen draws upon nearly three decades of experience with prominent health care companies in Texas, Nebraska, and elsewhere. Outside of her professional life, Texas resident Janet Andersen pursues a diverse range of hobbies, which include painting, gardening, and line dancing. She also enjoys relaxing and releasing stress by taking long walks.

Between personal and professional responsibilities everyday life can be stressful. However, simple activities, such as walking, can help to reduce stress and improve one's mental and physical health. Listed below are three ways walking can help alleviate stress.

1. Walking Puts Your Brain in a Meditative State. According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom, the act of walking can help your brain shift into meditation mode. For even stronger effects, try taking a walk through a park, nature preserve, or other green space.

2. Boosts Endorphins. One of the benefits of regular exercise is that it can increase the body’s endorphin production, which has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood. Fortunately, you don’t need to do intense exercise to get these benefits, as walking has been proven to have similar endorphin-boosting effects.

3. Loosens Muscles. Stress and tense muscles have a symbiotic relationship, with tense muscles raising stress levels and increased stress leading to tight muscles. Like any exercise, walking can help loosen the joints and stretch the muscles, leading to an overall sense of well-being and relaxation.

What Are Hospital Revenue Bonds?

The holder of an MBA from UT Texas, Janet Andersen has over 25 years of experience in healthcare finance. Having spent the bulk of her professional career in Texas, Gladewater resident Janet Andersen has accumulated in-depth knowledge about hospital revenue bonds. 

Hospital revenue bonds are a type of municipal bond issued to raise money from third party investors for the construction of hospitals and other related facilities. They can also be issued to support hospital reconstructions or facility upgrades. While the bonds are backed by hospital revenues, bondholders only receive payments after hospitals are done paying their expenses. This makes hospital bonds risky since there is no guarantee the hospital will be profitable. Also, unlike municipal bonds where local governments can introduce taxes to raise money for debt repayments, hospitals cannot tax patients when their revenue falls short. 

Despite their high risk, hospital revenue bonds do have their upsides. One is that they have high yields. These high yields are usually meant to offset their high default risks. Secondly, their returns are tax exempt if issued by not-for-profit hospitals.